At the MS-150 Waves to Wine, Sonoma, California - 09/13

My Life In Information Technology

Curriculum VitaeNick Noecker 2014

“We like to think we bring more to the table than we take…but it never happens…you can’t work on any engagement without acquiring more knowledge, skill, and friendship than you had before you arrived.”

–An IT Architect somewhere in space

Baptism by fire…

From Wall ST to IT

My time spent on Wall Street after college had me experiencing the dystopian world of IPOs, hedge funds, junk bonds, bank failures, and Liars Poker. It was the ultimate apprenticeship in human nature. I admit—I loved it. Yet when the chance came along to start a software business, I jumped. A few years later IBM came knocking. Resistance is futile. Things suddenly got serious.

From the window of a Hilton—a consultant’s home away from home

The Tao of Information Technology

IBM Corp, 1996-2009I was fortunate to be hired by IBM a couple years after its near-death experience. If you ever have the chance to join a company in the throes of a do-or-die transformation…do it. You’ll experience things you won’t believe, work with courageous originals, and get to ride a Phoenix rising from the ashes. It’ll be the experience of a lifetime…a hundred lifetimes. It was for me.

From the “Tolerance” installation on Allen Parkway in Houston

“Take the tour…”

A Firm In Full

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got came from an IBM executive early in my career there: “Take the tour. You won’t believe the depth and breadth of this company. It’ll change you forever.” So I did. And he was so right. You almost can’t nose around for even an hour in IBM without seeing something astounding or picking up a new skill or both. IBM trains the street and the street regularly hands IBM its head in the ritual competition for customers. There’s no better evidence of IBM’s fullness than all the talented people in IT today who once worked at IBM. I’m proud to be one of them.

The very rocky eastern shore of Isla Mujeres, Mexico

There And Back Again at IBM❖ From Project Manager to Senior Architect in

Global Services to Worldwide Industry Solutions Executive in Sales & Distribution

❖ Worldwide Sales Liason to IBM Research for Energy & Utilities working on emerging business opportunities (EBOs)

❖ Worldwide Manager for Industry Solutions in IBM Software Group creating industry solution frameworks and go to market strategies

❖ 4 Invention Awards and 2 U.S. Patents with 10 Disclosures

❖ Return to Global Business Services Consulting as Associate Partner and Chief Architect in the Energy & Utilities Practice

❖ All in 13 years…even now, it’s difficult to fathom all that I learned there…time flew.

Consulting

Sales

Research

Software

StartFinish

Utilities

Insurance

Natural Gas

Pipelines

University

of

Houston Energ

y

Trading Floor

Energy

Med

ia &

Enter

tainm

ent

Wall Street

The Dep

artmen

t

of Energ

y

Time waits for no one…

The Yucatán, 2009-2011If you’re lucky, at a certain point in your tour at IBM the opportunity comes along to take early retirement and do something totally different. If you get that chance and the package and timing are right…do it. I did and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. For me, it was serving on the board of a non-profit for the first time…and playing CIO for the first time. But the Big First was the field work with Mayan people in the Yucatán. The organization is called Brazos Abiertos (“Open Arms”) and they wrote the book on HIV education and outreach for Mayan youths. My wife and daughter encouraged me to join their mission and take a walk through the ruins with them. Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and go. You never know…

A walk through ancient Mayan ruins in Cobá with a very wise woman

There’s no place like home…

IT & Me, 2011-?Information technology has always fascinated me so it’s no surprise that I never left it…even when I left it. Ironically, I became deeply involved with social tech and the cloud when I was wearing my CIO hat with Brazos Abiertos and within a couple years of leaving IBM I was back in the fray working with smaller firms. The problems are the same, only the scale is different…yet with the advent of social and the cloud, even small business has planetary scale. And you can have a big impact on a small business when you bring a brand of consulting from a larger world. I love information technology consulting…it can change the world, it feeds my soul, and takes me to the most fascinating places.

Ranch road in Waller County, Texas found on a motorcycle ride

–Margaret Noecker

Her motto for life. Margaret’s never-ending encouragement to her teachers, students, staff,

parents, and all her friends was the secret ingredient in her lemonade. And she made a lot of lemonade.

“Take lemons and make lemonade.”

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