2025年12月29日，IBM现任CEO阿尔温德·克里希纳向全体员工发出一封邮件，宣告了管理界一位传奇管理巨匠的落幕： 曾于1993年至2002年力挽狂澜、带领IBM走出绝境的董事长兼CEO路易斯·郭士纳，于当地时间12月27日逝世，享年83岁。 邮件中，克里希纳将郭士纳称为"蓝色巨人救世主"。这个称号，他当之无愧。 时间倒回1993年4月1日，愚人节。 郭士纳走进IBM纽约总部大楼的场景，与其说这是历史性的交接，不如说更像一个行业笑话。 这位51岁的经理人有着光线的履历：哈佛商学院MBA毕业，28岁成为麦肯锡史上最年轻的合伙人；在美国运通工作的11年间，他把信用卡会员数从860万拉升到 3070万；1989年，47岁的他出任全球最大食品烟草公司RJR纳贝斯克的掌门人。 然而，在入主IBM之前，郭士纳在科技领域的经验为零。他和计算机世界唯一的联系，只是曾经是IBM的客户。 彼时他即将接手的，是一个深陷泥潭的巨人： 股价暴跌至每股13美元，仅为1987年峰值时的28%；公司在1992年巨亏50亿美元，1993年亏损更达81亿美元，连续三年累计亏损168亿美元，创下美国企业史上第 二大亏损纪录。全球商学院争相剖析 ...

当地时间12月28日，IBM公司现任董事长兼首席执行官阿尔温德·克里希纳通过一封发送给全体员工的 内部邮件，正式通报了前董事长兼首席执行官路易斯·郭士纳逝世的消息。郭士纳于12月27日去世，享 年83岁。 同时，郭士纳推行了一系列旨在削减成本、重塑文化的改革。他大幅裁员、出售非核心资产以优化财务 状况，并改革薪酬体系，将员工报酬与公司整体绩效挂钩。他发起了著名的"热烈拥抱"计划，要求高级 经理必须亲自拜访核心客户，并将"市场是一切行动的原动力"作为首要原则传达给全球员工。 改革成效显著。1994年，IBM实现了进入90年代以来的首次盈利，达到30亿美元。在其九年任期内，公 司市值从接手时的约290亿美元增长至上千亿美元。郭士纳于2002年卸任，此后他将这段转型经历撰写 成《谁说大象不能跳舞？》一书，成为企业管理领域的经典著作。 郭士纳的领导力影响深远，其管理理念也超越了IBM本身。AMD董事长兼首席执行官苏姿丰曾担任其 技术助理，她将这段经历形容为"世界上最好的MBA"。华为创始人任正非在1997年拜访IBM后，深受 启发，随后华为大规模引进了IBM的管理体系进行变革。苏姿丰在社交媒体上发文悼念称："能有机会 ...

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the legacy of Louis Gerstner, former Chairman and CEO of IBM, who transformed the company from a struggling hardware manufacturer into a leading IT services and solutions provider, marking a significant era in corporate history [2][11]. Group 1: Background and Challenges - Louis Gerstner was born in 1942 and had a background in consulting, becoming the youngest partner at McKinsey & Company before taking on leadership roles in major corporations [4]. - He became IBM's first external CEO on April 1, 1993, during a time when the company faced severe financial difficulties, with cumulative losses of $16.8 billion over three years and a stock price at an all-time low [4][5]. Group 2: Strategic Actions and Reforms - Gerstner's approach focused on returning to the essence of business rather than technology, emphasizing integrated solutions over fragmented products [5]. - He shifted IBM's core focus from hardware manufacturing to high-value IT services and software, exemplified by the $3.5 billion acquisition of Lotus in 1995, which was the largest software acquisition at the time [6]. - Gerstner reformed IBM's corporate culture by implementing significant layoffs, selling non-core assets, and linking employee compensation to overall company performance, while promoting a "customer first" principle [6][7]. Group 3: Achievements and Impact - Under Gerstner's leadership, IBM returned to profitability by the end of 1994, earning $3 billion, and saw its stock price increase by approximately 800% during his tenure, with market capitalization rising from about $29 billion to over $100 billion [7]. - His strategic transformation defined IBM's direction for the next two decades, positioning the company as a pioneer in cloud computing and e-commerce [7]. - Gerstner's influence extended beyond IBM, shaping future leaders in the tech industry and inspiring companies like Huawei to adopt similar management practices [8]. Group 4: Legacy - Gerstner's management philosophy is encapsulated in his autobiography, "Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?", which has become a classic for global managers [8]. - His passing marks the end of a significant chapter in corporate leadership, with current IBM CEO Arvind Krishna acknowledging Gerstner's focus on future customer needs [11].