Meet Donna Hudi, a technology leader with extensive experience and an IBM Champion since 2024. As the Chief Marketing Officer at Phoenix Software International, Donna has been actively engaged in the mainframe community for over a decade. Her deep-rooted passion for the platform led her to become an IBM Champion, where she advocates for the mainframe community and its potential. Donna has more than 30 years of financial service, technology, marketing, and executive management experience spanning the asset management, software development, consulting, and non-profit industries. Prior to joining Phoenix Software, she served as the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for SHARE Association and before that she served in various leadership positions where she provided a wide‐range of strategic, technology, operational, and marketing guidance and support. Today, in addition to her role within Phoenix Software, she is an active participant and advocate for the Open Mainframe Project by serving on the Marketing Committee and Summit Scheduling Committees, speaking in sessions focused on Open Source, etc.
Donna's favourite IBM product is z/OS, which she considers the soul of the mainframe community. She values the education and support she received from the community when she first joined it, fuelling her commitment to advocacy. Donna excels in various forms of advocacy, including blogs, communities, and speaking engagements. She believes that engaging in conversations and interactions with fellow technologists fosters a more profound understanding and appreciation of the mainframe platform; “I love all types of advocacy. Anything that can provide an opportunity to have a conversation and interact (either virtually or in person) with folks and tell them how amazing this platform and its community is.”
Motivated by her love for the mainframe community, Donna became an IBM Champion to contribute to its growth and development; “I was first introduced to this community 10 years ago when I stepped into the role of Executive Director for SHARE. I was amazed at how much of a community it really was. I was embraced instantly even though I had spent the majority of my career as a developer in the distributed world. They embraced me and immediately began educating me on the world of mainframes. I have been in love with this technology, the platform, and this amazing community ever since”. A significant accomplishment in her career is her involvement in the Open Mainframe Project and Zowe, where she strives to unite the mainframe community with the broader technology landscape.
When asked about her ideal job, Donna humbly acknowledges that she couldn't picture herself doing anything else. Her unwavering enthusiasm for technology and the mainframe community resonates in her work and advocacy.
- What would be your superpower and why? Speed. The faster that I can move, the more I can accomplish.
- Ice cream or cake? Ice cream all day
- Cats or dogs? Dogs
- Summer or winter? Summer (I hate to be cold)
- Morning or evening? Morning. It is my quiet time to reset. I love to sit on my front porch and drink a cup of coffee and just watch the sunrise.
- eBook or paper book? I prefer paper books, but tend to use an eBook because it is easier when I travel (and weighs less).
- TV shows or movies? Movies and if I like a movie I can watch it again and again and again.
- A night out or a night in? A night in. I like to put on comfy clothes and just chill.
- Cannonball into the pool or dip a toe in first? As a metaphor for how I approach things, it is always cannonball. However, if we are being literal and you put me in front of a body of water...well, I can't swim.
- Go-to karaoke song? Bon Jovi, Livin on a Prayer.
- Drive or fly? Fly. I want to get to my destination and maximise my time there. Also, I can't sit still long enough for a long car ride.
Connect with Donna in LinkedIn and Community page.
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