Steven Abraham has worldwide responsibility for IBM’s Global Business Services (GBS) in the Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry. GBS is the management consulting, systems integration and application systems outsourcing arm of IBM. Under Mr. Abraham’s leadership, the M&E business has grown to encompass many segments, including filmed entertainment, television, media networks (cable, satellite, internet-based, broadcast), music, publishing (newspaper, book, magazine, internet-based), consumer products, information providers, advertising, theme parks and sports. The business has significant operations throughout North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.

Since 2002, Mr. Abraham tripled the business to $400 million in sales and $350 million in revenue, with about 60 partners and 2,000 professional staff globally. He is responsible for global sales, revenue and profit. His group brings together IBM’s services and products into a total value proposition, that includes management consulting, systems integration, digital media, hosting, offshore/onshore applications development, business & systems outsourcing and IBM/third-party software products and services. The focus is achieving change that creates shareholder value. Over the last few years, he has focused on growing the business in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, India and China. Priorities have included account selectivity and focus, developing powerful digital media solutions for production and distribution - especially in direct-to-consumer broadband services - growing the applications outsourcing business and building a broad business services portfolio in key accounts.

Mr. Abraham held increasing levels of responsibility for a similar practice in Pricewaterhouse Coopers Consulting. Steve joined PwCC in 1981 and became a partner in 1988. With a strong background in technology and business, Mr. Abraham recognized early on the impact that technology would have on the M&E, Telecom and consumer electronics industries, and helped shape the practice to address the constantly evolving impact of digital media and digital distribution on consumer preferences, business models and related infrastructure needs. Under Steve’s watch, PwCC built the largest such practice among its competitors. He took on additional global responsibility for Telecom in 2000 and led the global Communications sector (Telecom, Media, Entertainment, Hospitality) for PwCC. With the acquisition of PwCC by IBM in late 2002, Mr. Abraham was named global leader of M&E for GBS.

Mr. Abraham’s primary role has been building and operating the business, but he has been directly involved in many deals and projects for clients around the world -- Sony, Disney, AT&T, DreamWorks, NBC Universal, Time Warner, Newscorp, EMI, Viacom, Washington Post, D&B, BBC, NTT, Qwest, Sprint, Echostar , Canal +, Zee TV, Cox and Comcast. He has forged deep relationships with many senior executives. He also has experience in telecom, retail, consumer products and electronics.

Prior to PwCC, Mr. Abraham managed software development at Xerox’s Systems Development Division, where he helped pioneer leading-edge products that today form the foundation for today’s personal computer/networked environments and internet-based/media-rich services.

Mr. Abraham received his MS in Computer Science from UCLA, where he was a Regent’s Scholar. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude from UCSB in math/computer science. He resides in Pacific Palisades (LA) with his wife and five children. He is an avid outdoors/sports enthusiast.

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