Established in 2001, the EMC Information Leadership Award recognizes individuals whose personal leadership has made a critical contribution to the effective use of information technology throughout the world.

"I don't see innovation as all that amazing or complicated. The amazing part is being able to understand the problem you are trying to solve."

- Ralph Szygenda, March 30, 2005

Ralph J. Szygenda was named Group Vice President and Chief Information Officer of General Motors effective January 7, 2000. He is a member of GM's Automotive Strategy Board and is responsible for the Information Systems & Services organization. Accountable for the management of all information technology efforts within GM, he is directly responsible for developing and implementing GM's global digital business strategy. Szygenda is a member of the Board of Directors of the Handleman Company. He joined GM in 1996 as Vice President and Chief Information Officer.

Before joining GM, he was Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Bell Atlantic Corporation, in Arlington, Virginia, a position he held since June 1993. His main initiatives involved reengineering Bell Atlantic's business processes and delivering information systems to meet the new electronic generation. Szygenda also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Sodalia Corporation, a joint software business venture of Bell Atlantic and Telecom Italia.

Prior to Bell Atlantic, Szygenda spent 21 years with Texas Instruments Incorporated. In 1989, he was appointed Vice President, information systems and services, and Chief Information Officer. In 1991, he also added the responsibility of Vice President and General Manager of Texas Instruments Enterprise Systems Business Unit, an external software systems integration business supplying information products and services to the Fortune 500.

Szygenda received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1970 and a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas in 1975. He is also the recipient of an honorary professional degree and Honorary Doctorate Degree in engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla.