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Home / Newsroom / Women of Carroll: Annette Haile '74
When Annette Haile ’74 retired from IBM in 2006, she left behind a legacy of empowerment, inclusion, and respect. As vice president of customer fulfillment, Haile was a trailblazer. She led a staff of more than 3,000 employees in North and South America. Haile’s IBM journey began as a “wonderful accident,” when the biology major applied for an internship program after her junior year at John Carroll. “I believe it was the liberal arts foundation at John Carroll, combined with a strong technical and analytical background, that got me the job,” she says. “I was able to show leadership in my extracurriculars, and that experience helped me acclimate easily.” Despite her lack of business experience, her leadership skills and hard work earned her a job in sales. What made her stay for three decades was IBM’s underlying value system. Haile believes that, like John Carroll, IBM provided an environment that promoted deep respect for individuals and customers. “It was a wonderful time to be at IBM,” Haile remembers. “They respected you and allowed you to learn and thrive.” She went on to empower countless employees as co-chair of IBM’s Black Executive Forum, during a period in which the company shifted from being an international brand to a truly global one. “The corporation was with us,” Haile says. “We were able to create many affinity groups for women, blacks, and people with disabilities, so that people out of college had access to people who looked like them, who they could rely on as mentor and role models.” “We had access to senior executives across the company — IBM was trying to right some issues from the past. It was a special time.” In her retirement, Haile is an active member of the John Carroll Board of Directors. “Our students are so phenomenal in academics, athletics, and in giving back to the community. They actively participate in Board committees and represent themselves so well.” In her free time, she also owns three Norfolk terriers and teams with them in competitions. Haile’s advice to future leaders — don’t rely on texting alone. “Remember to focus on personal interactions with people,” she says. “You can’t force people to follow you — they have to want to and believe in you. They have to believe in where you’re going, even if they don’t always agree.”