It is with big smiles on our faces that we announce the 2025 Champions! More than 1,400 expert advocates and thought leaders from more than 65 countries have been invited to join our growing program! Once again, we received an overwhelming number of nominations from the technical community, and the selection committees worked hard to recognize and decide on this year’s group.
We welcome 64% returning Champions and we welcome 36% newly recognized individuals, who are at the height of their advocacy and engagement in the technical community.
How did they get here?
Champions, both returning and new, are committed to ‘paying it forward’ with their knowledge and expertise. All Champions are acknowledged for their time, talent, expertise, and advocacy through several activities such as creating content (blogs, videos, podcasts); creating and managing user groups; speaking at conferences; participating in research and customer advisory boards; contributing code; and actively sharing knowledge on the IBM TechXchange communities, to name a few.
Many current and new Champions also progressed towards building a portfolio of advocacy by participating in the IBM Rising Champions Advocacy Badge program. The program provides an opportunity for advocates to potentially become a future Champion, as individuals earn their badges and receive acknowledgement for their advocacy work. Rising Champions is year-round program that supports, encourages, and invites individuals to report their ongoing acts of advocacy, earn badges, and continuously participate in the technical community. Since the program’s inception in 2023, we have issued more than 4,550 badges and we encourage aspiring advocates apply to this program and get started on their primary pathway to Champion today!
What’s up next for the IBM Champions?
Without question, the Champions are one of your greatest resources to tap into expertise in IBM technologies. They are some of IBMs most ardent clients, business partners, educators and external consultants. You can start to get to know them by visiting the new IBM Champions Directory and see many of the Champions listed there. Use the search to find Champions by IBM product, preferred advocacy activities, or by location. Read their bios, connect with them on social media, find their valuable content, invite them to your events, or connect with a future mentor or friend.
What makes the Champions so special?
This community of technical experts and peers is like no other. They are passionate about their work, innovation, and advancements using IBM technologies, and they energized by helping others develop the same excitement and commitment to growth and development. At IBM, we often say Champions love IBM sometimes even more than IBMers!
We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Champions for their ongoing commitment to IBM. Your hard work and dedication are truly celebrated by us all!
Learn more about the class of 2025 by visiting the Champions website, where you will find a searchable directory of these incredibly talented experts! More Champions will be joining over the next month as they accept their invitations and complete their profiles. And please join us virtually at our webinar Meet & Celebrate IBM Champions class of 2025 on 20 February, 2025 at 11:00-12:00pm Eastern Time.
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