Kevin Farrar

Kevin Farrar has over 36 years of experience at IBM acting as a trusted advisor on technology, innovation, and adoption in the sports industry. He provides input to strategic planning discussions to influence the client & IBM technology roadmap & plans. 

As a member of IBM’s Global Sports & Entertainment Partnerships team, Kevin provides UK leadership on contractual negotiations and has overall responsibility for the UK programme governance & budget.
Wimbledon works closely with IBM to provide fans with AI-generated insights and world-class digital experiences.

Kevin is IBM’s “face” of Wimbledon and has extensively featured in media coverage worldwide across TV, radio, online & print media, including BBC National News, BBC News Live: World Business Report, BBC Sport, BBC R5 Live, BBC R4: The World Tonight, BBC Arabic, BBC Click, BBC Tech Tent, World Service Radio, ITV National News, Japanese TV, Canadian TV, CNN, Fox News, Bloomberg and numerous other global MSM outlets.

Under Kevin’s leadership, IBM’s work at Wimbledon has been recognised with many industry awards. He has also contributed to various publications, including articles on technology innovation and education, such as "IBM and Wimbledon – Innovation through Collaboration" and "4 Ways To Promote Technology Innovation For Smarter Cities.”

Before taking up the Head of Sports Partnerships role, Kevin was the Programme Manager for the IBM Academic Initiative across EMEA. Here, he was instrumental in integrating IBM technologies into university curricula and enhancing students' IT and business skills. In this capacity, he went on to lead the IBM Global Entrepreneur start-up programme, and subsequently IBM’s UK Developer Marketing programme.

Kevin Farrar's career began with his education at the University of Portsmouth, where he was among the original intake of students for the IBM Integrated Degree Scheme, earning a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science. After completing his education, Kevin joined IBM in 1987, where he initially worked in IBM's in-house development organisation at the company's UK headquarters in Portsmouth. Over the next several years, Kevin worked in various technical and business roles, including working as an application architect in the financial services sector across the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, and Denmark.

By 2005, Kevin had transitioned to a role as Programme Manager for the IBM Academic Initiative across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Here, he was responsible for establishing the programme, which aimed to integrate IBM technologies into university curricula and enhance students' IT and business skills. His efforts significantly increased the number of students graduating with knowledge of open standards and IBM technologies. He also collaborated with governments in South Africa and Malta on social and economic regeneration programmes.

In 2009, Kevin led the launch the "My developerWorks" platform, a professional network and knowledge base for developers and IT professionals. His role as Skills Leader involved fostering a thriving ecosystem of students, developers, and academics engaged with IBM technologies. By 2010, he had taken on leadership of the IBM Academic Initiative and the IBM Global Entrepreneur programme, building relationships with startups, universities, and government bodies to support innovation and entrepreneurship.

Kevin was the IBM Global Entrepreneur Leader for Europe from 2014 to 2015. He developed strategic relationships with startup accelerators, incubators, investors, and business leaders, and led the IBM SmartCamp programme, which provided networking and marketing opportunities for early-stage technology startups.

In 2015, Kevin became Portfolio Manager of Analytics for IBM UK & Ireland, where he focused on promoting the IBM Analytics portfolio, particularly Cloud Data Services and the Watson Data Platform. His subsequent role as Developer Outreach Leader from 2017 to 2020 saw him design and execute developer-centric campaigns to enhance IBM’s engagement with the developer community in the UK and Ireland.

In July 2020, Kevin became the Head of Sport Partnerships for IBM UK and Partnership Executive to the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), overseeing IBM's long-standing partnership with Wimbledon. In this position, Kevin is responsible for managing the client relationship for all services IBM provides to The Championships and the IBM marketing and innovation programme for the Wimbledon partnership. 

Publications

Kevin Farrar's publications cover a range of topics related to technology and innovation, with a particular focus on IBM's contributions. In "IBM and Wimbledon – Innovation through Collaboration," Farrar discusses how IBM's technological expertise enhances the Wimbledon experience through data analytics, cloud computing, and AI. The "Sunderland students help to create a Smart City" article highlights IBM's collaboration with students to develop smart city solutions, demonstrating the company's commitment to education and urban innovation.

In "IBM SmartCloud educates IT pros of tomorrow," Farrar emphasises IBM's role in training the next generation of IT professionals using cloud technology. Another significant publication, "IBM's Smarter Planet pathways set to help students fill the IT skills gap," addresses how IBM's educational initiatives aim to bridge the IT skills gap in the UK, thereby supporting economic growth. "4 Ways To Promote Technology Innovation For Smarter Cities" outlines strategies for enhancing urban living through technology, while "IBM gives tech entrepreneurs a leg-up" details IBM's efforts to support start-ups and drive innovation. These publications collectively showcase IBM's multifaceted approach to leveraging technology for educational, urban, and entrepreneurial advancements.

Kevin Farrar envisions the use of technology to bring new ideas and make strong partnerships across different industries. He aims to use advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, analytics, and cloud services to improve client experiences. Kevin wants to create groups that help people keep learning and growing by building good relationships with clients, startups, and schools. He thinks using technology can help with current goals and also get ready for what industries and communities will need in the future.