Jeff Welser

Dr. Jeffrey Welser is Chief Operating Officer for IBM Research and Vice President, University Collaborations. He manages strategy and operations for IBM’s global research division, as well as directly overseeing the IBM Research Labs based in California and Japan. The division’s research covers advanced hardware, software, mathematical algorithms and applications for Hybrid Cloud, AI and Quantum computing systems.

After joining IBM Research in 1995, Dr. Welser worked on a broad range of technologies, including novel silicon devices, high-performance CMOS and SOI device design, and next generation system components. He has held executive roles leading hardware and software teams in both development and research, as well as running industrial, academic and government consortiums, including the SRC Nanoelectronics Research Initiative. In 2025, Dr. Welser became IBM’s California Senior State Executive, IBM's representative focused on external and government relations within California.

Dr. Welser received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He holds 21 US Patents and has published over 75 technical papers and presentations. He is an IEEE Fellow, a member of the IBM Academy of Technology and the American Physical Society, IBM’s Silicon Valley Leadership Group board member, and Chairman of the Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium. He also serves on several university and industry technical boards, and has participated in numerous Federal Agency, National Academies and Congressional panels on advanced semiconductor and computing technology.