Get to know your BriForum 2015 speakers!

EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about BriForum 2015 Denver Speakers

Ruben SpruijtCTOAtlantis Computing

Presenting: From the Fire Hose Series: Graphics for Virtual Desktops Smackdown

and

CTOs Perspective on the Workspace in 2020

Ruben’s last name is pronounced “sprout.” I tell you this for two reasons: 1. It’s not a common name (he hails from the

Netherlands)2. You’ll want to pronounce it correctly when raving

about the insightful things he shares at BriForum.

Ruben may not be saving the world fighting crime like his childhood heroes; Batman, Ironman, and Superman, but he soars as an industry luminary.

As one of only a few individuals in the world to hold three prestigious virtualization awards: Microsoft MVP, Citrix CTP, and VMware vExpert, this is one honest & unbiased speaker you’ll want to make sure to connect with.

Find Ruben on Twitter @rspruijt

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Joe ShonkCTO, Thin Client Computing

Presenting: Hyper-V over SMB 3.0 Second Edition

and

The Internet of Things (IOT)! Why It Matters and Why You Should Care

We’d like to welcome back Joe Shonk – a former BriForum Geek Out game show champion!

This previous Microsoft MVP and current Citrix CTP will be presenting two sessions at BriForum 2015. Joe will be delivering an update on last year’s popular session on Hyper-V over SMB 3, focusing on how Microsoft has changed the game with updates to a number of technologies – specifically Hyper-V over SMB 3. Joe will also lead a session on all things IoT (no pun intended). Did you know that IoT will be an 8.9 trillion dollar market by 2020? We’re guessing you might want to get in on the IoT action sooner rather than later, and Joe is just the guy to help you do just that.

It’s obvious that this CTO of Thin Client Computing wanted to pursue a career involving computers as a child, but his current passion may throw you for a loop – literally. On the side, Joe is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor (and yes, we said instructor!). A tamer side of Joe likes to collect old silver age/bronze age comics…but let’s be honest, you’re probably still fixated on the whole Jiu Jitsu thing – and so are we!

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Jason CongerPractice Manager, Splunk, Inc.

Presenting on: Presenting: Mobile Enterprise Application Platform Smackdown

Ever wonder where Jason gets the inspiration for his open-source project names? Can you believe they’re named after wakeboard tricks? A fan of non-mainstream sports, Jason used to practice flatband BMX freestyle. Not familiar? Look up a few videos on YouTube and prepare to be impressed. While he still does a little BMX freestyle when he rides bikes with his kids, Jason is currently working towards a karate black belt. If you’re feeling a tad intimidated by Jason’s athleticism, don’t worry, we’re told he still has a ways to go before he holds that black belt title.

With 18 years of experience, Jason has a long history within the technology field which includes being a Microsoft MVP, Citrix CTP, long-time presenter, technical writer, and open-source software developer. Join Jason’s session to explore the pros and cons of mobilizing traditional desktop applications, using desktop virtualization vendor solutions, mobile enterprise application (MEAP) frameworks, HTML5, and native mobile application development. This isn’t a coding session, but example code will be shown to illustrate both the complexity and ease of building your own mobile enterprise apps.



Adam PlattSoftware Engineer, API Systems, Inc.

Presenting on: One Server to Rule Them All - How to Use PowerShell Desired State Configuration to Automate Your Environment

What makes Adam Platt such a successful software engineer? The fact that he’s been programming since he was in diapers. Yes, there are pictures to prove it. And, no, you cannot see them! (sorry!)

New to BriForum, Adam is presenting on PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC), crucial for anyone who wants to stay up-to-date, especially in the “infrastructure as code” movement.

Adam predicts that within 10 years, we’ll all need to know how to remotely manage and configure servers with systems like DSC. So, don’t miss your opportunity to learn about DSC from Adam, one of the foremost industry experts on the subject.

Behind this programming genius lies a man wild for philanthropy – and we literally mean wild! Not many people would voluntarily trade in a polished haircut for a pink Mohawk. He did so with pleasure while raising over $1,000 to feed the hungry in New Jersey (we’re still trying to convince him to bring the look to BriForum.) So, we will see you at Adam’s session – Pink hair is optional!

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Rory MonaghanCTO, Americas at Algiz Technology

Presenting on: Application Virtualization: Best in Show

People, if you have yet to see Rory Monaghan speak, the time is now! In his own words, (not ours!), having a voice that’s been compared to a “baritone seal” makes his session on application virtualization a must see!

An Irish lad, living in Phoenix, BriForum is excited to bring Rory back to the BriForum stage for his second year (we pay him with corn beef sandwiches – at his request!)

Quite frankly, there‘s no one more qualified than Rory to lead the highly anticipated Application Virtualization Best in Show session at BriForum. He’s an MVP award winner for App-V by Microsoft, and the vExpert award winner from VMware.

You don’t want to miss it when he offers up his candid insights about the competitive AppV landscape. Sláinte, Rory Monaghan!



Zach HughesVP, Infrastructure & OperationsRCIS / Wells Fargo

Presenting on: #SurfaceChallenge: I Took Away My Executives' iPads and Laptops, Gave them Surface Pro 3s, and Lived to Tell About it

Did you know that Zach Hughes has a fearless streak in him? Demonstrated by his occasional participation in extreme sporting adventures, his favorites include skydiving, racing, kiting, and flying.

He’s also fearless when it comes to speaking his opinions on the tablet industry, which makes sense since Zach’s background reads like a blueprint for a tablet industry visionary. Back in 2013, he told an audience at BriForum that Windows tablets were a better platform for mobility than iPads+EMM, a statement which is proving to be true, as Android tablets and iPads recently posted their first ever sales decline. A man ahead of his time? You decide.

At BriForum this year, Zach will discuss the results of his latest venture: #SurfaceChallenge, a program that he recently concluded at RCIS/Wells Fargo, where he asked his executives to transition from an iPad and laptop to a Surface Pro 3. Interested in finding out how that went over? Zach has a unique view on the tablet industry, one that many people agree is compelling – and one you have the opportunity to hear firsthand at BriForum. Don’t miss!



Tim ManganKahuna, TMurgent Technologies, LLP

Presenting on: 4, 3, 2, 1, LIFTOFF! How Processes Become Virtualized,

and The App Whisperer (Latest Techniques in Sequencing) Title

Tim Mangan didn’t trademark the saying “there’s an app for that”, but he should have! As an affirmed “Appaholic” he knows more about applications than anyone else out there. He’s also spent the last 15 years focusing on how windows applications interact with the OS and each other, which confirms that he knows more than he’d like to about bad software. As the owner of a family consulting business, TMurgent Technologies, Tim has spent much of his career in software development, creating inventions in the robotics, communications, and operating systems areas.

Don’t you think he sounds like the perfect candidate to be leading 2 sessions and a lightning round at BriForum in Denver this July? We certainly do!

Not only is Tim an “appaholic”, he seems to be a “golfaholic” too! His primary passion is playing golf – regularly. (He has a 12 handicap.) According to Tim, “It’s not unlike writing an application – every once in a while you fix that issue with your app/swing and have a really great day!”



Andy PaulDirector of Outsourcing DeliveryIPM

Presenting on: Presenting: Designing your Citrix XenApp 7.6 Solutions: A- Z

Andy Paul is one of those problem solver /big picture thinkers that you want on your team. When faced with a complex project, he quickly breaks down design difficulties into workable solutions, and then takes those little pieces and puts them all back to together.

So, if you are looking for guidance on designing your Citrix XenApp 7.6 solutions , you’ll definitely want to score a seat at Andy’s BriForum session. The session will focus not only the technology itself, but the design and implementation process that goes along with it.

Andy’s love for technology is obvious, but the fact that he is deaf (at least in one ear) comes as a huge surprise because most people don’t realize it when they talk to him or listen to him speak.

Like many young boys, Andy wanted to be a cop when he grew up, and went to college to study law enforcement, with a plan to enter the federal space – FBI, CIA, or NSA. Unfortunately, his hearing precluded him from being able to join up, but that’s the only thing that Andy’s hearing has held him back from accomplishing. Don’t miss Andy’s session at BriForum.



Andy Milford

CEO and Founder, RDPSoft

Presenting on: The Hidden Benefits of RDP 8 on Windows Server 2012: Finally! Client Connection Metrics Come to RDS

Meet Andy Milford – the owner of several patents and nearly two decades of experience under his belt designing utility software for the Windows server platform.

As founder of RPDSoft, many may believe that Andy eats, sleeps, and breathes development on Remote Desktop Reporter - a metric tracking and reporting solution for server based computing platforms. But we know a few surprises about Andy that you probably weren’t aware of.

As a child, Andy dreamed of becoming a pilot or even an orchestral conductor. Random, we agree. Today, he’s part of the rare breed of people who get to “have their cake and eat it, too!” Andy still plays a mean blues harmonica and flies small planes (not at the same time, we hope.) He also devotes spare time helping others thru philanthropy work.

That leaves us with one question? How does Andy find time to pursue his outside passions and be a veteran software engineer all at the same time? We’re certainly impressed and know you will be too. Simply join us @BriForum in Denver and you can hear Andy speak (perhaps he will play the harmonica too!)



Steve GreenbergPrincipal Architect, Thin Client Computing

Presenting on: Storage Virtualization: What It is, Where/How to Use It, and Why Most of What You Hear About It is Wrong

A self-proclaimed “hopeless, obsessive, geek,” Steve Greenberg is the founder of Thin Client Computing. He’s been active in virtual computing since the early 90’s and is a pioneer and innovator in advanced virtualization and data center designs.

Steve is very passionate about people getting the truth about storage virtualization. So very passionate that he considers his BriForum session a “pre-emptive strike” against the next wave that vendors are jumping on - trying to re-define storage virtualization, aka software-defined storage.

When it comes to storage virtualization – Steve is your man, having worked through problems, benefits and best practices over a number of years. He sees this new hype on the horizon and wants to save others the pain of wading through it.

So, save yourself some time drowning in the coming wave of vendor hype, grab a front row seat at Steve’s BriForum session and listen closely to what he has to say.



Theresa MillerOwner, 24x7 IT Connection

Presenting on: Be a XenDesktop Rockstar! Everything You Need to Know About to Implement, Administer, and TroubleshootXenDesktop 7.6

Want to become a rockstar at BriForum 2015? Easy! Just attend Theresa Miller’s session to learn everything you need to know to implement, administer, and troubleshoot XenDesktop 7.6. Okay, so you won’t literally become a rockstar, but we guarantee all of your XenDesktop 7.6 questions will be answered.

Aside from working as a technical expert in IT for over 19 years, Theresa enjoys technical writing and has her own blog for sharing technical thoughts. If reading isn’t your thing then you should check out what she has to say about tech on the “Current Status” podcast. Theresa can also add “chef” to her resume since she makes her own strawberry jam – yum!

When Theresa isn’t working on her blog, chatting on the Current Status podcast, or whipping up her delicious jam, she’s spending time with family and friends. Given Theresa’s “conquer all” spirit, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that she’s also a fan of ATVing. This is one “rockstar” speaker that people will be lining up to see at BriForum Denver!

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David Stafford

Head of Enterprise TechnologyDropbox

Presenting on: I, For One, Welcome Our New Enterprise Consumer Overlords

David Stafford is back at BriForum this year for his 5th appearance with a session guaranteed to inspire you and bring your team up to the next level. With a blend of history, humor and sarcasm, this presentation takes an inside look at what the next 2-3 years will mean as we make the transition from being IT authorities to IT guidance counselors. Hailed a “wakeup call” for IT to “get with the times” admist a new, more empowered user base, this is one session you won’t want to miss.

David understands how IT is fighting against relevance and can provide you with a few new calls to action (to help you make new arguments to your bosses) on how to thrive in a consumerization culture. How can you learn more about this important topic from an expert like David? That’s simple!! Come hear him speak at BriForum 2015.

On a lighter side, we hear that David plays a mean air-guitar at Barenaked Ladies concerts and just might be able to be persuaded to perform at BriForum.



Kenneth FingerlosSr. Solutions Architect, Lewan Technology

Presenting on: Understanding vSGA, vDGA, vGPU: When and Where to Use Them

Kenneth refuses to be beaten by a machine! We’re thinking this refusal ties in to the fact that as a child, he wanted to build robots for a living. Kenneth hopes his BriForum session on vSGA, vDGA, & vGPU will be particularly helpful because folks don’t always understand this complex material – even when they think they do! With a decade of experience under his belt, Kenneth works hard to ensure attendees benefit from his scar tissue, er, we mean expertise.

Kenneth hails from Denver, CO (maybe he will show us around?) and when he’s not working (his wife is also in IT) he enjoys 4wheeling, camping and hunting. Kenneth also likes to scuba dive, although we’re pretty sure he didn’t learn how to do that in Denver!

His session will dive into the architectural differences, advantages and disadvantages of 3D support for application and desktop virtualization. For those looking to gain a clear understanding of why you need 3D support and advice on how to select the one that makes the most sense for your environment, don’t miss Kenneth’s session at BriForum! You will be glad you went!



NicholasRintalan Lead Architect, Citrix

Presenting on: The Worst Citrix and Microsoft "Best Practices" of All Time, v2.0and Pods, Blocks, HCI, UCI…WTF?: Making Sense of the Convergence Hype

To say that Nick Rintalan is a seasoned BriForum veteran would be an understatement. Nick has spoken over a dozen times on a variety of topics over the years and this July he will be speaking alongside Dan Allen on two occasions. First, they poke fun at Citrix and Microsoft by exploring the top 10 worst practices combined by each company. (For those of you who attended this session last year, don’t worry, the list continually updates and stays as entertaining as ever.)

Nick and Dan will also present “Pods, Blocks, HCI, UCI…WTF? Making Sense of the Convergence Hype.” Wondering WTF this session will deliver? The answer: A comprehensive understanding between classic pod architectures, HCI and UCI.

Another topic that Nick would love to talk to you about is ducks – the Oregon Ducks, which Nick happens to be a huge fan of (having been born and raised in Eugene, Oregon). He’s also grown passionate about traveling the world – one of the perks of being Lead Architect for Citrix. When he’s not halfway across the globe, Nick is a family man and a golfer. We wonder which speaker has the better handicap – Tim Mangan or Nick Rintalan?



Randy GrovesCTO, Teradici

Presenting on: How to Implement Best Practices in VMware Horizon PCoIP Deployments and

What Does It Take to Get a Good Remote Experience on Today's Wi-Fi and Cellular Networks?

With 35 years’ experience of computer engineering experience, and countless professional achievements under his belt, we believe Randy when he says that what he does at his job every day is his true passion.

This year, Randy will be presenting two BriForum sessions: His first session focuses on the “do’s” and “don’ts” of VMware horizon PCoIP Deployments, and the second session explores bandwidth estimation, congestion avoidance, and forward error correction.

When Randy needs a break, he picks up his skis and heads for the mountains, or hogs the remote control at home to watch some college football. He’s also passionate about music (especially live music) in the alternative/progressive rock category. But let’s be clear about one thing, despite hailing from Texas, you won’t hear Randy singing to the likes of country music stars Kenny Chesney or Tim McGraw.

When Randy talks IT, people listen. And when he talks at BriForum Denver this summer, you’ll want to listen, too.



Earl Gay

End User Computing Architect, Sirius Computer Solutions

Presenting on: EUC Layering Smackdown: Comparing AppVolumes, Unidesk, FlexApp, and Mirage

Earl eats, drinks, and dreams of end-user computing, and he is one guy you’ll want to listen to when he hits the BriForum stage to talk about layering.

Back in the day, there was one man that Earl did NOT want to listen to. His boss! Before Earl got into the world of VDI, his boss wanted him to take a look at “this new ‘VDI’ thing” – to which Earl replied “this doesn’t seem like a good idea. Fast forward a bit and Earl ironically spends his days architecting VDI (and other) solutions for customers.

“This may or may not be the year of VDI, depending on the organization’s business goals and challenges!” A firm believer in simplicity for the operational side of technology, this is a motto that Earl lives by every day. His goal is to help his customers utilize end-user computing technologies to actually solve business challenges instead of just installing cool technology for the sake of it.

Make plans today to attend BriForum Denver 2015 and come get yourself a dose of EUC layering!



Rick Dehlinger

Vice PresidentTechnology Services, Atlantis Computing

Presenting on: AWS AppStream vs. Azure RemoteApp: A Technical Smackdown

Rick’s childhood dream of becoming a Superhero has never died as the fight against evil still motivates him today. This year, Rick will speak on Azure RemoteApp/ AWS AppStream ‘Cloud’ – two unavoidable “monsters” which have infiltrated everyone’s lives in one form or another.

Considering they’ll be a part of the typical desktop virtualization engineer’s lives soon, Rick wants to help people be prepared for when this does happen.

So Grab a seat at Rick's BriForum session, to gain a new understanding of how Microsoft RemoteApp & AWS AppStream work. Learn how they compare to each other and to the traditional on-premises delivery mechanisms. Find out how to get started and test the waters to see if these are a good fit for your business

Where does a hard-working business man/techie go to relax? Rick lives on a ranch, raising his daughters and horses. When he’s not busy as CTO at nGenx, Rick loves performance driving and snowboarding – the latter of which he almost made a career out of!



Ryan WillSystems Architect II, nGenx

Presenting:

Presenting on: Sequence Like a Boss and Can't Fix Your Application Issue? Try to Break It Instead!

To this first time BriForum speaker we say “break a leg!”

Ryan is a Systems Architect II, working with App-V, while collaborating with two very knowledgeable App-V MVP’s – Rory Monaghan and Nicke Kallen. This year Ryan will be co-presenting two sessions with Drew Walz. The first, a continuation of the popular Sequencing for Success series, offering techniques that will let listeners knock a new App-V project out of the park. Ryan and Drew’s second session on Windows applications will teach attendees troubleshooting triage tactics to rapidly fix a problem in the event of a customer outage situation.

When Ryan’s not busy being Mr. Dad to his four-year old daughter, he’s tinkering with his first (well, second!) beginner’s quadcopter. Wondering what’s going on with the first one? Not much these days as it’s been stuck in a tree for the past six months, and unfortunately, has zero plans of returning to the ground anytime soon. While rescuing quadcopter #1 isn’t on Ryan’s summer to-do list, building a mini 250 quadcopter sure is!

Don’t miss Ryan’s two sessions!



Drew WalzDirector of Systems ArchitecturenGenx Corporation

Presenting on: Sequence Like a Boss and Can't Fix Your Application Issue? Try to Break It Instead!

Drew Walz has filled just about every role from Helpdesk to Director of Systems Architecture throughout his 13+ years in the IT field, giving him an extremely well-rounded understanding of the various moving parts in an environment, and how they interact. This knowledge makes him the best speaker to present two sessions alongside Ryan Will, first discussing application troubleshooting triage and then the ever popular Sequencing for Success series.

In an uncontrolled environment you may not always have access to the monitoring and analysis tools you’re familiar with. Having a practiced methodology you can use to quickly hone in on the source of a problem and develop a workaround is a critical skillset. Drew is set and ready to take your troubleshooting skills to the next level.

You already know that Drew is a troubleshooting wiz, but did you know that he can carve a pretty killer sculpture from a block of ice with a chainsaw? This is news to us too, and now we’re wondering whether or not he’d be willing to conduct an extra session on ice sculpting – in the parking lot of course!



Jeroen van de KampCTO, Login Consultants

Presenting on: CTO's Perspective on the Workspace in 2020

If there was an award for “Most BriForum Sessions Conducted” then Jeroen van de Kamp would most definitely be in the running! Jeroen’s session with Ruben Spruijt about the Workspace of 2020 will not only be controversial and thought provoking – it will also celebrate Jeroen’s 17th BriForum session since the event came to be 11 years ago. While 2020 sounds far off into the future, Jeroen would like to remind everyone that it’s actually not that far away anymore.

So, when (not if, but when) you arrive in Denver and start making your plans for which presentations you’ll attend – and I understand it won’t be easy – I would suggest putting Jeroen atop your list.

Insiders know he’s is a speaker to look forward to year after year, but on the lighter side, we doubt you know that he can whistle using his fingers pretty loud, or that he enjoys dance festivals from time to time. Looking for a few more fun facts? Jeroen enjoys kick-box training, Bikram yoga and Asian travel/food. Lastly, Jeroen would like to note that he has a 14.5 shoe size – but we already know it would be impossible to fill his shoes at BriForum 2015!



Darwin SanoyAutomation SpecialistCSI-Windows.com

Presenting on: Windows Packagers Forecast: DevOps Winds Are Blowing

True or False?: Darwin Sanoy is a mobile tech miser. The answer is surprisingly true! He loves his Galaxy Avant phone with replaceable battery and 64 GB of memory for only $150 along with his $99 pebble smartwatch. Darwin is both money savvy and creative and has a killer background in DevOps that he can’t wait to share with BriForum attendees.

While many are questioning whether DevOps can benefit their career, colleagues, and company – you won’t be after attending Darwin’s session. Leaning on his experiences simultaneously applying DevOps culture and skills at both an Internet startup as well as a public manufacturing firm, Darwin will show you how to apply these principles in a mainstream IT organization, and will explain why this transformational movement is one to embrace.

It's no secret that the DevOps revolution came out of a specific kind of company -- Internet startups, where there is no legacy technology and where new software features directly support or create revenues. Here’s your chance to find out how it can fit in mainstream. Darwin is the guy to learn from.

.



John SmithSolutions ArchitectExtraHop Networks

Presenting: The Packet Games: Analytics and Troubleshooting On The Wire

Hello, career change! The real story of how John “ended up a geek” Did you know that John Smith used to be a Pre-K teacher in Seattle? Or that he really wanted to be a fireman or policeman as a child?

Well, we’re grateful John doesn’t teach toddlers anymore. Instead, you’ll find him at BriForum Denver converting attendees into Wire Data rockstars!

With over 19 years of experience in IT, the title of a Citrix Technology Professional (CTP) and an author of two blogs, John brings some serious expertise to his session on Packet Games.

Even though John wanted to be a fireman or a policeman as a young child, and has since “ended up a geek,” (his words, not ours!) he does enjoy passions outside of the technology field. In John’s spare time he likes to be out on the water where he can go fishing and scuba diving.



Dan AllenDirector, Federal Services at Bromium

Presenting: Maximizing Scalability! Understanding and Optimizing the Scalability of VDI and RDS

When Dan isn’t implementing Citrix solutions for some of the largest consumers in the world, he’s attracting hundreds of thousands of hits across his technical blogs on XenDesktop, XenApp, Profiles, PVS, etc.

This year Dan (alongside Nick Rintalan) shows you how to optimize VDI and RDS workloads to increase scalability, and how to properly plan and execute a scalability test.

Safe to say Dan sounds like a smart guy, right?

He certainly is – and we bet you wouldn’t guess that he is somewhat self-taught. Dan finished high school at the end of 11th grade and never went to college.

While school may not have been for him, he certainly loves teaching – and you’ll see that firsthand at BriForum 2015 when you attend his session.

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