Alex Conn
Dr. Alex Paul Conn, Managing Partner, brings over 40 years of experience in computer systems architecture and design, with a strong background in methodologies that help bridge the gap between enterprise needs and computer-based technologies. His focus on Rapid and Sustained Value is an outgrowth of both research and practical work on critical system qualities ranging from security and business continuity to internationalization and interoperability. He has a strong interest in ensuring that technology-based solutions align with existing “ways of doing things,” thus minimizing the degree of disruption introduced by new systems architectures and the policies and governance associated with them. Alex validated many of these ideas at a telecommunications-oriented startup, where he and his colleagues practiced an early form of agile, adaptive architecting while developing and deploying mobile device interfaces and the supporting information and navigation architectures.
He established a solution architecture methodology for a large telecommunications firm by carefully surveying top practitioners and integrating corporate-specific best practices into the curriculum and courses that he delivered worldwide. In these courses, he explored the need to recognize and respond to threats from disruptive technologies, market shifts, and from third party partners who might seize opportunities to alter established value chain relationships. As a “hands on” manager of technical offices and as a high-level technical architect and consultant at multi-national computer and telecommunications firms, Alex brought clarity to a wide range of architectural practices by creating models, white papers, and technical presentations on new technologies and emerging practices. He played a central role in defining a pioneering solution architecture program including delivering highly successful workshops and training symposia that often incorporated high-profile customers.
Alex received his Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley in computer science with a dissertation that focused on language constructs for gathering and representing early requirements for large-scale reliable software systems. His earlier degrees in engineering and computer graphics at Dartmouth College and Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering exposed him to its famous business and creative “methods engineering” approaches. Alex is TOGAF® 9 Certified. He has also received the CISSP® (Information Systems Security Professional) certification.
Alex has a strong interest in music ranging from classical to folk, rock, blues, Latin, etc. He enjoys playing music by ear on the piano and keyboards, but has also recently focused on classical guitar. He is delighted that his two young grandchildren are already showing a love for music and dance. He and his wife both like films and photography and love to travel and create photobooks of their adventures and of the family.
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