IBM Canada - Arthur B. James

Win, Execute, Team

These three powerful words are the spirit of IBM. Winning means being an industry leader. Many dot.coms and high-tech companies have waxed and waned, but IBM has been steadfast in its leadership as a provider of information technology products and services. IBM dominates the Canadian PC market, occupying the number one position, and is number four in the USA. IBM, and in particular IBM Canada, has also been a pioneer and recognized leader in e-commerce applications. Worldwide, IBM is the largest holder of patent applications.

Execute and team mean everyone working together to develop and carry out winning strategies. Team effort and success are what counts. IBM is proof that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The Company: IBM Canada is headquartered in Markham, Ontario with close to 19,000 employees across Canada. The company operates sales and marketing locations in all urban centres as well as the ibm.com call centre, which delivers direct sales, customer service and technical support to customer all across Canada and the USA. IBM's semiconductor packaging plant in Bromont, Québec is one of Canada's leading exporters and one of North America's largest semiconductor packaging and test sites.

IBM is a powerhouse in Canada. IBM Canada's exports exceeded $3 billiion in 2000. R&D investments in the same year totalled $274 million. 2,440 new employees joined IBM Canada in 2000. The number of employees in Canada has nearly doubled since the early 1990s. Investments in employee education in 2000 totalled $64 million.

Title: Vice-President, Law and Corporate Relations

Principal Outside Counsel: Almost all legal services are provided by the in-house team where possible. Over the years, the company has relied on Lang Michener, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and Torys for corporate and commercial work, and on Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP amd and Heenan Blaikie for labour and employment matters.

Organization of the Law Department: The Canadian law department consists of 11 lawyers, including the Vice President, Law and Corporate Relations. IBM Canada also employs two intellectual property lawyers and one patent agent who are not part of the law department proper. Three of the lawyers are part of IBM's Services Group and work hand-in-hand with IBM's business teams on major transactions. The largest transaction to date totalled over $1 billion. All transactional work is done in-house.

The remaining lawyers are assigned to business industry groups, including media, telecommunications, transportation, government, health care, distribution and financial services. The work includes drafting manuscript systems integration contracts, customizing standard form contracts for the Canadian market, drafting and reviewing maintenance contracts.

Some lawyers have specialties, including labour and employment, privacy law and e-commerce.

Management Challenge: IBM Canada has been in an agressive growth mode for a number of years. At the same time the law department is expected to keep pace without significantly expanding its human resources. This requires constant attention to best practices so that the department functions smarter, better, faster.

Management Style: Art believes in empowerment, and delegates liberally. There is no place for micro-management in a large, growth-ambitious company. As a result, it becomes important to establish a trust relationship among the members of the legal services team. Art does nonethless maintain an open-door policy, and describes himself as a " Court of Appeal " that dispenses advice on various matters and issues.

Career: Art received a B.A. from Victoria College and completed his LL.B at U. of T. He has also undergone executive management training at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and Northwestern University as well as management programs within IBM.

Art was called to the Bar in 1968. He joined IBM in 1969 as Assistant Counsel, and has remained with IBM for his entire career. He has held several positions, including Administrative Assistant to the President and Chief Executive Officer of IBM Canada, and has been on assignments in Paris, France, and Washington, D.C.

Art is Past Chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and also represents IBM in other associations, including the Alliance of Manufacturers and Exporters Canada, The Conference Board of Canada's Council of Public Affairs Executives, and the Information Technology Assocation of Canada. He is also a past Chair of the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association.

Family: Art has a wife, Judy, and three grown children - Scott, Leanne and Gregory. He also is the proud grandfather of 9-month old Campbell.

Currently Reading: Smart Moves for People in Charge, by Sam Deep and Lyle Sussmann, and The Complete Stories of Somerset Maugham. Art is also a great fan of works by Scott Turow and John Grisham.

Relaxing: Art works out at the gym four times a week, and plays tennis twice weekly. He likes to play golf whenever possible. He and his wife Judy also attend the theatre regularly.