With five years as an IBM Champion we have, Jack Woehr. Who brings not only deep expertise but also an outstanding sense of purpose to everything he does. As a Senior Consultant at Seiden Group, LLC and a Senior Consulting Engineer for Procern Technology Solutions, Jack is no stranger to solving complex problems. His favorite IBM product? IBM Quantum. To him, it’s the most fascinating frontier in technology today, full of potential and profound implications for the future. Whether it’s through his long history in open source, his role as secretary of the OpenQASM Technical Steering Committee, or his commitment to the IBM community, Jack’s curiosity and drive to keep learning stand out in every conversation.
Jack’s love for advocacy started early, with his passion for public speaking and writing. He was a contributing editor at Doctor Dobb’s Journal for two decades, and while speaking gives him energy, it’s community engagement that truly fuels him. “Those who give get more than they give,” he says, especially senior engineers like himself. Mentoring young developers (some younger than his own grandchildren), keeps him fresh and connected to the next wave of talent. That mentorship mindset, combined with the encouragement of IBMers like Jesse Gorzinski and Dr. Luciano Bello, helped lead Jack to the IBM Champion program. His dedication is personal: “I have a warm affection for all of the IBM family,” he shares, noting IBM’s consistency in ethical behavior and respect for the open-source community.
One story Jack tells sums up his impact in the most perfect way. Years ago, he was working on an IBM i system where a group of women operators had to take turns staying late in the dead of winter to manually launch a job coded back in the 1980s. When one of them asked if he could automate it, he did, and in just a few hours. The result? Safer, more comfortable evenings at home for five dedicated employees. “I’ve never felt better about anything I’ve coded in my whole career,” he says. That story is exactly why Jack stands out, not just for his technical chops, but for the way he brings humanity into technology. For those thinking about becoming an IBM Champion, his advice is simple: It’s worth the effort.
Lightning round:
- What would be your superpower and why?
To always exhibit good manners and learn from others, for reasons that need not be explained. At least, I wish this were my superpower!
My wife's rhubarb upside-down cake
Cats riding dogs.
Both, along with spring and autumn.
Every evening I hope I see the morning!
I read both regularly.
We have no TV and cherry-pick movies from online streaming, mostly in French and Spanish, which my wife and I both speak. My latest favorite, which I saw on my flight to COMMON POWERUp 2025, is Emilia Pérez, a French movie in Spanish about Mexico (!!) which I understand to have been immensely controversial, but I feel like I just saw a Mexican Gone with the Wind.
- A night out or a night in?
Mostly our nights are in. We live in a tiny town in the Rocky Mountains, 500 people, about 50 bears and about 25 mountain lions, so we don't go out much after dark!
- Cannonball into the pool or dip a toe in first?
Cold-water swimmer, dipped in Hvalfjörður ("Whale Fjord") in Iceland this past February.
"Candy Man" by Hunter & Garcia
I like to drive, America is a huge and mysterious place and you only get the most superficial view of America by flying.
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