Content - vmug

Each UserCon has an agenda that is customized to the VMware users in its geographic area. While each UserCon's agenda might look different, we can guarantee to give you great keynote speakers, 16+ sessions by VMware experts, partners, and community speakers. On top of that, we offer hands-on labs, plenty of time to network, lots of fun, and prizes throughout the day at each and every event. Still not convinced? Check out some of our regular speakers and see the caliber of hands-on education you can receive at a UserCon near you.

EVENTs NEAR ME

Regular Speakers

Again, each UserCon agenda is unique to its city, so please check the agenda and event information for each event to see which speakers will be attending a UserCon near you.

VMware Speakers

Chris Wolf

Chris serves as CTO, Global Field and Industry at VMware. In that role, he is responsible for helping to shape VMware’s long term technology vision, while ensuring that Research and Development priorities align with customer and industry needs. Wolf’s team drives thought leadership and industry alignment in a number of emerging areas, including Cloud, Edge, IoT, server platforms, HPC, and NFV. Chris also leads VMware’s 140+ member CTO Ambassador program, which further scales VMware R&D to customers and the technology community at large.

Sanjay Poonen

Sanjay Poonen joined VMware in August 2013 and is responsible for worldwide sales, services, alliances, marketing and communications.

Previously, Poonen held the role of executive vice president and general manager for the End-User Computing business unit at VMware. In this role, he was responsible for strategy, products, engineering, marketing and sales across all of VMware's End-User Computing offerings.

Prior to SAP, Poonen held executive roles at Symantec, VERITAS and Informatica, and he began his career as a software engineer at Microsoft, followed by Apple.

Chris McCain

Chris McCain a Director in the Networking and Security Technologist group at VMware. In addition to being a dual VCDX in DCV and NV Chris is also a VMware Certified Instructor and holds numerous other industry certifications. Chris joined VMware in December of 2013 to help build the NSX training and certification portfolio after 15 years of running his own consulting, training, and content development company. Chris lives in St Petersburg, FL with his wife and two sons.

Kyle Ruddy

Kyle Ruddy is a Senior Technical Marketing Architect working for VMware R&D in the Cloud Platform Business Unit. Kyle currently focuses on vSphere and VMware Cloud on AWS automation and the associated automation frameworks including all things API, CLI, and SDK. Kyle is also a Microsoft MVP and long-term vExpert whom can be found blogging on his personal blog and several VMware blogs. His Twitter is @kmruddy.

Amanda Blevins

Amanda Blevins, Sr. Director and Chief Technologist, Office of the CTO at VMware, leads multiple programs that connect customers and partners to R&D to drive business and technology success for all VMware customers and partners. She speaks across the world in customer briefings, industry events, and partner events and leads digital transformation across all industries. Amanda also focuses on driving solutions based on Machine Learning and other emerging technologies. She has been in the IT field for over 20 years holding roles such as infrastructure administrator, technical architect, enterprise architect, and transformation consultant.

Her first role within VMware was Sr. Systems Engineer in the field organization in 2010. Amanda became VMware’s first female Principal Systems Engineer a few years later. As VMware’s first and only female Chief Technologist, she leverages her experience and network to increase awareness and action in STEM fields for girls and young women.

Community Speakers

Tony Gonzalez

Jesus "Tony" Gonzalez is VMware enthusiast who joined the VMUG in 2006 and became the leader of the South Florida chapter in 2009. He has since been awarded vExpert for the last 10 years, the VMUG Service Award in 2015, and has achieved VCAP5-DCD, VCAP5-DCA, VCP6-DCV, VCP5-DCV, VCP4-DCV, VCP3, VCP7-DTM, VCP6-DTM, VCP5-DT, VCP-NV 2019, VCP6-NV, VCP-Cloud.

He has presented at several VMUG UserCons as well as at local VMUG meetings for South Florida and Miami. He is one of the co-writers of vDiagram. He loves the vCommunity and Twitter interaction: @vDiagram_Tony or @vDiagramProject or @SouthFLVMUG

Chris Hildebrandt

Chris currently works for Abbott in the Rapid Diagnostics division and runs their Global VDI deployment. He has been an vExpert since 2014 and a EUC Champion since 2019. His primary focus in his job is Horizon based with a minor in Infrastructure, but he has been known to throw out some decent code from time to time. He is shifting his skill set from being primary Horizon / Infrastructure to more Horizon Automation and Infrastructure Automation with a Twist of security in there. You can follow him at @childebrandt42 on Twitter.