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Emily Fontaine
IBM, Vice President, Global Head of Venture Capital Finance and Operations, CFO
Speaker Bio
Emily Fontaine is a distinguished American business executive, investor, and recognized global leader in artificial intelligence. Renowned for her strategic vision and transformative leadership, she is a thought pioneer, value creator, and trusted advisor at the forefront of enterprise innovation.
Over a distinguished 15-year career at IBM, Emily has led bold transformations and delivered exceptional results across operations, management, and client engagement. Her success reflects a rare blend of strategic acumen, executive presence, and deep technical insight. Prior to her current role, she served as Executive Advocate to IBM’s Chairman and CEO, following her leadership as AI Federal Leader for IBM Consulting.
As Vice President and Global Head of Venture Capital at IBM, Emily leads the company’s $500 million Enterprise AI fund, Quantum investing strategy, strategic partnerships, and Open Accelerator Program. Under her leadership, IBM Ventures has made high-impact investments in companies such as Hugging Face, Unstructured, Writer, Not Diamond, QEDMA, and Reality Defender— advancing generative AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and sustainability across the enterprise landscape.
Emily works closely with IBM’s Executive Leadership Team to drive strategic initiatives and external engagement in emerging technologies. As an Executive Advocate for key strategic accounts, she deepens client relationships, shapes enterprise strategy, and ensures IBM’s innovation aligns with client goals. Her ability to navigate complexity, inspire teams, and deliver results has earned her recognition as one of IBM’s most influential leaders.
She serves on the Boards for Rohirrim and AuthMind, and is a member of the Heads' Advisory Council at St. Mark’s School, where she focuses on institutional financial health. Emily was nominated by IBM’s CEO and selected as a 2024–2025 Fellow on the Committee for Economic Development at The Conference Board, deepening her engagement with national economic policy and executive leadership networks. She was also chosen for the 2025 Tech:NYC Civic Fellowship, sponsored by Bloomberg, reflecting her role as a sought-after expert in venture capital trends and innovation in AI and quantum technologies.
Originally from Bolton, Massachusetts, Emily holds a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA from George Washington University. She is based in New York City.