International Business Machines Corp (IBM) is reportedly conducting an investigation into allegations against its China head, Chen Xudong. According to Bloomberg News, this comes after a 15-page letter circulating online detailed misconduct accusations.
A former IBM employee claimed in the letter that Chen, the chairman of IBM’s Greater China Group, received gifts, leaked confidential information, and violated company expense policies.The allegations were reported by multiple Chinese media outlets, including Jiemian.
What IBM said on the letter
IBM confirmed the existence of the letter and stated that they are taking the matter seriously. “We attach great importance to and thoroughly investigate any behavior that may violate the company’s business code of conduct. We do not discuss the personal circumstances of employees and will continue to focus on serving customers in Greater China,” said an IBM spokesperson.
Chen declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg News and reportedly referred questions to IBM’s communications team..
This latest upheaval comes amidst IBM’s decision to shut down a hardware research team in China due to geopolitical tensions.
