The College of Charleston Department of Communication will honor Jon Iwata with its Distinguished Communicator Award on March 26, 2014, from 5-6 p.m. in the Admissions Presentation Room at 65 George Street. The event is free, open to the public, and will be followed by a reception. Iwata, senior vice president of marketing and communications at IBM, is being recognized for his impact and excellence in the communication industry.
John Iwata, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at IBM
Iwata’s discussion will share his views on the role of communication and marketing in a rapidly changing world. He will be named as the Department’s 13th Distinguished Communicator, among the likes of Michael Gerson, Christopher Buckley, Senator Fritz Hollings and Marva Smalls.
[Related: See Iwata’s full bio.]
Jon Iwata exhibits a wealth of knowledge and influence in the communications and technology industries. Having been at IBM for 30 years, he currently leads IBM’s marketing, communications and citizenship organization. Iwata and his team have led the development of IBM’s “Smarter Planet” strategy describing the company’s view of the next era of IT and its impact on society.
Iwata is a leader within and outside of the office. At IBM, he is chairman of the IBM Strategy Team, a member of the IBM Operating Team, and vice chairman of the IBM International Foundation. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Japan Society, and was past chairman of the Arthur W. Page Society and The Seminar.
Iwata received his B.A. from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at San Jose State University. He is also the co-inventor of a U.S. patent for advanced semiconductor lithography technology.
For more information about the event or the Distinguished Communicator Award, contact Sam Shirley at shirleysr@cofc.edu.
About the Department of Communication
With the largest undergraduate major at the College of Charleston, the Department of Communication enrolls more than 800 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. Students in the department study such topics as political communication, interpersonal communication, journalism, and public relations. The department is housed in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
