Stream: Virtual Room 1
Time: 16:15 - 17:00
No matter how much you learn about enterprise computing, including mainframes, at college, university, or other educational opportunities, becoming a mainframer is a journey of learning that continues on, and depending on the type of mentoring and experience you have, there are likely things you need to know that you may not learn until years into your career, and no course will teach you. It's time for that to change, beginning with this session. Reg Harbeck and Steve Perva will discuss many things they learned "the hard way" in their careers, give insights and resources for such learning, and open the floor for discussion and possibly even spontaneous mentorship.
I work on open source projects around software tooling platforms. My current project is Zowe, which is part of the Linux Foundation and Open Mainframe Project where I am part of the leadership committee and an ambassador. Prior to Zowe I worked on Eclipse tooling and before that Java 2 Standard Edition. I enjoy astronomy, running, biking, piano, and in my spare time helping bring open source tooling to the mainframe computing platform for a new generation of Z heads.
Steven Perva is a technologist whose passion for IT ignited in middle school. With a Computer Science degree from Northern Illinois University, he launched his career at IBM in Poughkeepsie, the home of the mainframe. Throughout his career, he has been a relentless innovator and advocate for the mainframe. His expertise lies in platform-agnostic management of z/OS and championing the seamless integration of z/OS within the broader IT ecosystem. Since 2022, he has been recognized as an IBM Champion. He has spoken at prestigious events such as SHARE, IBM TechXchange, Dell Technologies World, GSE UK, and IBM Z Day, sharing his insights and inspiring next generation technologists. He is also the founder of the System Z Enthusiasts Discord, a global community dedicated to fostering knowledge and collaboration among mainframe enthusiasts.
IBM Z Champion and Mainframe Analytics ltd. co-founder and Chief Strategist Reg Harbeck, MA, has worked for over 35 years with operating systems, networks, computing security, middleware, applications and a wide range of platforms. Reg has written, presented, podcasted and consulted on mainframe-related matters worldwide and across the mainframe ecosystem.
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