On November 10, the Colin Powell School welcomed Amy Salcido, President of Kyndryl US, for a Conversations in Leadership event focused on the role of mentorship in shaping strong, values-driven leadership. Salcido, named one of Technology Magazine’s Top 100 Women in Technology, drew on her more than two decades of executive experience to share how authenticity, clarity of purpose, and the willingness to invest in others have guided her career.
The conversation, titled “Lifting as You Lead: Grit, Authenticity, and Mentorship,” offered students a candid look at what it means to lead with purpose while actively supporting the next generation of changemakers.
In a wide-ranging conversation with Sarah Dyer, the Powell School’s Director of Corporate Partnerships, Salcido spoke about her background, growing up in a single parent household and working her way through college — experiences that many students in the audience could relate to. Upon graduation, she found it challenging to find a job, as her parents were not able to provide her with connections or guidance. She ended up at IBM because a friend made the connection for her — and went from answering the questions of clients having issues with their IT systems to leading large-scale teams across global organizations. In her most recent role at Kyndryl — which was created as a spin off of IBM in 2021 — she oversaw more than 15,000 professionals.
She emphasized that meaningful leadership is not simply about managing outcomes, but about empowering people to grow, make decisions, and define their own paths. Mentorship, she noted, was central to her own development, and remains central to how she leads today. She encouraged students to seek mentors who challenge and inspire them, and to recognize that they, too, can mentor others at every stage of their journey.
Salcido highlighted Kyndryl’s partnership with the Powell School’s Social Mobility Lab as an example of leadership rooted in opportunity-building, describing education as a critical catalyst for social and economic mobility. Watch the full video below.
