Retired IBM executive Kitty Chaney Reed joins the Moore School as Executive in Residence to guide students in leadership and inclusion

After a 30-year career, including 8 years at IBM, Kitty Chaney Reed is stepping into her next chapter with a clear sense of purpose. Beginning her role as an Executive in Residence with the Darla Moore School of Business’ Office of Access, Opportunity and Community Engagement (AOCE), Ms. Chaney Reed brings decades of executive leadership, cultural change and inclusion-focused work to students preparing to enter the business world.

Ms. Chaney Reed retired earlier this year as IBM’s Chief Leadership, Culture and Inclusion Officer, a role that reflects a focus she has carried throughout her career.

“For my entire career I’ve always been committed to curating organizations with strong and healthy cultures grounded in inclusion,” Ms. Chaney Reed says. “Culture defines behavior and behaviors deliver outcomes.”

As an Executive in Residence, Ms. Chaney Reed looks forward to sharing those lessons with Moore School students.

“I will have the opportunity to leverage my many years of experience as an executive in business across multiple disciplines and business models with students who aspire to contribute to the business world,” she says.

Ms. Chaney Reed believes the work of AOCE plays a critical role in opening doors and preparing students for long-term success. The office’s programs support students not only during their time at the university, but also as they prepare for life after graduation.

That mission closely aligns with the advice Reed hopes to communicate to students in programs like Rising Scholars and Power Forward.

“I’ve always been a believer in betting on your own potential,” she says. “Be intentional about charting your career. If you don’t define your path, someone else will do it for you. Be the master of your own destiny.”

While Ms. Chaney Reed’s career began in financial operations, her influence grew as she became known for transforming teams through cultural change — work that eventually led IBM to name her Chief Leadership, Culture and Inclusion Officer in 2022.

Though she is retiring from corporate life, Ms. Chaney Reed sees this transition as an opportunity, not an ending.

“My opportunity to make an impact is far from over,” she says. “Serving as an Executive in Residence with AOCE is one of the ways I will continue to make an impact on future generations.”

In addition to her work with the Moore School, Reed plans to spend more time with family and friends and travel to places still on her bucket list, including Australia, Africa and Alaska.

Through her role at the Moore School, she hopes to help students build not only successful careers, but the confidence to shape their own futures.