Executive Dinner
Mainframe Modernization: From Legacy Core to Competitive Advantage
September 22, 2026 | New York
AI Isn't the Finish Line. Trusted Outcomes Are.
How leading organizations are measuring modernization maturity through AI, Security, and business resilience.
Organizations everywhere are investing in AI, but the leaders creating real business value recognize that AI alone is not the destination. Trusted outcomes such as faster innovation, stronger security, operational resilience, and measurable business impact depend on the maturity of the systems, data, and processes that support AI.
Rocket Software and IDC invite senior technology leaders to explore how organizations can measure and accelerate modernization maturity through AI and Security. Drawing on IDC’s latest research and benchmarking data, participants will gain insight into how leading organizations are transforming critical systems, applications, and data to achieve trusted business outcomes.
According to IDC's Modernization Index 2.0,
AI and Security have emerged as defining indicators of modernization maturity. AI is no longer a standalone initiative; it is an enabler that spans every dimension of modernization. Security has become a foundational requirement for organizations navigating increasing cyber threats, regulatory demands, and evolving business risk.
What are the top factors driving the significant increases in 2026 spending in selected infrastructure areas?
As organizations ramp up spending on AI agents and prioritize cyber-resiliency, they also recognize the ongoing need for infrastructure modernization in corporate datacenters and edge locations.
Preparing for greater use of AI and agents across the business is the top factor driving significant infrastructure spending increases in 2026, but organizational resiliency is also critical.
Source: IDC’s Syndicated Survey, 2025; IDC’s Future Enterprise Resiliency and Spending Survey, Wave 10, January 2026, n = 868
Attendees will leave with a practical framework for assessing modernization maturity, understanding where they stand relative to peers, and identifying the next steps needed to deliver trusted outcomes in the AI era.
Discussion Topics
What To Expect
An executive dinner led by a skilled moderator
An intimate gathering of senior IT leaders from diverse industries, grappling with similar issues
A secure, private conversation open only to a carefully vetted group
Your Hosts
Mary Johnston Turner
Research Vice President, Global Lead, Digital and Datacenter Infrastructure and Services
IDC
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Mary Johnston Turner
Mary Johnston Turner is Research VP within IDC’s enterprise infrastructure global research domain. She is the global subdomain lead for Digital and Datacenter Infrastructure and Services. She and her team oversee IDC’s research on datacenter facilities, service provider and owner operators as well as tracking enterprise tech buyer sentiment and strategies related to using digital infrastructure to drive business outcomes. Mary collaborates closely with semiconductor, cloud services, and enterprise infrastructure and services teams produce a comprehensive view of the dynamics, competitive positions and market opportunities created by various IT and non-IT technologies influencing datacenter infrastructure and services.
Ms. Turner is a long-time industry veteran who has worked at a range of analyst and vendor firms. During her career she has covered the evolution of infrastructure, infrastructure software, and infrastructure operations vendors and enterprise priorities. Most recently, she helped lead infrastructure research supporting IDC’s AI Council research series, studied the impact of agentic AI on the transformation of infrastructure operating models, and analyzed enterprise digital infrastructure maturity and tech debt modernization priorities including mainframe infrastructure strategies.
Tim Willging
Chief Technology Officer, Mainframe
Rocket Software
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Tim Willging
Tim Willging joined Rocket Software in 2005, bringing over 30 years of experience in developing enterprise software solutions for z/OS. He holds the titles of Chief Technology Officer – Mainframe and Rocket Fellow. Tim oversees the technical development of Rocket’s mainframe portfolio and leads a high-performing distinguished engineers and architects focused on simplifying and modernizing Rocket’s infrastructure software. Throughout his career, Tim has architected and authored several mainframe products, with a focus on backup and recovery, administration, performance monitoring, and change management. He has delivered keynotes at numerous conferences and spoken on various technical and strategic topics related to IBM mainframe and z/OS. Recently, his work has concentrated on AIOps, Predictive and Generative AI, Observability, and Data Modernization solutions for z/OS. Currently based in the suburbs of Chicago, Tim is an alumnus of Northern Illinois University, where he specialized in theoretical computing.
Agenda
IDC Executive Dinner in partnership with Rocket Software
One Day Event
Networking Reception
A private reception bringing together senior executives and industry analysts to connect, exchange perspectives, and set context for the evening’s discussion.
Dinner & Discussion
A moderated, off‑the‑record discussion over dinner focused on real‑world execution challenges, emerging industry priorities, and their implications for enterprise leaders.
Event Concludes
The evening concludes with brief closing remarks and informal follow‑up conversations, reinforcing key takeaways and ongoing peer engagement.
Partner
Sponsored By
Rocket Software
Rocket Software is a global technology leader in modernization and a partner of choice that empowers the world’s leading businesses on their IT and mainframe modernization journeys, spanning core systems to the cloud. Trusted by more than 12,500 customers and 750 partners, and with more than 3,000 global employees, Rocket Software enables customers to maximize their data, applications, and infrastructure to deliver critical services that power our modern world.
Rocket Software is a privately held U.S. corporation headquartered in the Boston area with centers of excellence strategically located throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Rocket Software is a portfolio company of Bain Capital Private Equity.