Throughout my career, I’ve been influenced by advancements in technology and how they can be used to solve business and societal problems. I started my career as a programmer and was inspired by developing applications that could increase productivity and efficiency by leveraging emerging technologies such as data analytics.

We live in an ever interconnected, instrumented and intelligent world—we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day and there will be more than 10 billion mobile devices by the end of this decade—far surpassing the human population! Data comes and goes from everywhere—social media sites, medical devices, retail systems, mobile devices. Applying analytics can provide numerous benefits such as targeted marketing, faster and improved customer service and access to insight to make better business decisions.

In the security and mobile services we create for clients globally, one key is actionable insight—the collection, normalization, and analysis of the data generated by users, applications and infrastructure within the enterprise. Data is constantly changing and the ability to analyze massive volumes can help companies uncover threats and make informed business decisions.

Be flexible: We live in a state of constant change. It is critical for future leaders to learn to be agile. Listen to your clients and employees. Learn to anticipate and embrace technology shifts. This will help with transformation, innovation and growth.

IBM’s Corporate Service Corps program has sent more than 1400 employees on 120 volunteer assignments to more than 20 countries. My hope is that other corporations will start similar programs to give back to communities, as well as develop future leaders who are more knowledgable about the needs of different regions. I also hope that the work that was done in South Africa leveraging mobile, social and analytics innovation to support local water initiatives can be replicated in other countries across Africa.