The 2025 IBM Z Champions
Who is an IBM Champion? They are individuals that spend so much of their time (outside of their job role) building and growing communities, presenting at conferences, sharing knowledge and participating in councils. To see a full list of all our 2025 Champions, check out our brand-new 2025 IBM Champion Directory!
This year, Iโm excited to see our cohort of IBM Z Educators grow alongside our 200+ IBM Champions for IBM Z and LinuxONE.
They embody our Educator Hub motto: Connect | Innovate | Educate
Spotlight - Meet just a few of the educators
Leendert Blondeel, a mainframe technology lecturer at Hogent University. Beyond the classroom he leads a New to Z chapter in Belgium and takes students to events like GSE UK. Meet him in the first episode of The z/Education! Podcast to learn about his passion for mainframes and the joys of being an educator.
Educators are heroes, they are leaders shaping the future of mainframe education. They not only teach technical subjects but do so in a way that inspires passion for the technology they love. Geoffrey Decker, Marilyn Kienzle, and Kathleen Keogh are all finding opportunities to connect their students with job opportunities; by hosting IBM Z Career Connection Events on campus, bringing students to technical events, and using their network to continue to inspire this next generation of mainframers.
Germanas Samrickis, beyond his day job Germanas teaches mainframe technologies at Vilnius university. Meet him in The z/Education! Podcast - Episode 2 and discover his mainframe journey and best practices in teaching.
David Woolbright, Emeritus Professor of Computer Science at Columbus State University, he blogs, mentors, and manages a mainframe teaching site with materials for IBM assembly language (HLASM) and COBOL. Stay tuned to listen to him on โThe z/Education!โ Podcast for February.
A Huge Thanks
To all the incredible 2025 IBM Z Champions: Your enthusiasm fuels progress, your knowledge, passion, dedication inspires others, and your generosity in sharing wisdom strengthens us all. You are the reason this journey is so rewarding, and we celebrate each of you for the vital role you play in shaping the future of technology. Thank you for being the true champions of this vibrant community!
Are you ready for your journey?
Not sure how to get started? Make sure to check out the IBM Z Advocacy Hub to find opportunities and resources to get your 2025 advocacy journey started. While there, be sure to create your advocacy profile, and claim your IBM Z and LinuxONE Advocacy badges for 2025.
Continue the Celebration ๐
Get inspired: Check out Shari Chiaraโs blog for more on this yearโs class of IBM Z and LinuxONE Champions
Hang live: Donโt miss the Meet & Celebrate IBM Champions webinar on February 20th, 2025 (11:00 AM ET)โQ&A with the experts!
Embody the Educator Hub motto - Connect | Innovate | Educate