Catherine Lian

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General Manager & Technology Leader, IBM ASEAN

Catherine Lian, a technology veteran with over two decades of experience, is the General Manager and Technology Leader for IBM ASEAN which includes Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam to lead all strategic and operational decisions related to IBM's sales, services, and delivery operations. As a part of her mission, Catherine works with clients and key stakeholders in the region to leverage hybrid cloud and AI technologies to help them further accelerate their digital transformation journey. 

Prior to joining IBM Malaysia in 2019, she held leadership roles at Dell Technologies, overseeing markets in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indochina and Cambodia.

Catherine's stint with leadership roles in the IT Industry began at Dell Technologies, where she worked for the past two decades before joining IBM Malaysia. She has also held various management roles within Dell Technologies, covering the South Asia markets, including Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indochina, and Cambodia. Throughout her career, Catherine has been consistently recognised as the key leader in the IT industry, helping and enabling clients to innovate and succeed.

Catherine is a strong advocate for women in leadership in the IT Industry and was recognised at the Channel Asia Women in ICT Awards 2020 as the Highly Commended winner under the achievement category in the ASEAN region. She continues to mentor aspiring talents, believing that by leading the way, aspirants are empowered to create thriving and sustainable communities.

Catherine was appointed as a PIKOM (The National Tech Association of Malaysia) Councillor in 2021. She has since held key positions in the association, including Chairman for Women in Tech 2022, Chairman for Tech Fest 2022 and Deputy Chairman for IR 4.0 SIG 2022. In 2022 Prestige Magazine Malaysia recognised Catherine as one amongst the 100 of nation's most influential Women of Power.

She is also recognised as the winner of Channel Asia Women in ICT Awards under the Achievement category. Catherine won this award in recognition of a management career spanning more than two decades in Malaysia and South Asia, built on the foundations of business growth, customer success and individual mentoring.

In 2023, Catherine has been recognised as one of the five most influential Women in Tech by Tech Wire Asia and she has been honoured with the Women in Tech Award from the prestigious World Innovation, Technology and Services Alliance ( WITSA) Global Innovation and Tech Excellence Awards in 2023.