Claudia Brind-Woody

Claudia Lavergne Brind-Woody is an American business executive. She worked for IBM for over 28 years where she ran multiple global teams including being the Vice President and Managing Director of intellectual property at IBM. Currently she is an Executive Coach and Consultant.

Early life and education

Around 1956 Brind-Woody was a toddler in Southern Virginia. On being asked when she first knew that she was LGBT:I was about 12 when I knew I was different, but I didn’t have a word for it. The local library in my small factory town in Southern Virginia didn’t have much in the way of resources on the topic, but I knew I was different, and looking back, I could tell that absolutely I was lesbian. Brind-Woody attended Mary Baldwin College, graduating (Phi Beta Kappa) summa cum laude in 1977. Brind-Woody entered the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, earning a master's degree in Higher Education Administration. During this time she was an Assistant Basketball coach under Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team, who was - upon retirement - the most successful college basketball coach in history.

After completing her masters, she served as Assistant Women's Athletics Director.

IBM Brind-Woody joined IBM in 1996. Brind-Woody led a source code licensing team, IBM's Divestiture Practice, the IP Partnership program, and IP Management Solutions.

LGBT & diversity Brind-Woody is the Global Co-Chair for the LGBT Executive Taskforce at IBM. This taskforce has sponsored initiatives to make IBM a more welcoming place to LGBT employees. For example, IBM rolled out Straight Ally Training and Certification to 440,000 IBM employees worldwide.

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates (US) Lambda Legal (US) Workplace Pride (Netherlands) OUTstanding (UK) Wybernet (Switzerland) Stonewall Global Diversity Champions Programme (UK) Gay Star News Advisory Board The Economist Pride & Prejudice Advisory Board

Awards and honors In 2011 she won the Out & Equal Trailblazer award and was named as one of GO's 100 women we love. In 2013, 2014, and 2015 she was named in the Financial Times's Top 50 OUTstanding list, then in 2016 she entered in their hall of fame.

Website: https://www.claudiabrindwoody.com