Mainframe Connect

In this episode of the Mainframe Connect podcast's I am a Mainframer series, Steven Perva, Expert Mainframe Innovation Engineer at Ensono, shares his unique journey in the mainframe industry. From his early days fixing point-of-sale systems with his father to winning IBM's Master of the Mainframe contest in college, Steven's path led him to IBM Poughkeepsie and eventually to Ensono. He discusses t...

In this episode of the I am a Mainframer podcast, Steve Steuart, mainframe modernization lead at Accenture, shares his fascinating journey in the mainframe industry. Starting as a computer operator in Panama during the 1980s, Steve has built a career focused on migration projects and modernization strategies. He reflects on the enduring role of mainframes, stating, “The mainframe got us to the moo...

In this episode of I Am a Mainframer, we sit down with Gary Thornhill, CEO and founder of PopUp Mainframe, to explore his intriguing journey through the IT industry. From an unexpected start at IBM to navigating challenges in banking, Gary shares how his expertise in mainframe technology, MQSeries, and DevOps shaped his career. Hear how these experiences inspired him to launch PopUp Mainframe, a c...

In this episode of the "I Am a Mainframer" podcast, guest host Donna Hudi chats with Fernando Rijo Cedeno, a research and development engineer at Broadcom. Fernando reflects on his roots in the Dominican Republic and how his Hispanic heritage has influenced his work in the mainframe community. As a Zowe CLI squad leader, he led efforts to make Zowe’s tools multilingual, increasing accessibility fo...

In this episode of the I Am a Mainframer podcast, Sam Golob delves into the history of the CBT Tape, a vital collection of user-created software for mainframe systems programming. Golob shares how the CBT Tape began in the 1970s, evolving from a physical tape to an online repository. He also discusses his role in maintaining this key resource, which continues to serve as a hub for systems programm...

In this episode of the I Am a Mainframer podcast, host Steven Dickens sits down with Riya Sahu, a passionate mainframe developer at Kyndryl, to explore her inspiring journey in the world of mainframe technology.  Riya describes her career move from India to Hungary, the challenges of overcoming a language barrier, and how she embraced new opportunities. As she dives into the exciting projects she’...

In this episode of the I Am a Mainframer podcast, host Steven Dickens interviews Darren Surch, CEO of Interskill Learning, the largest mainframe training provider in the world. Surch discusses his background in mainframe training and the evolution of Interskill over the past 30 years. He highlights the impact of the IBM digital badge program on training delivery and the increased engagement and mo...

In this episode of the "I Am a Mainframer" podcast, host Steven Dickens interviews Dusty Rivers, a revered mainframe expert with 47 years of industry experience. Dusty recounts his remarkable journey from a COBOL programmer to his current role as Senior Director of US zSystems at Mainline Information Systems. He delves into his extensive work with database management systems, notably his...

In this episode of the "I Am a Mainframer" podcast, host Steven Dickens honors Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by featuring Jessielaine “Jelly” Punongbayan from Dynatrace. Jessielaine recounts her inspiring journey as a COBOL programmer, beginning in the Philippines and expanding to various countries worldwide. She highlights the invaluable support from mentors and the...

In this engaging episode of the I Am a Mainframer podcast, Steven Dickens hosts a captivating conversation with Louisa Seers from IBM. As the product manager for the CICS portfolio and the technical steering committee chair for Galasa, an integral part of the Open Mainframe Project, Louisa shares insights into her journey at IBM. Beginning as an apprentice and blending work with education, she off...

In this episode of the "I am a Mainframer" podcast, host Steven Dickens engages in an enlightening conversation with Cynthia Overby, the Director of Security and Customer Solutions Engineering at Rocket Software. Cynthia shares her remarkable journey – from her humble beginnings as an intern to becoming CEO and President of Key Resources. Throughout the interview, Cynthia candidly recoun...

Dive into the fascinating world of mainframe technology with the latest episode of the "I am a Mainframer" podcast! Join host Steven Dickens as he delves into an insightful conversation with Andre Clark, a seasoned member of IBM's advisory level two support team. In this episode, Clark provides valuable insights into his role, addressing customer issues related to CICS on a global sc...

In this month's episode of the "I am a Mainframer" podcast, hosted by Steven Dickens of The Futurum Group, guest Donna Hudi, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Business Development at Phoenix Software, shares her career journey and insights into the mainframe industry. Donna discusses her background in enterprise tech, her transition to the mainframe world, and her experience as the...

In this month’s episode of the “I Am A Mainframer” podcast, hosted by Steven Dickens of The Futurum Group, guest Megan Rupert provides valuable insights into the evolving mainframe industry, underscoring the importance of diversity, community engagement, and the continuous adaptation of mainframe technology to meet future challenges. Here are the top takeaways from their conversation: Event Manage...

In this month's episode of the "I Am A Mainframer" podcast, hosted by Steven Dickens of The Futurum Group, guest Domenico D'Alterio shares insights into his career and the evolving mainframe industry. Currently working on the Zowe open source project at IBM, Domenico discusses how he joined IBM in 1999 as a developer, later transitioning into managerial and product manager roles,...

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the October episode of the "I am a Mainframer" podcast features Luciano Gimeno, LinuxONE Sales Manager of North & Latin America at IBM. Host Steven Dickens, VP and Practice Leader at The Futurum Group, takes a deep dive into Luciano's journey from a z/OS programmer to a LinuxONE sales leader and how he embraced the continuous change...

On this episode of the “I Am a Mainframer” podcast, host Steven Dickens is joined by Jabrell McPherson, Shariif Ali, and Jason Lowe — all students at Albany State University in Albany, Georgia. Jason, a senior graduating in December, is interested in the mainframe space and is particularly drawn to the z/OS operating system and COBOL programming language. Jabrell is a senior graduating next fall....

Guilherme Cartier de Palma , Associate Director of Infrastructure/Cloud Architecture at Kyndryl, joined host Steven Dickens to share his insights on mainframe transformation in a recent episode of the “I Am a Mainframer” podcast. Cartier has over 10 years of experience working with mainframes, beginning his career in SysOps at IBM when he was 18 years old. He believes that a balanced approach is n...

On this episode of the “I Am a Mainframer” podcast, host Steven Dickens talks with Rick Perret, Head of Analyst Relations with Broadcom Mainframe Software. Their conversation highlights the growing importance of mainframes and how the Open Mainframe Project (OMP) is actively working to raise awareness and bring together professionals from various backgrounds to contribute to the platform's dev...

On this episode of the “I Am a Mainframer” podcast, host Steven Dickens is joined by Zareen Rydhan, Software Development Engineer in Test II and Lead Test Automation Engineer with Rocket Software. During their conversation, Steven and Zareen talk about the mainframe being the foundation of many of the world’s most critical applications and how, as the world becomes increasingly digital, the need f...

On this episode of the “I Am a Mainframer” podcast, host Steven Dickens is joined by Shuang Chen, PhD, a seasoned entrepreneur, senior technologist, inventor, and recognized industrial leader. Shuang brings over three decades of industrial experience in technology innovation, software, large-scale internet systems, entrepreneurship, and business executive leadership. Previously a senior research a...

On this episode of the “I Am a Mainframer” podcast, guest host John Mertic, Director of the Open Mainframe Project, is joined by Salisu Ali, a current mentee of the organization. A final year medical student at Bayero University in Kano, Nigeria, Salisu was introduced to the mainframe in 2017 through IBM’s Master the Mainframe contest. He participated in the contest for three years and joined the...

On this episode of the “I Am a Mainframer” podcast, host Steven Dickens is joined by Megan Conklin, the WW Director of LinuxONE and Linux on System Z Sales at IBM. Megan brings a wealth of experience in IBM systems, including more than 15 years of leading large enterprise clients. For the last 18 months, Megan has led the global team that drives innovation with IBM clients worldwide. Under her lea...

On this episode of the “I Am a Mainframer” podcast, host Steven Dickens is joined by Benjamin Daniels, Cloud Solutions Engineer at Oracle. While an undergrad at North Carolina A&T State University, Ben's professor for Java and mainframe classes was Dr. Cameron Seay. Dr. Seay because Ben's formal mentor and opened the door to many opportunities for Ben, and they continue to stay in close touch....

In this episode of the “I Am a Mainframer” podcast, host Steven Dickens is joined by Meral Temel, Mainframe Platform Leader for JFORCE. Meral has been in the mainframe industry for more than 20 years, starting as a  mainframe system programmer and becoming the Director of Systems in the largest private banks in Turkey. She is currently the Mainframe  Platform Leader at JForce, a leading...