IBM’s new chief Virginia Rometty forms management team

IBM's new chief executive, Virginia 'Ginni' Rometty, has made a couple of changes to the firm's central leadership team, which analysts say will help the business perform strongly in IT services and grow its presence in emerging markets.

Rometty officially took over the chief executive position from Sam Palmisano on 1 January, and is the first woman to have ever led the multi-billion dollar company.

According to a Bloomberg report, Bruno Di Leo has been promoted from the general manager of IBM's growth markets unit to the senior vice president of sales and distribution.

Meanwhile, Bridget Van Kralingen has been made head of IBM's consulting business after managing IBM's North America sales and distribution unit.

Rometty reportedly announced her new management team in a memo to employees on Tuesday.

Freeform Dynamics analyst Tony Lock said the appointments were positive but nothing revolutionary.

"IBM has always promoted from within whenever possible. It's one of these companies where if you get in, you stay in for life," he told V3.

"Most interesting is the fact that Di Leo comes from emerging markets and IBM is clearly focusing on its expansion in the emerging markets at the moment."

Lock also pointed out that both of the new posts are in the services part of the business.

"Services and consulting is the glue that ties everything together in the product side of the business," he said.

In her previous role as global sales leader for IBM, 54-year-old Rometty was responsible for the firm's results, strategy, marketing and communications functions.

Before that, Rometty was senior vice president of IBM Global Business Services, where she managed the acquisition of PwC Consulting.