Security and resiliency
Kyndryl launches Cyber Defense Operations Center to unify enterprise IT operations
Press release
19 Feb 2026
This year marks the centennial of what historian Carter G. Woodson initiated as Negro History Week, which was created to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black Americans and their enduring impact on history, culture and progress. Black History Month is a time to reflect on that legacy, and to recognize how it continues to shape the world we are building today.
At Kyndryl, that legacy shows up through innovation, leadership and a shared commitment to progress for our customers and communities. This Black History Month, we spotlight four Kyndryls whose work reflects how history, purpose and forward-looking technology come together to create meaningful impact.
Sandra Atkins Sadler
Vice President, Strategic Markets Practice General Manager
How are you driving innovation in your role at Kyndryl?
I focus on translating complex customer challenges into scalable, technology-driven solutions across a global footprint. Working closely with alliance partners and account teams, we co-innovate solutions aligned to customer priorities and long-term business outcomes. What excites me most is operating at the intersection of strategy, technology and leadership while building inclusive, high-performing teams.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black History Month is a time to honor and celebrate the lives, contributions, resilience and rich culture of Black individuals who have shaped global society. It highlights both the challenges overcome and the lasting impact of Black innovation and intellectual achievement.
What value, lesson, or experience has most shaped how you show up at work or as a leader?
The experience that has most shaped my leadership is leading large-scale transformation across diverse geographies and cultures, particularly during moments of significant change. Whether establishing a new regional operating model as CFO for Southern Africa or supporting the creation of Kyndryl as an independent company, I’ve learned that sustainable success is built on trust, clarity and accountability.
Harry Volcy
Associate Director, Delivery Management
How has Kyndryl supported your efforts to innovate?
Kyndryl has supported our ability to innovate by encouraging us to challenge established ways of working with a focus on improving outcomes. It's exciting to be in a place where leadership creates a space for us to test ideas with the support of finance to help connect innovation to measurable outcomes.
How are you helping customers move forward?
Kyndryl's focus on innovation has been the catalyst behind our efforts to drive IT modernization for our customers. With the right expertise paired with this culture of innovation, we've been able to move quickly from conceptual design to production deployment.
Diego Templeton
Agentic AI Engineer
How are you driving innovation at Kyndryl?
As an Agentic AI Engineer, I work on advanced technology within the company — systems designed to reason through problems, take action and continuously learn in real enterprise environments. What excites me most is seeing how this work simplifies complexity for our teams and helps create real, measurable impact for customers.
How is your work helping customers today?
Through the Kyndryl Agentic Framework, we’re helping customers rethink how their operations run. By enabling stronger visibility and smarter coordination, teams can make more informed decisions and work towards building more agile, resilient organizations.
What does Black History Month represent to you?
Black History Month is a time for reflection and purpose. It’s an opportunity to honor the resilience, creativity and leadership that have shaped our communities. As a father, it also means teaching my children about that legacy and helping them see themselves as part of a continuing story.
Gloria Lagrand
Data and AI Consultant
What excites you most about the work you’re doing at Kyndryl?
We’re living through an evolution in agentic AI — moving from systems that primarily analyze to systems that act and integrate into daily workflows. What excites me most is helping clients move from “AI is coming” to understanding how "AI is already here, in your processes, your decisions, your day-to-day."
How are you helping customers move forward?
Many customers sense change but aren’t sure how to respond. My role is turning that urgency into a clear roadmap by identifying where AI can create immediate, practical value in daily operations.
What mindset guides your work?
Learning to act beyond fear has shaped me most. I stay curious, experiment at the edges of what I know, and treat every outcome as information. That mindset is what I bring to my work every day.
