Rodney Adkins

Adkins was born in Augusta, Georgia, on August 23, 1958, and grew up in Miami, Florida. His parents are Archie and Wauneta Adkins. After graduating valedictorian from Miami Jackson High School, he attended Rollins College in 1976 as a dual degree student with Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech in 1981 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics from Rollins College in 1982.

In 1983, he earned a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech.

Adkins began working at IBM in 1981. In 2007 he was appointed to the position of IBM Corporate Officer and Senior Vice President, the first African American to hold this position.

During his 33-year tenure at IBM, Adkins held various strategic, operational and management positions. His major contributions include advancing the Personal Computer industry through the launch of the IBM ThinkPad; leading IBM's POWER business to become the market leader in the UNIX market; and helping to pioneer what became IBM's portfolio of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. His career highlights include leading IBM's global strategy; overseeing IBM's global supply chain including global procurement, manufacturing and customer fulfillment; leading IBM's complete portfolio of hardware systems including microelectronics, mainframe/System z, RS6000/Power Systems, AS400/System i, x-Series/System x and Enterprise Storage; leading IBM’s Pervasive Computing portfolio of “Smarter Planet” IoT software solutions; leading IBM's RS6000/Power Systems including the introduction of the industry's first multi-core system based on POWER 4 microprocessor; leading IBM's complete portfolio of desktop Personal Computers; leading global operations and technical support for the launch of IBM ThinkPad 750, IBM ThinkPad 500 and IBM PS/2 Portable (“luggable”); and delivering a full range of IBM's PS/2 desktop and server systems, including the introduction of the first processor upgradeable system; and providing test engineering support and certification for component technologies used in the IBM PC, PCjr, PC XT and PC AT.

Adkins has also been an active philanthropist throughout his career including Founding Donor of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and donor of the Rosa Parks sculpture titled “Continuing the Conversation,” which is prominently located at Georgia Tech. Adkins has been an advocate for increasing the number of professionals in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This includes a focus on minorities with the establishment of endowed, merit-based and need-based scholarships at Georgia Tech, Rollins College, UMBC and the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation. He has published works, including "America Desperately Needs More STEM Students" in Forbes, emphasizing minority participation in STEM. In addition, the “Rodney C. Adkins Legacy Award for Business Transformation” is presented annually in recognition of a deserving industry leader for their consistent impact and contributions in the STEM fields.

Adkins serves on the board of directors of United Parcel Service (UPS), W. W. Grainger, and as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Avnet. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Council and is a trustee of Georgia Tech and Rollins College.

He previously served on the boards of Pitney Bowes, PeopleClick Inc., PPL Corporation, the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation, the Harlem School of the Arts and the Smithsonian National Board.