John R. Opel
American businessman
John Roberts Opel (January 5, 1925 – November 3, 2011) was an American computer businessman. He was the president of IBM from 1974 to1985.2
From Wikipedia’s article on John R. Opel (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Born Jan 5, 1925, died Nov 3, 2011.1
About
He was the chief executive officer (CEO) of IBM from 1981 to 1985, and chairman from 1983 to 1986.
From Wikipedia’s article on John R. Opel, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2
Companies
Early life and education
- Date not recordedWestminster College3
- Date not recordedBooth School of Business3
- Date not recordedUniversity of Chicago3
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Opel grew up in Jefferson City, Missouri, where his father owned a hardware store. He majored in English at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. He then fought in the Philippines and Okinawa in World War II and earned an MBA degree from the University of Chicago in 1949.
From Wikipedia’s article on John R. Opel (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career
Occupation: business executive, businessperson.7
- 1983 to 1986Chief executive officer, IBM6
- 1981 to 1985Chief executive, IBM5
- Date not recordedWorked at IBM4
Upon graduation, Opel had two job offers, one to rewrite economics textbooks, and the other to take over his father's hardware business. While taking a fishing trip with his father and a family friend who worked for IBM, he was offered a third job as a salesman in central Missouri, and accepted.
In 1959, Opel became executive assistant to IBM CEO Thomas J. Watson Jr., after which he rose rapidly, taking positions in manufacturing and public relations and other departments, and managed the introduction of the IBM System/360 mainframe computer in 1964. In 1974, he was elected president. In 1981, he became the CEO of IBM, then its chairman.
Under his leadership, IBM developed and launched the first IBM personal computer, forever changing the face of computing and IBM.
From Wikipedia’s article on John R. Opel (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Personal life
Awards
- 1983Financial Times Person of the Year11
Links
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
- 1WikidataJohn R. Opel on Wikidata
- 2WikipediaJohn R. Opel on Wikipedia
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- 11WikidataJohn R. Opel: award, on Wikidata
- 12WikidataIBM, Chief executive officer