Kerrie Holley's illustrious career in technology spans from the era of punch cards to today's AI-driven landscape. He has been a pioneering leader through every major computing paradigm: mainframe, client-server, Internet, mobile, cloud, and now AI with LLMs and Generative AI. In recognition of his sustained contributions to the engineering profession, Kerrie was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2023.
As IBM's first Black Distinguished Engineer and later an IBM Fellow, Kerrie broke barriers and set new standards in the tech industry. His executive roles include positions as a Google tech executive, VP and CTO at Cisco, and IBM Executive. He serves on multiple boards, has authored books, delivered countless tech talks, and provides expert consultation.
In healthcare technology, Kerrie led the development of a high-performance engineering team for one of the largest U.S. healthcare companies. This diverse team of software engineers, PhDs, scientists, AI specialists, data scientists, and DevOps engineers focused on incubating and applying cutting-edge technologies to transform healthcare delivery and outcomes.
Kerrie's work continues to shape the intersection of technology and healthcare, driving innovation and improving lives through advanced computing solutions. His next book, titled LLMs and Generative AI in Healthcare, will be published in 2024.
Kerrie’s Background
Kerrie started programming at the age of 15, which is remarkable only when you realize the year was 1969. As a 6-year-old, he showed up at a newly Sue Duncan Children’s Center and kept showing up until he was accepted into the program. He realized that education was the way out of the poverty around him.
He became a tutor at the children’s center, for a few decades, tutoring kids and later the former United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and the late actor Michael Clarke Duncan. He received a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and a Juris Doctor Degree from DePaul University, the same university where, years later, he joined the board of trustees, was a 2016 commencement speaker, and was conferred an honorary PhD.
Kerrie lives in the Bay Area and you will often find him practicing Bikram Yoga.