IBM Systems Magazine, Mainframe - November/December 2014 - (Page 40)

STOP RUN A Family Connection Ukrainian-born mainframer feels at home in the U.S. F amily is important to Tetiana Iakovenko. It's what brought the Ukrainian woman to the U.S. four years ago. And it helped her determine her career path, following her mom and sister in working with the mainframe. Valerie Dennis is managing editor of IBM Systems Magazine, Mainframe edition. India An IBM client technical specialist for System z*, Iakovenko works with clients analyzing their business needs and technical requirements. She helps ensure the delivered product is what they want, that it's on time and meets their requirements. Luxembourg Paris Tetiana Iakovenko, a client technical specialist for IBM System z, loves to travel the world-especially to countries she hasn't visited before. This year she went to France, Switzerland and Luxembourg. After receiving a Bachelor's degree in computer software engineering in Ukraine, Iakovenko moved to the U.S. without having previously visited. She joined her sister, who has lived in the U.S. for 15 years. Her sister, a program analyst who works daily with System z, mentioned that jobs are always available in the technology field. This is something Iakovenko is familiar with, as her mother was a customer engineer installing mainframes in the Soviet Union for the military. Iakovenko remembers her mother bringing punch cards home from work for her. Because of the experiences with her family and the mainframe, Iakovenko says, "when IBM offered me a technical role in System z, I don't think IBM could offer me any better job. I think all the stars came together. Now I am part of a big System z family." 40 // NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ibmsystemsmag.com And she is happy to work with the mainframe. "You can improve a lot of processes right now and it's what everyone is looking for," she explains. "I help customers solve an issue or come up with some innovative solution that is going to help them grow, save money, impact their performance, things like that. I wake up every day with the thought that I am going to do something meaningful, something impactful. I am glad to go to work every day." While she loves her job and living near family in her new home country, Iakovenko enjoys exploring new places, having held internships in Poland and India before moving to the U.S. "One of my personal goals is to see how many new countries I can visit every year," she explains. This year's list includes France, Switzerland and Luxembourg. Traveling allows her to indulge her love of learning and experiencing different cultures, trying authentic cuisine and meeting new people. She is currently planning a hike in Nepal and an itinerary for South America. Closer to home, Iakovenko and her mom exchange mainframe experiences. "She was so excited because she said in the Soviet Union, it was a huge accomplishment to join IBM," Iakovenko recalls. "She told me, 'I cannot believe you are doing this right now. It is like you are living my dream because it is what I have been doing, and you are following my steps.' " http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IBM Systems Magazine, Mainframe - November/December 2014

Table of Contents
Editor's Desk: A satisfied customer
IBM Perspective: Ensuring a faster response
Partner PoV: Through enablement and transformation, System z offers delivery and support
Cover Story: The Big Return on Big Data: Transforming data into informative insights increases its value
Feature: The Analytics Advantage: Accelerate analytics with IBM's self-managing hybrid database management system
Feature: A Customer Focus: In real-time scoring with an IBM solution, data is processed in milliseconds, offering quick service to customers
Tech Showcase: Why modernizing makes good business sense
Tech Corner: No matter where your data resides, get the most out of it with System z
Solutions: VNAC; Control-M Workload Change Manager
Stop Run: Ukrainian-born mainframer feels at home in the U.S.
Reference Point - Global Events, Education, Resources for Mainframe
2015 Mainframe Solutions Edition Product Index

IBM Systems Magazine, Mainframe - November/December 2014