By Joyce Davis, IBM Collaboration Solutions Community Manager
 

Last year we launched the IBM Champion program for IBM Collaboration Solutions. This program recognizes and rewards outstanding clients and business partners who evangelize IBM solutions, share knowledge, and help grow the community of users and business leaders focused on our solutions. Over the past year, I've had the pleasure of working with the 63 champions who were selected for 2011/2012. These folks spend a considerable amount of their own time, energy and resources on community efforts -- organizing and leading user group events, answering questions in forums, contributing wiki articles and applications, publishing podcasts, sharing instructional videos, and more! The dedication and commitment these champions have demonstrated over the past year has been inspiring.

In August 2012, we opened nominations (and renewals) for our 2013 set of champions. I'm proud to announce that the selection committee has chosen the following 76 individuals for our 2013 class of IBM Champions for Collaboration Solutions. They will each receive IBM Champion-branded merchandise (apparel and some cool gadgets!), increased visibility on IBM sites, invitations and discounts to IBM events, recognition at select conferences, and access to key IBM business executives and technical leaders. As I've mentioned many times, I couldn't be a luckier community manager to work with such a passionate community. I welcome this new class of champions and look forward to working together to spread social business goodness!

Meet the 2013 IBM Champions for Collaboration Solutions

Adam Brown

Ahmad Alkhafaf

Alan Hamilton

Bill Malchisky

Brian O'Neill

Bruce Elgort

Carlos Casas

Chris Miller

Daniel Lieber

Daniele Grillo

David Leedy

David Price

David Stephens

Declan Lynch

Dennis Rot

Elizabeth Albert

Eric Mack

Femke Goedhart

Ferhat Bulut

Francie Tanner

Frank Van der Linden

Fredrik Norling

Friso van den Berg

Gabriella Davis

Giuseppe Grasso

Glenn Kline

Handly Cameron

Howard Greenberg

Jeremy Hodge

Jesse Gallagher

John Head

John Jardin

Jonathan Distad

Julian Robichaux

Kathy Brown

Keith Brooks

Keith Strickland

Kenio Carvalho

Koichi Hatanaka

Lakshminarasimhan
Sundararajan

Lisa Duke

Mark Calleran

Mark Leusink

Masahiko Miyo

Mat Newman

Mike Ostrowski

Mikkel Heisterberg

Mitch Cohen

Mitsuru Katoh

Patrice Vialor

Paul Calhoun

Paul Mooney

Paul Withers

Per Henrik Lausten

Rajat Paharia

René Winkelmeyer

Rob Novak

Russ Maher

Salvador Gallardo

Serdar Basegmez

Sharon Bellamy

Sheila Blanchette

Simon Vaughan

Sjaak Ursinus

Steve Pitcher

Sven Hasselbach

Takeshi Yoshida

Theo Heselmans

Tim Clark

Tim Royle

Tom Simmons

Tony Holder

Ulrich Krause

Vincent Perrin

Yoshihiro Matsuo

Yoshio Maruyama