Celebrating Programmers.io’s 2026 IBM i Champions

The IBM i community is one of the most passionate, collaborative, and technically accomplished ecosystems in enterprise IT. Each year, IBM recognizes a select group of professionals who go above and beyond their day-to-day roles to contribute to that community. These individuals are named IBM Champions:  a distinction awarded to leaders who demonstrate exceptional technical expertise, community leadership, and meaningful feedback that helps shape the future of IBM technologies.

For 2026, IBM has announced its newest class of Champions. Out of only 96 IBM Champions recognized globally last year, six members of the Programmers.io team have earned this prestigious designation for IBM Power.  For a company already known as home to the world’s largest team of IBM i developers, the recognition is both an honor and a reflection of the culture that drives the organization forward.

At Programmers.io, our experts are not only solving complex problems for clients, they’re actively shaping the IBM i ecosystem through community engagement, open knowledge sharing, and thoughtful feedback on the evolution of the platform.

Why 2026 Matters for IBM i

Technology is entering a pivotal moment.

Artificial intelligence, automation, hybrid cloud architecture, and data integration are transforming how enterprises operate. Yet many of the world’s most critical business systems still run on IBM i platforms—powering supply chains, manufacturing systems, financial platforms, and retail infrastructure across the globe. That combination of stability and innovation is exactly what makes the IBM i ecosystem so unique.

Organizations today are looking for ways to:

• Modernize without disrupting mission-critical systems
• Unlock the value of decades of business logic and data
• Integrate IBM i into AI-driven architectures and cloud ecosystems
• Close the growing talent and knowledge gap in legacy technologies

These challenges require more than tools. They require people who deeply understand the platform and the community behind it.  That’s why the IBM Champions program matters so much.  And it’s why we’re proud to celebrate the following six Programmers.io team members recognized as IBM Champions for 2026.

Meet Programmers.io’s 2026 IBM Champions

CHAMPION FOR

IBM Power

3-Year Awardee

Amit Sharma

Senior IBM i Developer

Amit Sharma is a senior IBM i developer at Programmers.io and an active contributor within the IBM Power community. His technical work and knowledge sharing have helped organizations better understand and modernize their IBM i environments.

Perspective on IBM i in 2026

IBM i continues to evolve as organizations embrace modernization strategies. The biggest opportunity lies in integrating AI and automation into existing environments while preserving the reliability that IBM i is known for.

CHAMPION FOR

IBM Power

3-Year Awardee

Nirmal Khatri

Vice President of Technology

As Vice President of Technology at Programmers.io, Nirmal Khatri has played a critical role in advancing IBM i modernization strategies and helping enterprises adopt modern development practices around their core systems.

Perspective on IBM i in 2026

The future of IBM i will be defined by how organizations unlock the value of their existing data and business logic. AI, integration, and modernization will allow companies to innovate faster without abandoning the systems that have served them for decades.

CHAMPION FOR

IBM Power

First-Time Awardee

Rahul Pareek

Technical Architect

Rahul Pareek works closely with enterprise teams to design and implement scalable IBM i architectures. His work bridges legacy expertise with modern application frameworks and integration strategies.

Perspective on IBM i in 2026

One of the greatest opportunities ahead is using AI to understand legacy systems more deeply—helping teams document, analyze, and modernize complex environments faster than ever before.

CHAMPION FOR

IBM Power

5-Year Awardee

Mike Pavlak

Senior IT Strategist

Mike Pavlak brings decades of experience in enterprise technology strategy and IBM i modernization initiatives. His thought leadership within the community continues to help organizations navigate the evolving technology landscape.

Perspective on IBM i in 2026

The biggest challenge facing IBM i organizations today is not the technology—it’s the knowledge gap. As experienced professionals retire, preserving institutional knowledge will become increasingly important.

CHAMPION FOR

IBM Power

6-Year Awardee

Simon Hutchinson

Senior IBM i Practice Lead

Simon Hutchinson is widely recognized for his contributions to the IBM i community through technical insights, knowledge sharing, and leadership in modern IBM i development practices.

Perspective on IBM i in 2026

The IBM i platform remains incredibly strong. The key opportunity is helping developers access modern tools, frameworks, and development approaches that allow them to build the next generation of applications.

CHAMPION FOR

IBM Power

First-Time Awardee

Ravisankar Pandian

Senior IBM i Developer

Ravisankar Pandian contributes deep technical expertise in IBM i development and modernization efforts, supporting clients across industries while actively engaging with the broader IBM Power community.

Perspective on IBM i in 2026

AI and automation will play an important role in accelerating development and modernization efforts. The goal is not replacing expertise but empowering developers to work faster and smarter.

A Community That Moves Technology Forward

We congratulate Amit Sharma, Nirmal Khatri, Rahul Pareek, Mike Pavlak, Simon Hutchinson, and Ravisankar Pandian on this well-deserved recognition.  Their leadership represents the very best of the IBM i community.

If you’re interested in learning more about IBM i modernization, development, or how AI is shaping the future of the platform, we invite you to connect with our team and join the conversation.