Congratulating Rocket’s 2026 IBM Champions 

Rocket Software is proud to announce that 15 of our team members have been selected as 2026 IBM Champions. This prestigious global award recognizes experts and advocates who demonstrate exceptional leadership and broad technical expertise by showcasing outstanding skills across IBM technologies.  

Our Rocketeers made their mark by sharing their indispensable expertise with the industry at large, paving the way for innovation and creativity in their fields.  

These 13 champions embodied our Rocketeer Core Values: Empathy, Humanity, Trust, and Love by going above and beyond to support those using IBM to power critical workloads.  

For our customers and partners, these individuals offer significant knowledge, experience, and strategic contributions within the IBM ecosystem.

Please join us in congratulating our newly named 2026 IBM Champions:

1. Tom Crocker, Senior Solutions Advisor, Z Center of Excellence
2. Saghi Amirsoleymani, General Manager, Z Center of Excellence
3. Germanas Samrickis, Senior Software Engineer, Infrastructure Modernization
4. Puneet Kohli, President, Application Modernization Business Unit
5. Matthias Tschaffler, Senior Principal Software Engineer, Infrastructure Modernization  
6. Jim Wankowski, Principal Solutions Advisor, Z Center of Excellence
7. Christoph Theisen, Senior Principal Solutions Advisor, Z Center of Excellence
8. Paul Bartak, Distinguished Engineer, Z Center of Excellence
9. Tim Hill, Distinguished Engineer, VP Software Engineering Infrastructure Modernization, Dev Ops, Security, Power
10. Hrithik Govardhan, Principal Software Engineer, Infrastructure Modernization
11. Jørn Thyssen, Senior Technical Staff Member, Z Center of Excellence
12. Tom Glaser, Senior Solutions Advisor, Z Center of Excellence
13. Ezriel Gross, Senior Technical Staff Member, Product Evangelist Infrastructure Modernization
14. Andrew Clarke, Principal IBM i Software Engineer, Power
15. Gaurav Khanna, Senior Principal Quality Engineer, Application Modernization

We celebrate these remarkable individuals for their dedication, advocacy, and valuable contributions that truly showcase the best of both IBM and Rocket Software.  

Their inspiring determination and collaboration reflect the shared commitment of our teams to support customers at every stage of their modernization journeys while strengthening connections across the global technical communities that drive progress. These Rocketeers’ efforts help foster an ecosystem where knowledge and innovation continue to grow together.

Rocket is grateful to have such knowledgeable, capable, and powerful Rocketeers to drive our mission to power the world’s most innovative companies.  

Congratulations to our 2026 IBM Champions on this outstanding achievement. Your investment in growth and leadership is already helping shape the future of Rocket, from informing our culture to strengthening the products we deliver.