Meena Chand
Mainframe Performance & Capacity Graduate Analyst | IBM Champion 2026 | Co-Lead, Women in AI UK | LFX’25 Mentee, OMP | TechChannel Rising Star 2025
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Meena Chand, MBCS, is a Mainframe Performance & Capacity Graduate Analyst at SMT Data, IBM Champion 2026, and TechChannel Rising Star 2025. Her journey into mainframe began through the GS UK WAVEZ Student Scholarship, which gave her her first introduction to the world of enterprise computing and set her on the path she walks today.
Growing up in Nepal, she earned full scholarships from school through to her undergraduate degree, won the National Debate Championship, and eventually made her way to the UK to build a career at the heart of enterprise technology.
She holds a Postgraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Wolverhampton and completed the Open Mainframe Project LFX Mentorship Programme (2025) with the Linux Foundation, contributing to the COBOL Crisis initiative and working to bridge the skills gap in legacy systems vital to global enterprises.
At the IBM GS UK Conference 2024, Meena and her team won the prestigious Capture the Flag (CTF) competition, solving real z/OS security and performance challenges. She also holds the IBM Z Xplore All-Star badge, demonstrating advanced proficiency in mainframe technologies.
Prior to joining SMT Data, Meena gained over a year of hands-on experience working across IBM i and Power Systems environments, software development, and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions. She worked on a range of real-world projects including Smart Hydroponics Control Systems built using Node-RED and MicroPython, AI-powered plant health detection systems, and scalable modules across data analytics and education technology. This breadth of enterprise and emerging technology experience gave her a strong foundation in how critical systems are designed, integrated, and optimised across different platforms.
Now specialising in mainframe performance and capacity management at SMT Data, a global leader in this field, her focus is on analysing enterprise-level performance data, supporting capacity planning, and optimising resource utilisation to help organisations make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Beyond her technical work, Meena serves as Education Co-Lead at Women in AI UK and is a regular tech speaker, having presented at BCS Hertfordshire, the University of Wolverhampton, Ravensbourne University, Kathmandu University, and Broadway Infosys. She was awarded a fully funded scholarship by Black Talent & Leadership in STEM to complete the DEI Leadership Programme at Homerton College, University of Cambridge, and received the Oxford GEE Award for Technology Leadership and Community Building.
She founded the Kisori Scholarship Programme, providing free education and mentorship to underprivileged girls in Nepal, the work closest to her heart.
Her motto: Lead with strength. Serve with heart.
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Area of Expertise
Unlocking the Power of Mainframes: A Beginner’s Journey
This session will introduce key concepts in mainframe technology, focusing on how new learners and graduates can start their journey in IBM Z and enterprise computing. I will share insights from my experience, including winning the CTF competition at GSE UK Conference 2024, earning the IBM Z Xplore All-Star badge, and exploring modern mainframe applications. Attendees will learn about career opportunities in mainframes, essential skills, and hands-on learning resources.
The UK Dream: Technology, Research, and Leadership Through an International Lens
Stepping into the UK as an international student is more than just a change of address. It is a leap into new cultures, opportunities, and challenges. My journey from classrooms and research labs to industry projects has been a blend of curiosity, resilience, and discovery.
In this session, I will take you behind the scenes of that journey. I will share how academic projects became stepping stones to real-world innovation, how leadership opportunities shaped my voice, and how research fueled my passion for technology with purpose. Along the way, I will offer reflections on cultural transitions, professional hurdles, and the mindset shifts that turned challenges into growth.
Attendees will walk away with practical insights on building technical expertise while staying adaptable, using research as a bridge between academia and industry, developing leadership skills that resonate across cultures, and making the most of opportunities to stand out in a competitive global market.
This is not only my story. It is also a roadmap for anyone who aspires to shape their career at the intersection of technology, research, and leadership.
Breaking Into the Mainframe World: A Beginner’s Journey from Zero to Z
Mainframes are powerful systems that run banks, airlines, and governments. But for many students and beginners, they feel confusing or hard to access. In this session, I will share my story of how I entered the mainframe world as a student with no prior experience.
I’ll talk about how I started learning through IBM Z Xplore, how I won the Catch the Flag competition at the GSE UK Conference, and how I was selected for the Open Mainframe mentorship program (Addressing the COBOL Crisis). I’ll also explain simple ways for students and young professionals to begin their mainframe journey—step by step.
This session is perfect for beginners who want to understand what mainframes are, why they matter, and how to build a career in this space.
Unlocking the Power of Mainframes: A Beginner’s Journey
Mainframes run the world’s most important systems, but many people don’t know much about them. This session is for beginners who want to learn what mainframes are, how they are used, and why they are important.
I will share my journey—from first learning about mainframes through the IBM GSE UK scholarship to earning the IBM Z Xplore All-Star badge in just three weeks. I also won a global Catch the Flag (CTF) competition using z/OS. This session will help you understand mainframes and how you can build a career in this field.
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