JJ Lopez is the WW BUE for Global Cloud Computing and Red Hat Technical Sales, IBM Systems. A longtime IBMer, JJ started with IBM as a Summer Career Intern and has held numerous field technical, sales and management positions in the Midwest, Northeast, HQ and Worldwide. A former IBM customer, he came to IBM and has worked in some of the largest IBM clients in both commercial and high-performance computing environments. A former programmer, JJ strives to understand a clients business requirements and how these needs can be addressed through a variety of IBM hardware and software solutions. Much of his career has been focused on growth initiatives (high performance computing, cloud, Red Hat) leading teams who work with clients to deploy first of a kind solutions. He is also a mentor and active in LGBT+ diversity activities at IBM. His formal education includes a B.S in Computer Science and an MBA in Finance (Portfolio Management) from the University of Detroit-Mercy in addition to post-graduate training at M.I.T. A native of the Midwest, he resides with his partner in CT. He is passionate about animal rescue efforts and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Dakin Humane Society.