In this episode, Mark sits down with Reg Harbeck, a true aficionado of the technology that runs much of our world behind the scenes. Reg shares his unique perspective on the evolution of mainframes from their inception to their critical role in today’s technology landscape. Learn about the pioneers who shaped this industry and how mainframes continue to be a cornerstone in modern IT infrastructure, underscoring their unmatched reliability and efficiency.
Transcript
VZC Guest:
Reg Harbeck
Chief Strategist
Mainframe Analytics Ltd.
Dr. Reg Harbeck is the Chief Strategist at Mainframe Analytics Ltd. He has over 35 years of experience working with mainframes across roles like systems programming, consulting, product management, and strategy.
Reg got his start with mainframes while pursuing his computer science degree at the University of Calgary in the 1980s. After graduating, he spent time as a CICS systems programmer for the government before joining Computer Associates (now Broadcom) in the late 1990s.
At CA, Reg held leadership roles driving the company’s global mainframe strategy, solutions, and services over his nearly 14-year tenure. This included founding zNextGen, an initiative to attract new generations to the mainframe workforce.
Since 2011, Reg has run his own firm — Mainframe Analytics Ltd. — where he provides industry influence, communications, and strategic consulting. He recently completed a master’s degree focused on the humanity and philosophy underlying mainframe computing.
Reg is deeply passionate about mainframes and embracing their human element. He is a frequent speaker, writer, and advocate for advancing the mainframe’s role in business.
VZC Host:
Mark Potts
Vice President of Global Services
VirtualZ Computing
Mark is VirtualZ’s vice president of global services, helping our clients leverage Lozen™, PropelZ, and Zaac™ to unlock business agility, value, and cost savings. Mark brings over 17 years of experience at Accenture to VirtualZ and focuses on helping our customers modernize their data access systems. Mark served as global managing director at Accenture, leading the comprehensive strategy for their mainframe modernization offering, including developing sales and delivery assets, developing capability, determining acquisition targets, and managing the global mainframe modernization pipeline. Prior to that, Mark led Accenture’s IBM and Red Hat partnership, working closely with the Accenture, IBM, and Red Hat senior leadership teams focusing on hybrid cloud, mainframe modernization, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and quantum computing. Mark also has over 15 years of software engineering delivery experience.
