IBM Chief Defends Trump Administration Advisory Role

By Ted Greenwald

International Business Machines Corp. Chief Executive Ginni Rometty sent a memo to employees defending her decision to advise President Donald Trump, the latest example of a major business leader grappling with concerns over how to engage with the new administration.

The memo, which was sent on Thursday but hadn't been made public before Monday, came after Ms. Rometty met with Mr. Trump earlier this month as part of a committee of business leaders convened to advise the White House.

"IBM leaders have been engaged directly with every U.S. president since Woodrow Wilson, and this was my ninth such meeting since becoming CEO," she wrote.

She and the president discussed various issues, she wrote, including the Mr. Trump's executive order that suspended travel to the U.S. from seven predominantly Muslim countries, a policy the White House said was needed to ensure national security. A federal appeals court last week ruled to keep the order on hold while courts decide whether it goes too far in limiting travelers to the U.S.

Ms. Rometty said she, Mr. Trump and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly talked about "ways that advanced technology could address national security imperatives while also permitting lawful immigration and travel. I explained that this is not an either/or choice."

Many prominent tech executives have criticized the travel order, and many big tech companies were among more than 100 that signed an amicus brief that was submitted to the court that ruled on the matter. IBM wasn't among the companies that signed the brief.

Ms. Rometty previously had met with Mr. Trump as president-elect in mid-December. In November, she sent Mr. Trump an open letter offering policy recommendations.

In response, anonymous critics started an online petition for IBM employees to protest Ms. Rometty's November open letter, saying that she had failed to emphasize the importance of diversity and ethics.

In last week's memo, she spoke of IBM's global character and the strength it gains from immigration and "the flow of talent across all our markets."

Ms. Rometty didn't address the issue of H-1B visas, widely used by companies in the U.S. to employ foreign high-tech workers. IBM has been a significant employer of people with such visas.

Ms. Rometty in her memo argued that IBM's engagement with the Trump administration is more constructive than protest in addressing employee concerns. "Our experience has taught us that engagement -- reaching out, listening and having authentic dialogue -- is the best path to good outcomes," she wrote.

Write to Ted Greenwald at Ted.Greenwald@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 13, 2017 20:05 ET (01:05 GMT)

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