Keynotes

Keynote Addresses *
all keynotes *livestreamed to VIRTUAL participants*


Sun Oct 23
8:30-10:00 BST

Why Some Teams Are Successful While Others Struggle

K01 | Pentland Auditorium
*livestreamed to VIRTUAL participants*

The most successful teams are those with a mix of people with different ages, backgrounds, experience, characters and competencies. But not all diverse teams are successful! Culture, age, human nature and common sense all play their role, but the real success factor is faith and trust in your team members and the conviction that most people are good people. Marcel is a veteran IDUG conference attendee and is very much aware of the constant struggles IDUG members encounter on a daily basis and will share his experiences with you. We’ll start this year’s EMEA22 with a little more faith in people and a big smile.

Marcel den Hartog

Marcel den Hartog 
Trend and Development Expert, EnableU

Marcel den Hartog has worked in IT for more than 40 years in different roles. He started as a developer/analyst with IMS, CICS and very early versions of SQL/DS and Db2 and later moved on to product marketing positions. He always kept his technical knowledge up-to-date and subsequently made the switch back to a more technical role using Master Data Management, JAVA, Open-source software like Keycloak and Azure’s API Management solutions. Marcel now works for a Dutch company specialized in integrating systems and applications using a variety of iPaaS and API solutions.


Mon Oct 24
9:00-10:00 BST

Behind The Birth Of An Accidental Enterprise,
Presented by IBM

K02 | Pentland Auditorium
*livestreamed to VIRTUAL participants*

Do you think necessity is the mother of invention? Not always. There is a very thin line between brilliant innovation and absolute failure. In fact, many groundbreaking inventions were accidental discoveries. So, why are some organizations prone to accidental discoveries while others see them pass by as uninterested observers? In this keynote session, Michael Kwok will share the history of IBM Db2 and why he believes you can’t overlook an idea—because you never know if it might evolve into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. Following Dr. Kwok, Libby Ingrassia will provide an update on the IBM Champions Program.

Michael Kwok, Ph.D.

Director, Db2 / BigSQL / Data Virtualization / Watson Query Development, IBM Data and AI

Dr. Michael Kwok is the Executive Director of Db2 LUW, BigSQL, Data Virtualization & Lakehouse Development at IBM. Michael leads a global team of 600+ people and delivers world-class database products & services. His portfolio includes Db2, BigSQL, Data Virtualization, and Lakehouse on premise, on cloud, and on Cloud Pak for Data. His team is responsible for product development, customer support and database services on the cloud. Michael has over 15 years of experience in enterprise database technology and holds a Ph.D. degree in computer system performance from the University of Waterloo, Canada. In his leisure, Michael likes playing video games. He has also published research papers on topics related to multi-player online games.


Tue Oct 25
8:30-9:30 BST

Mainframe – Plug Into The Future Of Data
Presented by Broadcom

K03 | Pentland Auditorium
*livestreamed to VIRTUAL participants*

The mainframe is everywhere and more important now than ever. It is the technology that does the heavy lifting to keep the engine of society humming. Join Broadcom's Chris Crone, Distinguished Engineer, and Jasminder Singh, Director of Database Tools, for a look at how the pace of transformation today translates to an exciting future ahead for the mainframe and Db2 professionals. In this session, you'll discover how embracing open, AI, and modernization strategies enable you to simplify, automate, and improve in areas like observability and optimization. Follow the white rabbit and get clarity on how you can prepare for Db2 13 and amplify the value of your Db2 investments.

Chris Crone

Chris Crone
Distinguished Engineer, Broadcom Mainframe Software

Chris Crone oversees strategy and architecture decisions for the Broadcom database products IDMS and Datacom, as well as for the DB2 and IMS Tools portfolios. With 30+ years of mainframe database experience, Chris has a deep understanding of how hardware and software can work together to solve real-world problems. He regularly engages with customers on new development projects, prioritizing requirements and advising them on how to best use technology to achieve their business goals.
Jasminder Singh

Jasminder Singh
Director of Database Tools, Broadcom Mainframe Software

Jasminder (Jas) is the Engineering Leader of Mainframe Database Tools at Broadcom. Jas’s experience includes leadership roles across Engineering, Product and Program Management disciplines in Databases, Database Tools and API Lifecycle Management. In his current role, he drives innovation that helps clients to manage their mainframe data as part of overall IT strategy.



Wed Oct 26
12:10-13:10 BST

Balancing Technology, Risk, And Resources: We Are Db2 Leadership...
IDUG Women In Technology Keynote Address, sponsored by Broadcom

K04 | Pentland Auditorium
*livestreamed to VIRTUAL participants*

Our panel of industry experts come together for a discussion on leadership in Db2. Together they bring decades of experience and cover issues facing Infrastructure Managers, including: Technology Modernization, Risk Management, Talent, Retirement, Leadership, and Influence.  


Deb Carbo

Deb Carbo, Moderator
Director, Data Management Strategy & Solutions, Broadcom


Celia Gahagan, Panelist
Executive Director, Mainframe Computing, Morgan Stanley

Florence Dubois

Florence Dubois, Panelist 
Db2 & z/OS Platform Manager, Nationwide
Lisa Lamb

Lisa Lamb, Panelist 
Infrastructure Manager, Db2 Support, NatWest Group


Deb Carbo has 25 years’ experience in a variety of IT roles in both Software and Hardware development and services and began her career as a Db2 Systems Programmer. Her passion is delivering infrastructure offerings that will extend value on the mainframe platform for decades to come and in developing the next generation of mainframe talent to lead us there.

Celia Gahagan has more than 30 years’ experience in Db2 and the financial services industry, Celia is currently responsible for Db2 Systems Engineering, setting and supporting the strategic direction of Db2 for z/OS. She is a member of IDUG’s Board of Directors, an IBM Champion, and president of TRIDEX, the regional Db2 user group for the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut areas.

Florence Dubois has been leading z/OS and Db2 infrastructure teams for the past three years, supporting a SAP Core Bank system. Prior to joining Nationwide, she was a member of the IBM Db2 for z/OS Development SWAT team and a regular presenter at IDUG conferences.

Lisa Lamb started her technology career in mainframe in 2004. She spent 10 years specializing as a VTAM and TCP/IP Sys Prog before taking a leap into management. Initially leaving mainframe, but remaining in technology, she became a manager in disaster recovery. However, the pull of mainframe was too great and she ended up returning to lead and support the Db2 DBAs and Sys Progs.