Adkins, Rodney
1958- · Contribution: 1990s-2000s
Engineer and technology executive
IBM's first African American corporate officer and Senior Vice President (2007); an engineering and development leader who helped launch the IBM ThinkPad and led IBM's Systems & Technology Group; inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (2005)

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Quick facts
- Born
- 1958, Atlanta, Georgia
- Active since
- 1981
- Category
- Technology & Engineering
- Best known for
- IBM's first African American senior vice president
Impact on the world
Adkins rose to the top of one of the world's most important technology companies, guiding hardware development that shaped enterprise computing while breaking a barrier in IBM's executive ranks.
Sources
- National Academy of Engineering
1 more sources and references are available to members.
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