What differentiates a champion entrepreneur from an ordinary businessman? The list may be extensive, but there is one trait that proves itself invaluable during a crippling crisis like the one the U.S. is experiencing. The leader must have the vision to see opportunity amid the obstacles. No wonder Samuel J. Palmisano of International Business Machines (IBM) has been heralded as an exemplary CEO in this time of financial maelstrom.

Small companies and giant empires alike are all on the defensive: retrenching thousands of employees, preserving the cash, minimizing risks. Big Blue, however, is brimming with excitement in their anticipation of a stronger offense.

The confidence Palmisano exudes as a representative of IBM lies in the company’s core competencies. He believes that all the problems we find ourselves in are direct results of faulty underlying networks. Possibly not quite having gotten past the election high, he reiterates the need for change now more than ever. This is where IBM comes in.

Positioning the company as the go-to guy for infrastructure overhaul, Palmisano believes that IBM will make a bigger global difference in the coming years. This is evident in the endeavors he undertook in the past to prepare for the crucial role he believes the company is going to play. One such course was to make the difficult decisions to let go of their marginal businesses and reallocate the resources to research and development.

For instance, a considerable amount of $6 billion was budgeted for the R&D department’s “Smarter Planet” initiative. This technological breakthrough involves placing sensors into humongous networks (i.e. electricity grids) and analyzing the massive amount of data that flows through them. Other recent investments of IBM all involve data acquisition, analysis and consulting features.

In the more than 35 years of working with IBM in different corporate positions, Palmisano has been a constant figure of direction for the company. He has been shaping IBM’s future through strategies such as managing the shift from pure technology to outsourcing business. In March 2002 he became the CEO of IBM, and then assumed office as its chairman on January 1, 2003. In 2006, he became part of the board of directors of Exxon Mobil. His reputation earned him the title of Honorary Chairman for the 2008 National Engineers Week.

Article source: Money.cnn.com.

Official IBM biography of Sam Palisano.

Sam Palisano shares the best advice he ever got.

In The Australian’s November 11, 2008 issue, it was revealed that United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was included in Glamour magazine’s “Women of the Year” list. Condoleezza Rice was cited for her dedication to women’s issues especially those related to the country’s foreign policy.

Other high profile personalities who made it to the celebrity and fashion magazine’s list of 10 include actress Nicole Kidman, Senator Hillary Clinton, and Chanel’s Maureen Chiquet. A 10-year old Yemeni girl who broke tribal rules by getting a divorce was also included in the list.

The awards were handed out to the 10 lucky women last November 11, 2008.

Glamour magazine has included the list in its December 2008 issue.

Conoleezza Rice is one of Glamour’s Women of the Year.

About Condoleezza Rice:

Condoleezza Rice, the 66th United States Secretary of State, made history as she became the 1st black woman and only the 2nd woman to hold the prestigious position.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Rice was an early learner as she began studying French, ballet, music, and figure skating at the age of three. She initially set her sights on becoming a concert pianist but eventually graduated at the age of 19 from the University of Denver with a B.A. in political science.

Condoleezza Rice first practiced her skills in political science when she worked in the State Department during the Carter administration. She then received her PhD in political science from Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the age of 26. Condoleezza Rice eventually moved on to higher, more significant positions.

Prior to becoming the U.S. Secretary of State, Rice was the Special Assistant to the Director of the Chiefs of Staff in 1986; Condoleezza Rice then served in President George H.W. Bush’s administration’s National Security Council where she became Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. From 2001 to 2005, Condoleezza Rice served as the National Security Advisor and left her teaching post (political science) at Stanford which she assumed in 1991. She was the first woman to occupy the position.

Condoleezza Rice became only the 2nd woman Secretary of State (after Madeleine Albright) in January 2005.