2024 Influential Mainframers

This month, Planet Mainframe celebrates influential mainframers nominated by the community. The field benefits from their efforts in making the mainframe what it is today and working towards the mainframe of tomorrow.

Today we recognize a passionate mainframe advocate, frequent industry speaker, and leading voice in the area of AIOps and Automation.

Nicole Fagen

Director of R&D, AIOps & Automation, Broadcom

Frisco, Texas, USA

Connect with Nicole on:

Nicole Fagen stands as a pivotal leader in AIOps and Automation at Broadcom’s mainframe division, dedicating over two decades to advancing enterprise software solutions that bolster operations, resilience, and automation. Her work has culminated in the launch of the WatchTower Platform™, a breakthrough in observability that embodies proactive problem-solving and seamless integration with existing systems, a testament to Broadcom’s open-first strategy.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Nicole is deeply committed to her family, finding joy in supporting her daughter’s aspirations and sharing in her son’s passion for basketball. Her personal pursuit of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu mirrors her professional ethos of embracing challenges head-on.

Nicole’s view of the mainframe as a cornerstone of the global economy is personal and profound. Starting her career troubleshooting the operating system’s core, she grew to appreciate the mainframe not just for its technological prowess but for the community that surrounds it. “The mainframe community…the people, their passion, their commitment, their drive to innovate and the nurturing provided to those new to the community is unparalleled,” she reflects. This sentiment fuels her advocacy for the mainframe, driving her to lead with a “can do” attitude and foster innovation and collaboration within Broadcom and the broader mainframe ecosystem.

Her influence extends through her thought leadership on topics like AI ethics and the importance of a no-blame culture for innovation. Nicole’s dedication to customer engagement, diversity in tech, and the ethical dimensions of AI showcase her as a multifaceted leader who not only shapes the future of mainframe technology but also champions a community-driven approach to innovation and growth.