Ryan McCurdy, SVP & President – North America, Lenovo

In an interview with Invest:, Lenovo’s North America president, Ryan McCurdy, emphasized the company’s evolution beyond PCs, with nearly half of revenue now driven by infrastructure, services, and AI solutions. “We’re calling this the decade of AI,” he noted, outlining over $1 billion in R&D investments and a strong talent pipeline anchored in North Carolina.

What have been the biggest changes at Lenovo since you joined?

I’ve been with Lenovo for a little over two years, and we’ve had a strong run. While we’re widely recognized as the No. 1 PC provider globally, we’ve been focused on diversifying beyond PCs. Today, about half of our revenue comes from non-PC segments — our infrastructure, data center, services, and solutions businesses.

That growth has been intentional. Our infrastructure business, for example, has doubled in the past year. We’ve also continued to expand our services portfolio and hit record market share numbers in North America. We’re proud to have delivered premium-to-market growth in 10 of the last 11 quarters, as measured by independent analysts.

AI is obviously a major area of investment. We’re calling this the decade of AI, and we’re expanding our ecosystem of partnerships to meet rising demand across industries.

Why is the Raleigh-Durham area strategic for Lenovo’s North American presence?

It’s home for us. We celebrated our 20th anniversary here in April. Morrisville, North Carolina, is one of our two global headquarters. It became our base when we acquired IBM’s PC business in 2005, and it remains critical to our mission of innovation and transformation.

Much of our global innovation comes from right here. All of our server design, a large portion of workstation and PC design, and our AI Innovation Center are based in North Carolina. Our chief data scientist and many AI engineers are located here.

We’re one of the state’s largest employers and contribute over $1.5 billion annually to the local economy. Each year, we bring in over 100 interns from local universities and high schools, reinforcing a talent pipeline that’s central to our future.

We’ve also invested in a newly renovated Executive Briefing Center, transforming it into a hands-on technology showcase for partners and clients. It’s another example of how we’re looking ahead.

Can you share more about Lenovo’s partnerships and upcoming initiatives?

Globally, we announced a partnership with FIFA to serve as the official technology provider for the Men’s World Cup in 2026 and the Women’s World Cup in 2027. Our tech will be embedded into the fan experience and will bring all 104 matches to fans around the globe.

We also partnered with Madison Square Garden and Sphere Entertainment Group. We hosted our annual Tech World event at the Sphere in Las Vegas in January, where our CEO delivered the CES opening keynote. That venue is powered by Lenovo hardware.

Locally, we signed a long-term naming rights deal for the Lenovo Center in partnership with the Carolina Hurricanes. We’ve been associated with the team for over a decade, and this deal reflects our deep roots in the region. We’re also active with all 16 public universities in North Carolina and support initiatives like supplying laptops to every incoming freshman at Fayetteville State University.

How are you helping partners and customers adapt to the rise of AI?

We’re taking a leadership role. Our business model is grounded in trusted, long-term relationships with customers and partners. That trust now extends into AI, where we’re building on partnerships with companies like NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Qualcomm, Microsoft, and Google.

We’re seeing rapid adoption of modern hardware across all verticals — from mobile and PCs to cloud and infrastructure. Lenovo is positioned in all of these areas. Our AI investments exceed $1 billion, and we’re committed to continuing that pace.

The Triangle remains a hotbed for AI talent and innovation. Axios recently ranked it as one of the top 10 markets for AI job growth. We’re hiring from local institutions and retaining over 95% of our employees, which is rare. There’s also significant investment in the local airport and entertainment district, all of which enhances our ability to attract top talent and host global partners.

How does Lenovo’s community engagement align with your business goals?

Our employees live, work, and build their careers here. Many went to school locally. Community engagement is integral to our identity.

Every September, we hold “Love On Month of Service,” encouraging all employees to volunteer. We log thousands of community service hours, and it’s not just a one-off — it’s an annual commitment. We aim to scale this impact just as we scale our business.

We’re investing in long-term partnerships with schools and universities. We want North Carolina to not only be a place where people want to do business but also where they want to live and grow their careers.

What’s one thing people often overlook about Lenovo in North America?

Many still view us solely through the lens of PCs. While we’re proud to be the global leader in that space, almost half of our revenue now comes from beyond the PC — smartphones, infrastructure solutions, and services.

We’ve made intentional moves to elevate our brand through partnerships with FIFA, F1, and the Carolina Hurricanes. But it’s not just about visibility. We integrate our technology into those experiences. For example, FIFA fans will directly engage with Lenovo solutions during matches.

The Sphere in Las Vegas runs on Lenovo hardware — something most people don’t know. It’s all part of our effort to showcase our full “pocket-to-cloud” technology stack.

Another key strength that’s often underappreciated is our global supply chain. It’s one of the top 10 in the world, operating across 30+ manufacturing sites in 11 different markets. That gives us a huge advantage, especially during periods of global disruption. Our ability to adapt quickly and deliver at scale has been critical to our performance and makes us a trusted partner in an increasingly unpredictable world.

What are your top three priorities for Lenovo North America in the next few years?

First, continue growing our business locally while scaling globally. We’re investing in innovation and in our community, whether it’s through new jobs, upgraded facilities, or strategic partnerships.

Second, deepen our position in AI. We’re putting over $1 billion into AI R&D and will keep scaling investments to lead this next tech wave.

Third, reinvest wins back into the Triangle. This region has powered our success for two decades, and we want it to remain central to our future. From the Lenovo Center to our R&D labs to local education initiatives, we see tremendous opportunity here.