Shaping the future with open source innovation

This month, I’m celebrating two milestones. First, it’s my eighth year at Red Hat, a journey marked by extraordinary growth and collaboration. Second, this month also marks the five-year anniversary of IBM’s acquisition of Red Hat - a partnership that has deepened Red Hat’s reach while allowing us to remain true to our mission.

IBM’s Q3 results highlight just how impactful that partnership has been. Double-digit growth in software, with Red Hat revenue accelerating to an impressive 14%, is a testament to open source’s growing dominance in enterprise technology and Red Hat’s leadership in shaping that future.

Reflecting on this journey, I am struck by three themes that have shaped my understanding of enterprise technology and the role of open source.

Open source as a catalyst for change

When I started my career in tech, the enterprise landscape was dominated by large technology vendors offering closed, proprietary systems and outsourcing entire IT operations was the norm. Over time, businesses began demanding more. They wanted tools that allowed for flexibility and innovation, and the ability to build solutions in-house.

That shift created an opening for open source to move from a niche tool favoured by developers to a core enterprise strategy. Red Hat has been a pioneer in this transformation, providing open source platforms and tools to empower businesses to innovate on their own terms, whether they’re adopting hybrid cloud strategies or leveraging the latest in AI.

Open source provides businesses the flexibility to adapt to evolving market demands while tapping into a collaborative ecosystem of technology and vendors. In today’s complex IT landscape, no single vendor can meet all needs alone. By fostering partnerships across sectors, open source accelerates innovation and problem-solving.

This is why I believe open source is no longer just a technical advantage—it’s a business imperative.

Community and trust

What has struck me most profoundly during my time at Red Hat is the power of community and shared values. In many ways, Red Hat embodies the open source ethos: transparency, collaboration, and the belief that innovation happens best when people work together.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a leader at Red Hat is that rank and titles matter far less than the ability to connect with others and show up authentically. One story that stands out involves our CEO, Matt Hicks, who embodies Red Hat’s commitment to inclusion and listening. Matt personally reaches out to employees to gather input on everything from technical needs to associate wellbeing. I once saw him go to great lengths to get a specific GPU-based laptop for an engineer, just because it would make their work easier. Moments like these exemplify the culture Red Hat has fostered - a culture where ideas matter more than hierarchies.

This collaborative environment isn’t just an internal asset; it’s something our customers see, too. Whether they’re adopting our tools or seeking guidance on navigating new technology landscapes, they know they’re working with a company that values their success as much as its own.

Discover what’s next

If you have been fortunate enough to have attended one of our many Red Hat Summit Connect events in EMEA, you have heard that the next great waves of enterprise technology - hybrid cloud, edge computing and AI - are being built on open source. At Red Hat, we’re not just preparing for this future, we’re helping to create it. Businesses that embrace open source will be the ones leading the charge.

As I reflect on my career, I have taken risks and learned many lessons along the way. I have moved across continents, leaned into open source during its early days, and embraced opportunities to lead. These have all been part of a journey that I like to think reflects the same values that define Red Hat and the open source community: collaboration, adaptability and empowering associates to take risks and lead.

And for me, there’s no better place to be than Red Hat—a company that continues to prove that open source isn’t just a development model; it’s a blueprint for success in the digital economy.