SHARE is honored to welcome new board members this year, including Ros Schulman of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, a new director-at-large member. SHARE asked Ros a few questions about her career and passions so members can get to know her better.
SHARE HQ: WHAT’S YOUR MAINFRAME STORY? HOW DID YOU COME TO THE PLATFORM?
Ros Schulman (RS): I started as a trainee computer operator after taking an IBM aptitude test in the United Kingdom. The first computer I worked on was an IBM s/370 145 and 158 running VS1. Everyone loved the 145 because it had more lights.
After several years as an operator/shift supervisor, I transitioned into system programing and eventually came to the United States. I continued my career in several different roles, including system programming, technical support for an ISV, and eventually into the storage vendor world.
While I have also worked in open systems and have a focus on data protection technologies, I have never strayed far away from my mainframe roots.
SHARE HQ: HOW DID YOU FIRST LEARN ABOUT SHARE?
RS: My first experience was actually at Guide Share Europe, and from there I found my way to SHARE as I wanted a more technical conference.
SHARE HQ: WHAT DREW YOU TO SHARE?
RS: After my first conference, I wanted to go back for the knowledge, keeping up my mainframe skills, and networking with my peers. There are people at the conferences that I only see twice a year, and its great catching up with old friends. You also have access to a lot of different skillsets, people who are very knowledgeable that you can contact and share information with year-round.
SHARE HQ: WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT AT WORK, AND WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT OUTSIDE OF WORK?
RS: For work, my passion is my customers and my team. For my customers, I want to be there for them, as a consultant making sure they have everything they need to be successful and for the team I work in. I want to make sure that I am a team member and help wherever I am needed.
Outside work, I love to travel and good wine. I recently relocated east from California and miss popping up to Napa on weekends. My other passion is my two miniature Australian labradoodles and taking them out for long walks in my free time.
SHARE HQ: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GOALS AS A NEW SHARE Board MEMBER?
RS: I want to find ways to help increase our membership and look at how we can engage with the members year-round versus just the in-person events. We also need to focus on some of the newer members of our community and look at how we can support them and keep them excited about the platform and technology.
SHARE HQ: WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY OR TECHNOLOGY NEWS THAT YOU’RE EXCITED ABOUT?
RS: I know everyone talks about artificial intelligence (AI). I’m very excited to see what it can do in the mainframe environment and how it will be used. I can see some great use cases around modernization of applications and how it plays into things like management software and makes the learning curve much easier.
SHARE HQ: TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT SHARE MEMBERS MAY NOT ALREADY KNOW.
RS: Before I got into mainframe computers, I wanted to be a nurse. In the United Kingdom, you had to be five feet two inches minimum to apply for nursing school, and I’m only four feet 10 inches. The mainframe has no height restrictions.
Serena Agusto-Cox has more than 20 years of editorial experience and six years of experience writing about mainframe and information technology. She interviews and crafts forward-looking and engaging technical updates related to the mainframe ecosystem, highlights the experiences of thought-leaders in the community, and shares important updates to technical education and training.