On October 18, the School’s W. Edwards Deming Center for Quality, Productivity, and Competitiveness awarded its inaugural Deming Cup to Samuel Palmisano, chairman and CEO of the IBM Corporation. The award, which will be given annually, recognizes a business practitioner who demonstrates and promotes excellence in operations. Palmisano was chosen for his ability to drive IBM to reach new levels of operational excellence and for his role in creating and leading IBM’s Global Services business unit — one of the world’s largest and most diversified IT service organizations in the industry. “The Deming Center focuses on developing new insights in all areas of operational excellence and bridges the gap between industry practices and academic discovery,” said Nelson Fraiman, director of the center and professor of professional practice in the Decision, Risk, and Operations Division. “The Deming Cup allows the center to recognize best practices in the area of operations and informs academics and executives about individual accomplishments in the field.” “On behalf of IBMers around the world, I am deeply honored to receive the inaugural Deming Cup, which embodies the Deming Center’s pioneering effort to understand and advance operational excellence in a globally integrating world,” said Palmisano. “We believe this agenda is strongly aligned with IBM’s work to build a smarter planet — helping businesses and institutions seize new capabilities to transform their operations, relationships, and business models — and practicing the same innovation within IBM itself.” The judging committee was led by Rob Amen, an executive in residence at the School and former CEO of International Flavors and Fragrances, and Paul O’Neill, former secretary of the U.S. Treasury and former director and chairman of Alcoa. The Deming Center for Quality, Productivity, and Competitiveness is a consortium of leading institutions chartered with the exchange of research, best practices, and strategic planning to create operational excellence in major corporations worldwide.