Wesley J. Hom National Board Member and Officer of Ascend Founder, Business Innovation Services, LLC. Former IBM VP Systems & Technology Group Wes Hom was former IBM Vice President in the Systems and Technology Group with global responsibilities for overall execution of IBM's mainframe investments, strategies, sales and emerging markets initiatives. Today he is a consultant with Business Innovation Services, LLC. helping investors and companies develop global strategies and plans to access next generation technologies and new business models. Previously Mr. Hom was based in Europe as the Managing Director and VP in the Industrial industry. He held a variety of executive line positions at IBM, including VP of Global Communications Industry, VP of the Capital Venture Group, and Executive Director for alliances between IBM and independent software vendors. Mr. Hom also served in Asia Pacific in various VP roles running industry solutions, software and networking lines of business. Before going overseas, he was an executive assistant in IBM’s corporate office serving the Chairman/CEO, Vice Chairman, CFO and SVP of Human resources.

Today, he also serves on the boards of non-profit organizations helping them develop new corporate partnerships, leadership training, mentoring, and diversity programs. He is on the national board of Ascend, a national Pan-Asian professional organization. He is also one of the founders of Ascend CEI (Corporate Executive Initiative) a national organization to recruit and engage a community of Asian American executives from large companies to actively assist executive development of high potential Asian American corporate leaders and the development of their respective constituent for business advancement. He is also co-developer of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Advance Leadership Program for Asian Executives.

He was senior chairman of IBM’s Asian Diversity efforts and served on the board of many professional organizations. He was recognized as one of the “2007 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business” by the Asian American Business Development Center and received Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) 2008 Dynamic Achievers Award.

Mr. Hom is a graduate of NYU’s Stern School of Business with BS/CS and MBA degrees. He was also a member of IBM’s Certified Client Director Profession through the Advance Management Program at Harvard’s Business School.