From the Gridiron to Mainframe: Reflections from My First Mainframe Technical Exchange
Rewind to 2021. I’m the starting running back, kick returner, and punt returner for the Berlin Rebels–a historic American football franchise in the top division of the German Football League. The game is nationally televised. We’re playing the reigning German Bowl champion Dresden Monarchs. The ball is on the 20-yard line, and I have been carrying the offense almost every play. My heart is pounding with adrenaline, blood is streaming from my elbow, and both of my ankles are taped tightly over my cleats. I am one of four American imports on the roster, just days removed from a five-touchdown performance back in Oregon as a player for the Oregon High Desert Storm (now Oregon Lightning). Now I’m halfway across the world, living out my dream.
The call comes in–a run play. I hit the gap: 15, 10, 5…TOUCHDOWN. My linemen lift me high in celebration. I did it. I beat the odds.
Fast-forward to 2025. I’m no longer on the gridiron—I’m in Plano, Texas, attending Broadcom’s Mainframe Technical Exchange (MTE) as a database administrator for one of the largest financial institutions in the world. That same rush of adrenaline and sense of team spirit I once felt on the field? I feel it here, too—only now, it’s driven by innovation, collaboration, and technology that powers the global economy.
If someone had told me back in 2021 that I’d one day be filming a Mainframe Insights episode during Broadcom’s flagship customer event, I would’ve laughed. I hadn’t even heard of a mainframe then. Yet here I am—living another dream I didn’t know I had.
My First MTE: A New Kind of Team Experience
Because this was my first Mainframe Technical Exchange (MTE), I didn’t know what to expect. But the level of detail and organization blew me away. The event took place at a large hotel and convention center in Plano, Texas– a beautiful venue conveniently equipped with restaurants and modern conference spaces. Every attendee received personalized nametags with Broadcom lanyards, a Broadcom mainframe t-shirt, and a catalog outlining the full schedule–organized by tracks such as AIOps & Automation, Data Management for Db2, and Output Management.
What really stood out was how seamlessly the physical and digital experiences worked together. The online MTE portal allowed me to plan sessions, view speaker bios, and even download presentation decks. Among the many sessions offered, I especially appreciated the 1:1 usability sandbox portion, where attendees could test Broadcom software hands-on and provide direct feedback to the developers.
Structure and Sessions
The event kicked off with a powerful opening keynote led by Greg Lotko, which highlighted the unstoppable resilience of the modern mainframe. Each day featured a host of technical and educational sessions to pick from, which were well-paced at around 50 minutes each, leaving short breaks in between to network or transition to the next topic. Between sessions, I found the buffet-style lunches for all attendees in the main ballroom to be an excellent time to meet new people and network.
Three sessions that stood out to me during the MTE were:
- Sleep Soundly Knowing Your Db2 Subsystem is Resilient by Nizar Alsaid, JPMC
- REORG Nightmares Begone: Never Fear, Database Analyzer is Here by Michal Bialecki, Broadcom Mainframe Software
- Realize Value with IQL: Enhancing SYSVIEW for Db2 Customization by Antonio Couto, Broadcom Mainframe Software
The speakers were approachable, and the sessions felt intimate and interactive, with genuine back-and-forth discussions. There was a feeling around the event that Broadcom is genuinely there to help its customers and drive product innovation based on customer feedback. The vibe I got was “Broadcom is listening. What can we do to help? How can we improve? Help us help you.”
Outside of the sessions, I found the same spirit of camaraderie I used to find in the locker room. I met new colleagues from around the world, exchanged ideas over lunch, and even joined a few Broadcom team members for an impromptu dinner full of laughter and storytelling. The atmosphere was warm, light, friendly, and inviting–yet I knew I was sitting with some of the most gifted, sharp minds in the world. I sat with pillars of the mainframe community and was honored to have them pour timeless wisdom into me as a part of the next frontier of mainframe DBAs.
Reflections: Discovering a World Within a World
MTE opened my eyes to the global reach of the mainframe community. It’s a world within a world–a connected network of experts who all speak the “same language.”
At one dinner, I found myself sitting among 20+ year veterans of the mainframe. One of them turned to me and said, “Look around. Who will be here in 10 years? I may not—but you will be.” That moment stuck with me. We exchanged numbers for future mentorship. I found out later he was a regular international speaker on various platforms for the mainframe. It was a passing of the torch, and a reminder that this legendary technology has a living, breathing community determined to pass its knowledge forward.
For me, MTE wasn’t just a conference. It awakened a realization that what we do in mainframe directly sustains the world’s financial heartbeat. Without mainframes, banking and global commerce as we know it would simply stop.
Moving Forward: Advice for Other New IT Professionals
I am thankful to do what I do. I would tell other young tech professionals: If you’re looking for a career that combines stability, impact, and innovation, then look at the mainframe. It powers 97% of financial institutions worldwide, and its reliability remains unmatched.
In a world chasing trends, mainframe professionals are the steady hands behind global trust and transactions. Being a mainframe DBA feels a bit like being a Supreme Court justice—you’re part of a small, vital group whose expertise will always be needed.
Attending MTE reminded me that while my football career taught me discipline, perseverance, and teamwork, my mainframe career gives me purpose, longevity, and community. Both dreams (though worlds apart!) are driven by the same thing: passion.
If you have the opportunity, go to an MTE event. You won’t just learn about technology—you’ll meet the people shaping its future.