History 2000: Tech Exec Vanderslice Quits IBM for Dell

James T. Vanderslice, 59, IBM SVP, head of its technology group, which includes, among other things, all the storage business as well as the chip, network and printer products, left the company to join rival Dell Computer as one of two vice-chairmen (with Kevin Rollins), reporting to CEO and COB Michael Dell.

At the same time, Big Blue will divide Vanderslice’s former responsibilities into 2 separate businesses: technology components and storage systems.

Nicholas Donofrio, 56, head of IBM’s research division, will have the top spot at the technology components unit, and Linda Sanford, 46, chief of the company’s sales force, will be in charge of the storage business which includes the Shark storage system, reporting to IBM’s computer server division head Sam Palmisano.

Vanderslice is a 30-year veteran at IBM. At the head of the technology group, he recently executed big deals with Dell, including a 7-year $17 billion component supply pact followed by another $6 billion computer services deal, as well as other sizeable contracts with Cisco, EMC, Nintendo and just recently Bell Microproducts.

In 1995, Vanderslice, who had been GM of IBM’s printing systems division since 1991, replaced Ed Zschau who resigned as GM of San Jose, CA’s storage systems division.

He had been with the company since 1966, holding a variety of general management and technology development positions, including president of the communications products division, and serving as executive for business and development in the company’s AsiaPac operations.

This article is an abstract of news published on issue 144 on January 2000 from the former paper version of Computer Data Storage Newsletter.

Note: Vanderslice retired as vice chairman of Dell in 2002, and age 77, passed away at his home in Osterville, MA on September 26, 2017.