Scott McFall's Mainframe Journey
VP, Business Development & Strategy at ProTech Enterprise IT Training & Consulting
About Me and My Current Role:
Name:
Scott McFall
Location:
Pittsburgh, PA
LinkedIn: Blog:
Primary Mainframe Focus:
Principal in an IBM Business Partner specializing in Z Consulting, Training & Software.
Amount of time in the Mainframe Space as of writing:
Well if you count my childhood on punched cards, I'd put a guess at 45 years, but professionally really 30 years or so.
🚀My Path to the Mainframe:
Before the Mainframe: My background?
Before mainframe I was playing around with early PCs in the 70s, then my mother attended a technical school as a career-changer and I audited the class since she was single mom. She later taught Cobol in night classes at a local vocational school, so I audited those classes as well. I was a FBLA kid in high school so I took typing classes, courses on RPG/System36, and I even learned short-hand!
Eventually I went on to college and earned a degree in Computer Science and coded for a bit but wanted to branch into other IT areas besides just programming. So went back to school and earned a Master's degree in Business Administration.
The Turning Point: What was the moment or reason you decided to pursue a career in mainframe technology?
By the time I graduated college I had learned several languages and operating systems. After earning my Master's degree, I decided to join a group of people who had exited Duquesne Systems/LEGENT Corp for a start-up here in Pittsburgh. This was my chance to get back to my roots in mainframe technology and get more involved in the business side of IT at the same time.
Key Learning Resources: The most valuable courses, programs, or certifications that helped you get started:
The best way I learned was all of the hands-on time I received. As I mentioned, I attended coding classes at vocational schools with real lab time available to me. My mother also ended up working at RadioShak at one point, so we had a Model I, II, and III at home, along with a TRS80 Color Computer and an early IBM 286 Tandy clone, so our living room was basically a computer lab. I never stood a chance, I was destined to be a computer nerd.
💼 A Day in the Life
This section brings the role to life for the reader.
What is the core problem you solve for your company? As the manager of our mainframe practice, I lead our company's direction of our consulting, training and software offerings around System Z and other IBM platforms.
What are the top 3 technologies or tools you use every day? I've become more of a business person these days, but I'm always learning about emerging trends in the modern mainframe like DevOps, AI, and more to help our service portfolio expand.
What is the most interesting or rewarding part of your job?
I enjoy helping clients with all sorts of issues, but the most rewarding part of my job is meeting young new mainframers who are just getting started in their careers. Brings back great memories for me and their enthusiasm is infectious.
💡 Advice for Aspiring Mainframers
What is one key skill (technical or soft) you wish you had learned sooner?
I didn't come out of my shell until I got to graduate school and took a job as bartender on the weekends. I wish I had been more outgoing when I was younger. People skills combined with technical knowledge is amazing thing and will serve you well in your career.
What is your top piece of advice for a student or professional trying to break into the industry?
As I mentioned, people skills are very important, my advice for early professionals or students is to network, network, network. Attend industry events, find a mentor, join user groups, etc.
Where do you see the most exciting growth or opportunity in the mainframe space right now?
Well obviously with the skills shortage there is a fantastic opportunity for new IT professionals to distinguish themselves from the rest of the IT graduates with these highly sought after mainframe skills. But I believe an even better niche is to try to specialize either further with perhaps obtaining knowledge around systems programming, database administration, automation or other specialty mainframe areas like modernization.
That's my journey as of January 9, 2026, thanks for listening!
Last updated
Was this helpful?