I am a Mainframer with Marcus Davage | How Curiosity Built a 30-Year Career?

About this episode

Marcus Davage shares his 30-year career journey in mainframe technology, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and tinkering.

In this episode of the Mainframe Connect podcast’s *I Am a Mainframer* series, **Marcus Davage**, Lead Product Developer at BMC Software and an OMP ambassador, shares how a childhood fascination with early home computers in South Wales grew into a decades-long career centred on Db2 across multiple platforms. From his first encounter with a 3270 terminal during a year-out placement at British Steel in 1988, through roles at Lloyds and into his current work in R&D at BMC, Marcus tells the story of how “tinkering” and curiosity became the backbone of his professional journey.Marcus explains how Db2 followed him everywhere—from mainframe to OS/2, Windows, Linux and AS/400—and how building deep domain expertise in one core technology opened doors across organisations and roles. He talks about being “paid to tinker” with AI and AI agents for mainframe customers today, the impact of in-transaction AI on zSystems, and why he believes the next frontier lies at the intersection of mainframe, AI, and quantum-safe computing.He also discusses his work as an Open Mainframe Project Ambassador, his Db2 Table Talk podcast for IDUG, and his outreach to universities in Wales to show students…

People in this episode

Guest: Marcus Davage

Topics covered

• mainframe technology
• career development
• Db2
• AI in mainframe
• quantum-safe computing
• education outreach

Keywords

• mainframe
• Db2
• AI
• career advice
• technology
• Open Mainframe Project
• quantum computing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BMC Software, Open Mainframe Project, British Steel, Lloyds

Products: Db2, AI, AS/400, zSystems

Places: South Wales, Wales

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