Goodbye, but not farewell IBM

“Sometimes the hardest things and the right things are the same.”--Anonymous--After an amazing four and a half years at IBM, I've made the hard decision to take some time out of my career to be with my family.One of the things that sets IBM apart is its compassion, especially in supporting people through the lifetime of their personal needs. For me, right now, that means shifting my focus and spending more time caring for those people closest to me.My time with IBM has been among the most fulfilling periods of my career, working closely with clients on their most challenging business transformation initiatives. I've valued this opportunity tremendously and will take only good memories with me to this next important chapter – one that many of you will have undertaken.When I first started at IBM, it took me a little while to understand why people referred to themselves as IBMers. But now I see things a little differently. I’ve come to realise that this is about ascribing to a shared set of values.Many of those values are things that I’ve always embraced – like diversity and inclusiveness, for example. But because we share these values as an organisation, collectively we’re able to make real change in the world.In that respect, I feel like I’ve become an IBMer as well, and that this is one of the many gifts that I’ll take with me as I move on to the next chapter in my life.Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to actively engage with the ideas that I’ve shared here over the last few years, while at IBM. I really appreciate your thoughts and your passion. I look forward to sharing the next part of my journey and, when the time is right for my family, my future personal and professional endeavours."A major life decision is never a choice rather a realization that the decision has already been made."--Doug Cooper--