BETHLEHEM — Albany Medical Center has named a veteran IBM executive to the newly created position of senior vice president for business development and strategic partnerships to explore novel ways to support Albany Med’s mission, strengthen its bottom line, and address the fast-paced changes in the health care field.

Kevin M. Leyden, of Bethlehem, who worked at IBM for almost 20 years, joins the senior leadership team of the medical center, charged with developing non-traditional partnerships and alliances to leverage existing assets and generate new revenue.

Leyden was most recently a client/solution executive at IBM in Albany, managing relationships with several New York State health and human services agencies and the Executive Chamber as well as higher education institutions. His various positions with IBM involved local, regional, national, and international responsibilities. He was recognized with several awards including on four occasions with IBM’s highest sales excellence honor, the Golden Circle Award.

Leyden joined IBM in 1995 following nearly 10 years with the New York State Department of Social Services where he was appointed by Governor Mario M. Cuomo as director of the “Decade of the Child” to spearhead a statewide initiative to improve children and family services through cross-agency innovation and collaboration.

Leyden serves on the adjunct faculty of the University at Albany schools of Business and Social Welfare; served as the charter co-chairman of the Business Alliance for Tech Valley High School, as chairman of the board of directors of Parsons Child and Family Center, as a trustee of Catholic Charities of the Albany Diocese, and as president of the LaSalle School Foundation.

He holds a bachelor of arts degree, magna cum laude, from Manhattan College and an master of science degree in administration from the University at Albany. He lives in Bethlehem with his wife and two children.