IBM has appointed Christina Shim as its new Chief Sustainability Officer, effective May 2nd. Shim, formerly the global head of IBM Sustainability Software, succeeds Wayne Balta who is retiring after a 40-year career at the technology giant.

Balta has been the driving force behind IBM's environmental leadership over the past decades. He architected the company's global environmental management system, ensuring regulatory compliance as well as voluntary initiatives that have earned IBM extensive recognition. Balta was named a White House "Champion of Change" by President Obama.

"Christina's expertise will build on Wayne's tremendous legacy to advance our sustainability efforts even further," said Joanne Wright, IBM's SVP of Transformation and Operations. "We're excited about this transition."

Shim brings nearly 20 years of experience working at the nexus of business, technology and sustainability impact. She currently leads IBM's sustainability software business focused on AI, hybrid cloud and strategic partnerships. Shim also serves on IBM's AI Ethics Board and ESG Executive Steering Committee.

"I'm thrilled to leverage technology's power to drive IBM's critical environmental work," said Shim. "From mitigating climate risks to implementing AI and cloud solutions that reduce impact, we'll create more pathways to conserve resources." 

Recently honored by Fortune as a Most Powerful Woman for her climate change efforts, Shim has represented IBM at COP summits and World Energy Congress events.