Meet Our Instructors
Vanguard instructors are the industry's foremost System z security experts, with over 25 years of mainframe security expertise. Our instructors teach the latest security techniques, best practices and practical approaches to achieve the best enterprise security. As Professional Services Consultants, our instructors spend the majority of their time in the field, working on-site with customers implementing real-world security.

John Connors
Senior Professional Services Consultant
Vanguard Integrity Professionals
John Connors John Connors has more than 8 years of z/OS experience in RACF, TCPIP, LDAP, PICC and DB2 subsystems. His technical expertise and certifications include Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCP, MCP+I, MCSE - 1357178), Cryptographic System Repairman, Computer Languages including .NET, C#, C++, ADA, PHP, Visual Basic, HTML, SQL, Perl, Dbase III, ACCESS; CISCO Firewalls, Switches, Routers, Frame Relay, ATM, Microsoft Information Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Site Server, VTEL Video Communications Systems, TC2000, Multi-point Conference units, AT&T Switches, Dimension 400, 2000, System 75/85 and G3. Prior to joining Vanguard, John served for over 24 years in the United States Air Force where he was the Secure Communication Specialist/Superintendent of Network Operations. After a long, successful career with the service, he retired as Chief of Special Projects responsible for managing command control communication and computer systems. John´s wide-ranging knowledge base spans Microsoft, IBM, SUN, Cisco, Novell, and Nortel technologies. John´s background and integral roles include Operations Manager and Chief Architect for a large ASP and Senior Systems Engineer for a major network integrator. John Connors joined Vanguard´s Professional Services Team as a Senior Professional Services Consultant in April 2002. Today, John guides and aids clients with various z/OS issues including RACF security assessments, z/OS TCPIP/UNIX implementation evaluations and network-based assessments.

Phil Emrich
Senior Professional Services Consultant
Vanguard Integrity Professionals
Phil Emrich Phil Emrich has nearly 40 years of experience in the information technology field. Phil spent 31 years with IBM where he held a number of crucial roles and responsibilities that included technical consulting to customers, technical product support to sales engineers and guidance to IBM´s software development laboratories. Throughout his remarkable career Phil garnered expertise that spans IBM z/OS Security Server (RACF), security for multiple versions of the IBM Customer Information Control System (CICS®), IBM´s cross-platform messaging software, WebSphere® MQ (formerly MQSeries), IBM Information Management System (IMS™) and IBM DB/2 relational database software. Phil is a member of the IBM Gold Team of Independent Consultants and holds certifications in IBM smA2Rt CA ACF2TM to RACF Migration Tools, CATop Secret® (TSS) to RACF Migration Tools, and has been certified to instruct CICS, RACF, and DB2 courses for IBM. Additionally, he is also an integral member of Vanguard´s Professional Service team where he consults with clients on all facets of z/OS and RACF security. As a premier subject matter expert Phil is an active educator and speaker in the U.S., UK and Europe. His engagements include SHARE, GSE, numerous IBM sponsored conferences and Vanguard’s own annual Security Conference for 25 years. Phil holds a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from Purdue University.

Art Hatfield-Mihelic
Senior Professional Services Consultant
Vanguard Integrity Professionals
Art Hatfield-Milhelic Art Hatfield-Mihelic has over 45 years of information systems experience. Art has successfully employed his expertise, functioning in both technical and management capacities, across multiple verticals including government, transportation, banking, energy, utilities and finance where his contributions were integral to computer operations and systems programming. Throughout his impressive career, Art´s notable achievements include RACF Security Implementations for SDSF, CA-1 and other program products, multiple Top Secret to RACF migrations, RACF assessments and RACF database merges. Additionally, Art is a key member of Vanguard´s Professional Services team where he continues to leverage his expertise by assisting clients with all aspects of mainframe security and ongoing consulting services across the Vanguard product suite. Art is an active educator and speaker, often as a keynote, on Information Security. His engagements have spanned throughout the world including Asia, South Africa, Europe, Australia, Japan, South and North America.  Art holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from San Jose State University in California, an Associate of Art from El Camino College in California, and a California Lifetime Community College Teaching Credential.

John Hilman
Senior Professional Services Consultant
Vanguard Integrity Professionals
John Hilman John Hilman brought over 25 years of information systems experience when he joined Vanguard´s Professional Services team in 2005. Leveraging his technical background and expertise, John aids clients with security assessments, remediation projects, DB2 internal security migration and training for security administrators. Prior to joining Vanguard, John spent 20 years with IBM, the last five as a Certified Technical Trainer for RACF security. Throughout his extensive career, he has held numerous IT positions in Computer Operations, Systems Programming, Security Audit and Security Administration. After his tenure at IBM, John accepted the role of Training Director at EKC, Inc. where he was responsible for training security administrators and auditors on using the CA-ACF2 and RACF security subsystems. John´s expertise has made him a highly sought after speaker and educator. His engagements include CA World, IBM Secure World and Vanguard´s own Security Conferences, where he has been awarded the Top Gun Award three times. Vanguard´s prestigious Top Gun Award is reserved for the instructor that receives the highest rating from students following the conference.

Brian Marshall
Senior Technology Evangelist
Vanguard Integrity Professionals
Brian Marshall Brian Marshall joined Vanguard in 2006, serving initially as Director of Research & Development until 2010. Marshall was the primary architect and visionary behind Vanguard Configuration Manager, and is an expert on NIST security standards. Prior to joining Vanguard, Marshall served 11 years in software development management at Computer Associates and Innovative DP Designs, Inc. He holds one shared patent on a method of reorganizing IMS databases online. Brian has been a professor of computer science at Solano College in California. He holds a B.S. Degree in Computer Science and an M.B.A, both from Sonoma State University. Brian is a frequent speaker at RUGS on various z/OS security and compliance topics, and is the Vanguard representative for OASIS, where he is helping to define communication protocols that will be applicable for cloud computing in the future.

Jim McNeill
Senior Professional Services Consultant
Vanguard Integrity Professionals
Jim McNeillWith more than 40 years of experience in Information Technology and Systems Programming, Jim McNeill leverages his extensive knowledge base and expertise to assist with ACF2/TSS migrations to RACF, DB2 internal security to RACF, z/OS and RACF assessments, RACF remediation projects, RACF basic and advanced training along with Vanguard security software implementations. Before joining Vanguard´s elite Professional Services team, Jim worked in the company´s research and development labs as Director of Research & Development where he was responsible for the first three releases of Vanguard´s flagship software – Vanguard Administrator. In addition to these accomplishments, Jim served as the Lead Architect and Team Leader for both the Advisor and Analyzer products. Jim´s notable accomplishments include performing multiple large ACF2 and Top Secret to RACF migrations for Fortune 500 companies and leveraging his expertise in assembler language to code User Exits and convert ACF2 calls to RACROUTE calls for RACF. His certifications include IBM ACF2/Top Secret to RACF Migration Engineer, IBM RACF Instructor and Vanguard Product Instructor. Jim is an active educator and speaker on information security. His engagements have included GUIDE, SHARE and Vanguard Security & Compliance.

Bob Ubert
Senior Professional Services Consultant
Vanguard Integrity Professionals
Bob UbertBob Ubert has over 30 years of mainframe experience and is a 21 year veteran of IBM specializing in IBM Security Server (RACF®). Before joining IBM, he was a mainframe systems programmer for three Fortune 500 companies. His career with IBM began as a consultant in the Heartland Services Center where his projects spanned from system programming in the VM and MVS areas to coding a major assembler Object Access Method Application. In 1993, he transferred to the IBM Education Company as an instructor where he taught security (RACF) and storage curriculum. In 2005, Bob joined the IBM Software Migration Project Office (SMPO) where he assisted customers migrating to RACF and provided technical sales support for Vanguard and zSecure products.  Today, Bob is a member of the Vanguard Professional Services team where his expertise is leveraged by providing RACF security assessments and remediation, CA ACF2 and CA Top Secret migration assessments and migration services. Additionally, he remains an active educator providing training to customers utilizing RACF and the Vanguard product suite.
 

Jim Yurek, CISSP®
Senior Professional Services Consultant
Vanguard Integrity Professionals
Jim Yurek Jim Yurek, CISSP®, joined the Vanguard Professional Services team as a Professional Services Consultant in 2009. Bringing more than 30 years of Security Server (RACF) experience, his current focus is on PCI-DSS compliance and remediation projects, and technical sales support and training for Vanguard Policy Manager and Vanguard Configuration Manager . Prior to joining Vanguard, Jim spent 20 years working as an information security manager with several financial services enterprises. Throughout his extensive career, he has had multiple IT responsibilities including applications programming, system programming, security administration, RACF consulting, business recovery, product management, PCI compliance and information security management.

Doug Behrends
Senior Professional Services Consultant
Vanguard Integrity Professionals
Doug BehrendsDoug Behrends joined the Vanguard Professional Services team with over 30 years of information systems experience in 2003. Doug is currently focusing on remediation work to assist Fortune 500 companies in improving their security environment. Major activities related to this have included evaluating and implementing role-based security access structures and converting production batch processes from a single user ID to unique user IDs by line of business.  Prior to joining Vanguard, he performed multiple IT functions such as Operations Manager, Office Systems, Application and Systems programming and DB Management. His breadth of knowledge spans across numerous verticals including manufacturing, insurance and financial services where his expertise lent itself to MVS system installation and maintenance, productivity improvement/automation, security assessment and product design. Since 1997 Doug has focused his career solely on information security for z/OS and RACF. Before joining Vanguard as a full-time member of the Professional Services team, he contributed as a Beta tester for the Vanguard product suite. Today, in addition to his security activities, he continues to provide insight into streamlining and automating processes.


 

 

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