This month, Planet Mainframe celebrates influential mainframers nominated by the community. Today, we recognize a returning honoree whose deep technical expertise and humor build and sustain mainframe community engagement.
Joe Winchester
Senior Technical Staff Manager and Master Inventor, IBM
England, UK
Connect with Joe on:
View the entire 2025 Influential Mainframers group here.
A longtime contributor and thought leader in the mainframe space, Joe combines deep platform expertise with a passion for modernization and mentorship.
“Joe is a gold mine of mainframe knowledge,” wrote one nominator. “He travels and shares that information without reward. He inspires others through energetic presentations and regular social media posts.
A driving force behind open-source innovation, Joe has been involved with Zowe since its earliest days in 2019. As a Zowe Technical Steering Committee member and editor of the Zowe Medium blog, Joe helps shape the roadmap, foster community contributions, and guide new voices into the spotlight.
In 2024, he played a key role in the release of Zowe 3.0, presenting updates across global stages—including SHARE, GSE UK, IBM TechXchange, and IDUG EMEA. The same year, Joe also launched the IBMz AIOps Corner podcast, where he interviewed 20+ mainframe professionals on the challenges of IT operations and the evolving role of AIOps on the platform. He is skilled in gleaning practical and real-world insights, and translating technical lingo into shared learning for the wider community.
As co-chair of the Application Development track at the GSE UK Conference and a member of its organizing committee, Joe is committed to building diverse, inclusive programs. He’s known for pairing first-time speakers with seasoned mentors and ensuring the stage is open to fresh perspectives.
As if he weren’t busy enough, Joe is also an Open Mainframe Project Ambassador. He represents the mainframe community at events like the Open Source Summit, bringing topics like quantum-safe encryption and space-mission resilience into the open source and academic spotlight.
His creativity, however, isn’t limited to code or content. Joe’s lighthearted Mainframe Movies and Me presentation—a humorous look at Hollywood’s portrayal of mainframes—is a favorite at events like SHARE. His 35 patents also speak to his ingenuity and deep expertise as a master inventor.
Across every role—speaker, writer, editor, developer, or mentor—Joe Winchester brings unmatched energy, generosity, and curiosity. He’s building the future of mainframe technology and inviting the next generation to help develop it, too.
Influential Mainframer
Mainframe technology continues to evolve because of the dedicated professionals, educators, mentors, and innovators who drive it forward. We’re shining a spotlight on the individuals who are making waves—whether they’re advancing technology, mentoring new talent, sharing knowledge, championing modernization, or quietly keeping mission-critical systems running every day. These are the people shaping the future of mainframe. They come from all backgrounds and experience levels, but they all have one thing in common: they’re making a difference.
Check back daily as we reveal a new honoree. Read their stories, celebrate their impact, and be inspired.
Follow @Planet Mainframe and follow #pmfinfluentialmainframers to congratulate this year’s honorees, share your favorite stories, and spread the word.