Polina Nesterova
Oxana Galkina
Kamila Shakhpazova
Juliana Moiseeva
The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)
Natalia Yankovskaya
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IBM is a world-renowned company that, in addition to its business orientation, is also concerned about the stable development of the entire world, this also applies to the Russian branch. This is largely due to the company's policy, which is not only aimed at improving the products and services provided, but also strives to improve the quality of work and contribute to society as a whole. Appointing women to leadership positions breaks the glass ceiling and provides them with equal opportunity, which meets the sustainable development goal 5 Gender Equality. In order to implement SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, IBM works in cooperation with the banking sector to simplify non-cash transactions, thereby eliminating the need for people to visit offices directly, which is especially important during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since time immemorial, IBM has been trying to do everything possible for a comfortable and "correct" business. Hence the desire to support various initiatives, for example, the movement for gender equality, received great support in the Russian branch. "We recognize that women play an important role in the global economy and that they should be widely represented in the information technology industry for the benefit of stimulating innovation in all sectors of the economy." IBM thinks that organizations that neglect women as critical participants in talent management - risk falling behind their competitors in attracting, developing, and retaining the best candidates as the next generation of leaders. Therefore, there are both women and men in the Russian IBM management team.
Importantly, IBM also places a strong emphasis on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and driving innovation. In this regard, IBM actively promotes the development of blockchain as a way to transform the usual forms of business. Blockchain has already actively entered such areas of the Russian economy as the mining and metallurgical industry, the banking sector, the food industry and many others. The practice of 2020 shows that many market participants in the period of the pandemic face serious challenges related to the maintenance and development of business. IBM's digital technologies come to the rescue, improving business processes, getting the necessary flexibility, and responding faster to changes in the external environment. For example, as part of its transformation with the help of IBM, VTB Bank is significantly changing the IT landscape, developing an omnichannel platform and forming a unified approach to developing services and improving the customer experience. One of the key tasks is to develop the sales channel and interaction with the bank's partners, as well as within the entire group.
Gender inequality in STEM professions is only gaining momentum. And it was the desire to reduce inequality that became one of IBM's inspirations. So, for example, according to the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, among the graduates of universities with a degree in Informatics and Computer Engineering, there were 21% of women. Today IBM is trying to bring together women in STEM professions to develop their skills. The corporation also has a program that develops leadership skills through personalized education, experience, and access to opportunities. It is to accelerate the growth of women with high development potential.
IBM took a closer look at blockchain technology, inspired by the idea of increasing operational efficiency, as well as reducing costs and risks. Blockchain gives organizations a synergistic effect in creating entirely new business models. According to IBM, "Blockchain brings organizations together."
As mentioned earlier many leadership positions are held by women and there are many internal programs to combat all forms of discrimination. Many programs are aimed at attracting as many girls as possible to the IT field, and to kindle female interest in the exact sciences.
The company's existing Set of practices and products, such as security, artificial intelligence, automation, integration, and others, are among the market-leading technologies. Specifically in Russia, the company's products are used by SBER, Alfa Bank, X5 Retail Group, Gazprom, Dit of Moscow, etc. The company's products increase the flow of customers and, consequently, increase the profit and efficiency of the enterprise. Thanks to IBM servers purchased, in particular, by Sberbank, the availability of the bank's information systems is increased, which is a process to achieve the ninth goal. Security control, production control at construction sites, control of safety and quality of service in shopping areas, analysis of customer behavior - these are some examples of projected influence in the business area.
As mentioned earlier, the company, while achieving its goals, does everything possible for business benefits. Among the latest projects of the Russian office, one can single out the interaction with Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP).
As part of the innovative idea, IBM was able to make changes to the interface and modernized the receipt of notifications to make them more relevant. As a result, KP subscribers began to receive news depending on their interests, the conversion rate almost quadrupled, and the audience coverage increased. IBM is actively investing in various industries, for example, Russian Standard Bank, Delta Credit Bank in Moscow, manufacturing, oil and gas, power, telecommunications. Moreover, the energy sector in Russia is being actively financed. In the area of trade finance, IBM recently approved a loan to establish a pre-export finance facility with West LB for Russian companies. Thanks to the company's approach that combines both innovative and infrastructural support, it is possible to promote institutional development and helps rebuild confidence in the sectors.
A key feature of IBM is its strict adherence to the principles of environmental protection. That is why the development of innovations is aimed not only at exploring the possibilities of the computer world, but also to help strengthen the environment. For example, IBM has already announced that it plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Such program is a unique experience, as branches all over the world (including Russia) contribute to this event by increasing the use of clean energy. Everyone knows that climate problems are among the most acute in the modern world, so IBM is clearly aware of its responsibility and strives to eliminate the damage caused to the nature.
When it comes to social responsibility, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the policy of gender equality, which is so clearly observed in IBM, has a concrete benefit to the development of the society. Thanks to special career guidance programs and the absence of discrimination, women are increasingly occupying high-level positions and thus bring a new breath of fresh air to the company's decisions. High rotation and openness to new ideas allow the company to always be aware of new trends and offer customers previously unknown solutions.
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Irina Efremova-Garth, Corporate Social Responsibility Leader
IBM is actively involved in the operation of computer technologies: among them, for example, are cloud storage and development of artificial intelligence. The company is also one of the largest consulting agencies. It serves both private and public companies. Due to the wide scope of the company's projects, their influence extends throughout different companies within Russia and other countries.