In this episode of z/Action, we sit down with Donna Hudi, IBM Champion, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Business Development at Phoenix Software International, to explore how behind-the-scenes leadership can be one of the most powerful forms of advocacy. From being welcomed into the mainframe community with no prior Z experience, to mentoring the next generation of talent and supporting first-time presenters, Donna has become a force for inclusive growth and authentic leadership. Whether you're new to IBM Z or guiding others along their journey, this conversation will leave you motivated to engage, contribute, and lead in your own way.

Stay Connected
Be part of the conversation! Join the ISV Ecosystem User Group to explore the latest blogs, events, videos, and more from IBM Z partners and innovators.

And don’t forget to subscribe to z/Action!
Each month, we spotlight some of the world’s most innovative companies and how they’re driving success with IBM Z.

What better way to end the season than with our IBM Z Day special—featuring Tina Tarquinio, Chief Product Officer for IBM Z & LinuxONE, and Rebecca Levesque, Founder & CRO at 21CS. From AI + infrastructure to security, sustainability, and mentorship, Tina and Rebecca share smart, lively insights to help you go from New to Z to trusted SME—plus a few great stories along the way.

This episode features Karl-Erik Stenfors, a retired IBM systems engineer and since 2015 been teaching Linux, virtualization and z/Assembler at three private universities in France, as well as teaching System Z technologies for two professional education companies. Kark-Erik has been recognized as an IBM Z and Linux One Champion for 2025!!

Teaching has been a natural thread throughout his entire career, from installing and introducing new products, to coaching colleagues and customers, to authoring IBM Redbooks (comprehensive guides). In fact, he wrote every Redbook covering new processors during his final ten years at IBM.

He also co-authored Introduction to Enterprise Systems written in collaboration with Reg Harbeck, David Boyes and Cameron Seay.

Learn more about the book here.

His thoughts on the mainframe culture:

This is a platform that runs the world. So, that's a very particular culture around how do we run this system that cannot fail, how do you treat things when they go wrong? How to treat things to avoid that the same error doesn't come back. I think culture is a big word, but that's what I like about it. It's still developing every single day, there are new things coming on new languages, new processors, new products. So, it's a world that's very much alive and must keep learning almost every day in this environment.

Karl-Erik’s teaching Philosophy:

I have this philosophy that you should teach only things you know, only things you know how to do, and understand. So that's what I've been doing.

Advice to educators:

His advice is simple but powerful: don’t rush.
What matters most is that students truly understand the material. Even if a student asks the same question 20 or 30 times, he says, it’s far more important that they ultimately grasp the concepts than it is to push forward too quickly.

Listen to the rapid-fire questions to learn the fun things about him like Danish pancakes, herrings and going back to school to study political science!

Resources:

Visit the IBM Z Educator Hub User Group on the IBM Z and LinuxONE Community to find the latest communications, news and events, as well as collaborate and network. Check out technical lecture’s, blogs, events, videos, discussions, and more.

Join here .

Subscribe to “The z/Education!” Podcast to listen to talks from IBM Z Educators from around the world on their success stories, journeys and their best practices.

In this episode, you will learn how organizations are modernizing right on their mainframes, using a shared repository of decision logic to make smarter, faster, and more transparent decisions. By combining business rules with AI and machine learning, the mainframe is helping businesses unlock their full potential in today’s fast-paced digital world.

Watch the episode here: https://ibm.biz/Bdb3p6

Stay Connected
Be part of the conversation! Join the ISV Ecosystem User Group to explore the latest blogs, events, videos, and more from IBM Z partners and innovators.

And don’t forget to subscribe to z/Action!
Each month, we spotlight some of the world’s most innovative companies and how they’re driving success with IBM Z.

Meet Craig Mullins – From punched cards to mainframes, Craig’s journey is a masterclass in curiosity and adaptability. Discover how a college intern at US Steel became a leading voice in enterprise computing.
Tune in to hear his origin story and insights on navigating tech’s evolution!

Agentic AI—the next wave of artificial intelligence—goes beyond automation to enable systems that can reason, act, and adapt autonomously. On IBM Z, these capabilities unlock new frontiers for enterprises seeking resiliency, efficiency, and trust at scale. This conversation explores how businesses can harness Agentic AI to transform operations, modernize mission-critical workloads, and co-create new value with their customers. We’ll dive into the future of enterprise intelligence, ethical AI practices, and the unique advantages of IBM Z in driving innovation with confidence.

Watch the episode here: https://ibm.biz/BdbKz9

Stay Connected
Be part of the conversation! Join the ISV Ecosystem User Group to explore the latest blogs, events, videos, and more from IBM Z partners and innovators.

And don’t forget to subscribe to z/Action!
Each month, we spotlight some of the world’s most innovative companies and how they’re driving success with IBM Z.

Marcus Davage is a seasoned technologist, lead product developer at BMC Software, and an IBM Champion. With a career that began in his teenage years—tinkering with early home computers like the Commodore 64 and Amiga—Marcus’s passion for computing led him to pursue a computer science degree and eventually discover the world of mainframes during an industrial placement at a steelworks. His journey from curious student to respected subject matter expert is marked by resilience, continuous learning, and a deep love for technology. Today, Marcus inspires others by sharing his experiences, mentoring emerging professionals, and championing innovation in enterprise computing.

In this episode, we sit down with PJ Catalano, IBM Z Test Architect, to discuss his origin story and how he got started in the mainframe space. PJ shares his journey from being a co-op student to becoming a leading expert in mainframe testing. We also dive into the process of testing a Z system, from emulation and simulation environments to hardware and firmware integration testing. PJ explains the importance of testing and how his team's efforts contribute to the reliability and quality of the IBM Z platform. Join us for an in-depth conversation about mainframe testing and the people who make it happen.