Tim Rowe is the Business Architect for IBM i responsible for System Management and Application Development. He has a passion for modernization on IBM i and how we can continue to move IBM i into the world of 'Normal' . In his spare time he is a certified Soccer referee and enjoys refereeing games with his youngest son.

Ann Wilkerson is a lead user interface developer in IBM i. She joined the Rochester lab in 2021 and has since worked on Navigator, IBM i Services, and IBM i Migrate While Active. Her focus areas include security, networking, and the IFS.

My latest work as the Friendly Techie, includes assisting IBM i with the design and testing with IBM i 7.6 as both Beta Tester and Redbook Author, and as assistant in the design and testing of the new IBM i Migrate While Active tool and the AI based RPG Code Assistant.

I have worked in the IBM Business Partner world for over thirty years now and despite IBM's best attempts I still love them ;-) My career started as an RPG developer but for the last twenty years I have specialised in System Design, installation and management. In 2008 I founded my own company (Rowton) and now I and my team spend my time supporting clients or designing new IT solutions using a combination of Power servers, Intel and storage with a little extra cloud magic where it's needed.

When I'm not looking after my own clients, I help run the UK's largest IBM i User Group the i-UG and also serve on the Common Europe Advisory Council (CEAC) to help IBM shape the future of IBM i. In 2019, IBM made me an IBM Champion in recognition of the work I have done to help and evangelise the IBM i platform, Happy Days :-)

I have a love of teaching IBM i and have spent over a decade volunteering to teach at IBM i events around the world, in more recent times I have been creating my online webinars. I am a firm believer that the more I teach, the more I learn.

Pete Massiello has been working with the AS/400, iSeries, IBM i since 1989, focusing on systems management and technical support. He has held numerous technical positions through out his career. He is the President of iTech Solutions Group, an IBM Premier Business Partner delivering solutions and services to IBM i shops throughout the world. He is a member of IBM’s certification test writing team, an IBM Certified Systems Expert with certifications in IBM i Design, System Administration, LPAR, Virtualization, Implementation, and HMC management. Pete has a BS in Computer Science from Hofstra University, and an MBA from the University of New Haven. He was President of COMMON from 2010 to 2012, and again in 2014. He is a COMMON Hall of Fame speaker, and a frequent speaker at user groups all over the world. In 2011 IBM established the Champions award for Power Systems, Pete was one of the first recipients. In 2016, they revived the program and he was again made an IBM Power Systems Champion. Lightning struck for the third time in 2017, and that is the year he was also made the first Power Systems Lifetime Champion, an honor he continues to hold.

Tim Rowe is the Business Architect for IBM i responsible for System Management and Application Development. He has a passion for modernization on IBM i and how we can continue to move IBM i into the world of 'Normal' . In his spare time he is a certified Soccer referee and enjoys refereeing games with his youngest son.

Liam primarily works with Node.js/TS and C, but has previously used other languages like C# and PHP. He is invested heavily into the IBM i industry to help people learn other tech (like Node.js, AWS, Azure, modern development practices, so on!). Liam loves working on and creating dev tools to make developing applications easier for everyone in the long run. He is now working at IBM as a Advisory Software Engineer, working with clients and open-source software. Liam of course loves, loves, loves open-source! Oh, and he sometimes speak at conferences.

With an IT career spanning over 30 years, Charles Guarino has been a consultant for most of them. He is also the founder and President of Central Park Data Systems, Inc., a Long Island and New York City area based IBM midrange consulting and corporate training company.

In addition to being a professional speaker across the United States and Europe, he is a frequent contributor of technical and strategic articles and webcasts for the IBM i community. He is a member of COMMON’s Speaker Excellence Hall of Fame and The Long Island Software and Technology Network’s Twenty Top Techies.

In 2015 Charles became the proud recipient of the Al Barsa Memorial Scholarship Award. Additionally, he currently serves as a member of COMMON’s Strategic Education Team (SET) and is also the monthly Q&A host and chairman of the speaker committee for LISUG, a Long Island IBM i User’s Group www.lisug.org.

Steven Wolk is the CTO for PC Richard & Son, a 110 year old family owned and operated chain of 66 appliance, electronics, and mattress superstores located throughout NY, NJ, CT, and PA. Steve's deep background in retail began on the sales floor while in college, and he's applied those lessons learned to many roles in IT throughout his 33 year career with PC Richard. As CTO, Steve feels fortunate to lead teams of very talented and dedicated people who are collectively responsible for all phases of technology development, acquisition, deployment, and support throughout the company. Always looking to the future, Steve enjoys speaking about the future of retail at conferences and events, along with subjects ranging from leadership and personal success to a wide variety of technical topics. Steve is passionate about applying technology to create business value, along with a world-class customer experience for PC Richard's customers. He's driven to teach and finds it very rewarding to help his teams reach their full potential. Steve and his wife live in Commack, NY, and enjoy traveling as a family with their two daughters who are attending college. If you’d like to strike up a conversation with Steve, mention anything related to Disney or Star Trek, and you’ll have his undivided attention!

Tony Owens is a recognized figure in the IT industry, particularly known for his expertise in IBM Storage solutions. He has been an IBM Champion since 2020 and has worked with various storage technologies and has contributed to the development and promotion of IBM's storage products, including systems for data management, backup, and cloud storage solutions.

Owens is often involved in educating others about storage best practices and emerging technologies, participating in conferences, and sharing knowledge through various platforms. His contributions help organizations optimize their data storage strategies and navigate the complexities of modern data environments.

Tony Owens has a background that includes being a former hacker. He has discussed his journey from hacking to working in the IT industry, focusing on security and data management. His experiences as a hacker have given him unique insights into cybersecurity, and he often emphasizes the importance of security in storage and data management solutions. This perspective helps him advocate for robust security practices in the industry.

Tony Owens’ transition from being a hacker to a respected professional in the IT industry is quite interesting. He has often spoken about how his early experiences with hacking shaped his understanding of technology and security. Initially, he was drawn to the technical challenges and the thrill of exploring systems, but over time, he recognized the ethical implications and potential consequences of his actions.

This realization led him to shift his focus toward using his skills for constructive purposes, such as improving cybersecurity measures and helping organizations protect their data. He has emphasized the importance of understanding vulnerabilities from a hacker's perspective to better defend against them.

Owens has also been active in educating others about cybersecurity best practices, sharing his insights at conferences and through various platforms. His journey reflects a broader theme in the tech community, where many individuals leverage their unique backgrounds to contribute positively to the industry.

Professional IT Leader, Speaker and WriterSpecialties:Team Building, Development and RetentionTechnical SalesSolutions ArchitectureSoftware DevelopmentEnterprise Systems Manufacturing ProcessesApparel IndustryAccounting Principles

Johanna Hislop is a senior software engineer at IBM and the worldwide technical support lead for IBM Storage Insights and IBM Spectrum Control. Her responsibilities include providing world class technical support to IBM customers and working closely with product management and development teams to give you the best products possible. She loves a good technical challenge and the satisfaction of solving problems.