Alexander F. Stern

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Senior Vice President, Strategy and M&A

Alex leads IBM’s strategy and mergers & acquisitions organizations, and also leads the company’s investor relations organization.

He joined IBM in January 2023 from Lazard, where he served as President since June 2019. Prior to that, Alex held a number of senior executive positions at the firm, including Chief Executive Officer of Lazard’s Financial Advisory business, Chief Operating Officer, and Global Head of Strategy.

At Lazard, Alex spearheaded many of the firm’s key strategic and operational initiatives, including expanding the company's service offerings, enhancing collaboration and productivity across the firm’s workforce, and strengthening relationships with investment banking clients. He also helped lead the successful integration of Lazard as it transitioned from a private partnership to a public company. Throughout his tenure, Alex advised Lazard clients on a broad array of transformational growth transactions and value creation initiatives, with a particular emphasis in the technology and telecommunications sectors. He joined Lazard in 1994, and was named Managing Director in 2002.

Alex previously held positions with Patricof & Co. Ventures and IBM. He is on the board of LUNGevity Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on changing outcomes for people with lung cancer through research, education, and support. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for the School of Engineering and Applied Science of the University of Pennsylvania and is a board member of the nonprofit Operation Warm.

He received a B.S. from Duke University, an M.S.E. from the School of Engineering and Applied Science of the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.