Thomas Halinski
Principal, Client Services Consultant / Project Manager, Broadcom, Inc.
Fennville, Michigan, United States
This piece is part of the 2026 Planet Mainframe Influential Mainframers series.
For Thomas Halinski, modernization is about connection.
Across his work as a consultant, speaker, and community leader, Halinski has focused on helping organizations bridge the gap between traditional mainframe systems and modern, API-driven architectures. His approach centers on a simple but powerful idea: the mainframe’s value grows when it is integrated into the broader enterprise ecosystem.
That perspective shapes his work as both a technical advocate and a leader within the global mainframe community. As an IBM Champion and an active voice in modernization conversations, Halinski consistently emphasizes practical strategies for exposing mainframe data, enabling microservices integration, and supporting hybrid cloud environments.
His influence is especially visible through his presence at major industry conferences, including SHARE, IDUG, CMG, and IBM TechXchange. Across these venues, he engages architects, engineers, and IT leaders with a clear message: modernization is not about replacing the mainframe, but about unlocking new value from it.
That message is grounded in experience. Halinski’s work focuses on real-world implementation, helping organizations understand how to extend existing systems through APIs, integrate with distributed platforms, and support modern digital experiences without abandoning core infrastructure.
At the same time, his contributions extend beyond technical advocacy into community leadership.
As a member of the Board of Directors of the Computer Measurement Group and Chairman for 2026, Halinski plays a central role in shaping one of the industry’s most important performance and capacity-planning communities. In this role, he has helped guide strategic initiatives, expand global engagement, and strengthen partnerships across the ecosystem.
His work with CMG reflects a broader commitment to collaboration. By helping connect practitioners, vendors, and thought leaders, he contributes to a more unified and informed community—one that is better equipped to navigate both performance challenges and modernization opportunities.
That collaboration extends to his work with IBM, where he has helped strengthen ties between the company and the performance engineering community. His efforts to support initiatives like the IBM User Group Program have created additional pathways for knowledge sharing and engagement across the ecosystem.
Throughout all of these efforts, a consistent theme emerges. Halinski is focused on making the mainframe more visible, more connected, and more relevant within modern IT landscapes.
His work demonstrates that modernization is not a single initiative, but an ongoing process that requires both technical evolution and community alignment. By contributing to both, he helps ensure that the platform continues to play a central role in enterprise technology.
As organizations continue to navigate hybrid architectures and evolving digital demands, that perspective becomes increasingly important.
As a 2026 Planet Mainframe Influential Mainframer, Thomas Halinski is helping organizations connect the strength of the mainframe with the possibilities of modern enterprise innovation.
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