TLDR: Radha Plumb, previously the head of the Department of Defense’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), has joined IBM as Vice President of AI-First Transformation. In this new role, she will lead IBM’s Next-Generation Transformation Strategy, focusing on integrating AI, automation, and hybrid cloud computing across the company’s operations and for its clients. Plumb will serve as IBM’s ‘Client Zero,’ internally testing AI solutions before their external deployment.
Radha Plumb, a prominent figure in the realm of digital and artificial intelligence, has transitioned from her leadership role at the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) to a pivotal position at IBM. Effective July 14, 2025, Plumb has assumed the role of Vice President of AI-First Transformation, a move that underscores IBM’s commitment to embedding advanced AI capabilities into its core operations and client offerings.
In her new capacity, Plumb is tasked with spearheading IBM’s Next-Generation Transformation Strategy. This comprehensive initiative aims to foster the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, automation, and hybrid cloud computing across IBM’s global organization, as well as with its diverse clientele and partners. Her responsibilities will span across the company’s core business lines, ensuring a cohesive and integrated approach to AI implementation.
A key aspect of Plumb’s role will be serving as IBM’s ‘Client Zero.’ This unique designation signifies that she will be responsible for internally operationalizing AI technologies and concepts. By rigorously testing these solutions within IBM’s own processes, Plumb will help validate their effectiveness, drive agility, and create efficiencies. This internal validation process is designed to build concrete examples of AI’s value, which IBM can then leverage to demonstrate its benefits to external customers.
Plumb’s experience at the CDAO, where she was instrumental in accelerating the adoption of AI, data, and analytics capabilities across the U.S. military, aligns closely with her new mandate at IBM. She noted that the approach of embedding AI solutions internally to prove their efficacy is not dissimilar to the work of the CDAO’s Rapid Capabilities Cell, which focused on ushering in major contracts with frontier AI models. IBM, much like the CDAO, is keenly focused on ‘scaled adoption at the enterprise level,’ according to Plumb.
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Her appointment highlights the growing trend of top government and defense technology leaders transitioning to the private sector to drive AI innovation. Plumb’s expertise in operationalizing advanced technologies at scale is expected to be a significant asset as IBM continues to solidify its position as a leader in the AI landscape.
