Sustaining the Momentum of One IEEE

December 23, 2025

2025 has marked several incredibly significant milestones for IEEE. In April, we awarded the IEEE Medal of Honor to Henry Samueli, and he became the very first recipient of the newly increased US$2 million prize. In June, IEEE debuted its first social impact report. This report, providing a different focus than our annual report, documents the groundbreaking advances made from IEEE’s public imperative activities and the humanitarian impact the organization enables as part of its mission. On top of that, in 2025, IEEE membership worldwide has, for the first time in our history, surpassed 500,000 members.

It has been an enormous honor to serve and be of impact as the 2025 IEEE President and CEO, but I know that the most meaningful and visible achievements have been the result of many hands and many years of vision combined with purpose. Most notably, I honor the presidents of IEEE who have come before me, along with our current and past global and technical volunteer leaders. I also recognize the dedicated leadership of each year’s IEEE Board of Directors, and the professional staff whose work forms a unique partnership. Together, they empower tens of thousands of active volunteers, all united in advancing the mission that drives our organization forward.

Serving as the president of IEEE has a unique, three-year rhythm. We spend one year as president-elect, both leading and preparing to lead; one year as president, setting strategic initiatives and priorities and chairing the IEEE Board of Directors; and one year as past president, continuing to execute and aligning strategy and building our community of volunteers to move IEEE forward. As I near the close of my presidential year, I see my contributions as part of an ongoing journey of leadership to build a better, stronger organization and develop future volunteers.

Throughout my time as president-elect and president, I have believed that IEEE holds a unique status on the world stage due to its meaningful impacts and the communities of expert and dedicated contributors to these impacts. I have been continually inspired by my colleagues and their ideals that form the core of IEEE’s mission, opportunity, and motivation to make a difference. Many organizations convene engineers in meetings or events, others seek to advance research and science through publication, some focus on education in a single technical field or thought leadership for public policy or on standards development. IEEE engages in all of these activities and much more. Its work spans diverse fields of interest, from applied sciences to advanced computing, all of which are driving future innovation. Through these efforts, IEEE unites disparate communities and areas of expertise under one banner. The broader purpose is clear: advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

As president-elect, I came to see an encompassing vision for transformational leadership that could be accomplished by recognizing an IEEE that is more than the sum of its parts. The goal was to harness the power of our expert communities and devotion to purpose under the banner of One IEEE. I set forth a trio of strategic initiatives: One IEEE for Education, One IEEE for Strategic Innovation and Public Imperatives, and One IEEE for Students. Across IEEE, our members share a belief in the value of big ideas and in the responsibility to use their expertise for good. More than just breaking silos, One IEEE is about bringing together efforts that have operated in parallel to both learn more and do more. And, while these initiatives are merely three, albeit large, efforts, each center of leadership could themselves take these ideals and be empowered and purposeful in their collaborations within and outside of IEEE.

That shared commitment is what sets IEEE apart. Our thought leadership in technology is unmatched. As a public charity we do not do this for the money, and the organization is not funded by outside interests. We do this because it is driven by the conviction of our members. Through our programs, standards, education, and humanitarian efforts, IEEE continues to influence how technology evolves and how it serves society. This is work that rarely seeks the spotlight, yet its impact is profound.

The mission of IEEE matters. During my time as president of IEEE, I have worked to build a stronger, more resilient organization. I am proud to have inspired our members to think boldly, to embrace ambition, and to pursue innovation with purpose and for impact. I feel assured that the foundation laid this year will empower future presidents to lead with equal significance and to preside over years as transformative and impactful as this one.

About the author: Kathleen Kramer is 2025 IEEE President & CEO.