Clemencia “Cleo” Cueva Clarke has been named the inaugural executive-in-residence at Cal State San Bernardino’s Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration (JHBC). Clarke is a seasoned technology executive with more than two decades of leadership experience at IBM.

In this new volunteer role, Clarke will share her industry expertise and leadership insights with students and faculty, helping strengthen connections between the classroom and the professional world.

Through guest speaking engagements, student club activities, mentoring opportunities and faculty collaborations, Clarke will provide students with opportunities to learn from her experience in technology, business strategy and executive leadership. She will also support the college’s external initiatives and serve on the JHBC Dean’s Advisory Board, helping strengthen relationships between the college and the business community.

Clarke brings extensive experience in the technology industry, having held several senior leadership positions at IBM. Most recently, she served as senior vice president and managing director, leading global strategic alliances across infrastructure, cloud computing, security and artificial intelligence.

Her previous roles included senior vice president of Americas Technical Sales and vice president of Enterprise Software and Infrastructure Sales, where she gained experience leading teams, developing business strategies and navigating a rapidly evolving technology landscape.

Today, Clarke draws on that experience through her firm, Tenaz Executive Advisory, where she advises organizations on leadership, organizational culture and go-to-market strategy.

She holds a master's degree in business administration from Strayer University and a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Illinois.

A Coachella Valley resident, Clarke is passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders and helping others develop the skills and confidence to succeed in their careers.

As JHBC's first executive-in-residence, Clarke will bring valuable industry perspectives to the college while creating opportunities for students to connect with an experienced business leader, explore career possibilities and gain insights that can help prepare them for life after graduation.