Rodney “Rod” Adkins

Rodney “Rod” Adkins is Chairman of Avnet, Inc., one of the world’s largest distributors of electronic components and technology solutions, and a Partner at 3RAM Group LLC, a private investment, consulting, and property management firm. He is also the author of Curiosity Redefines the Limits, a leadership book on using curiosity as a powerful competitive advantage to drive innovation, leadership effectiveness, and career growth.

Mr. Adkins spent 33 years at IBM, where he became the company’s first African American Senior Vice President and corporate officer. His executive career spanned strategy, technology, systems, operations, and supply chain. A leading innovator across computing, he helped advance the personal computer industry, led IBM’s POWER business to market leadership in UNIX, and pioneered the foundation for IBM’s Internet of Things solutions portfolio.

His honors include induction into the National Academy of Engineering, NSBE’s Golden Torch Award for Lifetime Achievement in Industry, recognition as Black Engineer of the Year in 2007, Fortune’s 2002 list of America’s 50 Most Powerful Black Executives, Black Enterprise’s 2011 Corporate Executive of the Year and Trailblazer of the Year in 2016, Kappa Alpha Psi’s Laurel Wreath, multiple halls of fame, and honorary doctorates from Georgia Tech, UMBC, and Rollins College.

He serves on the boards of UPS, W.W. Grainger, and Avnet, and is a trustee of Georgia Tech and Rollins College. Mr. Adkins earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in physics from Rollins College.