Werner Zieleznik
Senior IT Program Manager & Management Consultant | z/OS Focus
Leading global mainframe infrastructure projects for Fortune 500 companies and top financial institutions — with 35+ years of deep technical and leadership expertise.
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At a Glance
Four decades of experience managing complex z/OS environments, cross-functional teams, and multi-million-euro programs for global enterprises.
35+
Years in IT
From mainframe programming to senior program management
€40M+
Budget Managed
Largest single engagement portfolio across global clients
80
FTEs Led
Cross-functional international teams at peak project scale
20K+
Users Impacted
UBS transatlantic data centre consolidation alone
Delivering authoritative mainframe expertise to organisations that demand excellence.
With a proven track record across international high-availability environments, this practice offers senior-level z/OS consultancy tailored to the precise needs of each client engagement.
Targeted resource augmentation
Organisations responsible for z/OS environments frequently encounter resource constraints, project-driven demand peaks, or the requirement for interim technical leadership. This practice provides precisely scoped engagements — from specialist staff augmentation to short-term project management — drawing on extensive international experience within mission-critical infrastructure environments.
ISV migration consultancy
ISV migrations within z/OS environments have become an increasingly prominent area of consultancy, particularly where complex contractual frameworks are involved. It is a widely underappreciated fact that virtually all ISV products are capable of migration and replacement within z/OS. Furthermore, many products can operate in parallel for extended periods, affording clients the opportunity to conduct direct comparative evaluations and substantially mitigate transition risk.
Centralised maintenance distribution
Software distribution within complex z/OS environments frequently reflects accumulated legacy practices that impede operational efficiency. Since 1998, IBM has invested continuously in parameterisation capabilities — most notably System Symbols — to address this challenge. Through the appropriate combination of tooling and architectural configuration, maintenance can be distributed efficiently from a centralised repository across Sysplex boundaries, delivering consistency, governance, and long-term operational resilience.
Core Competencies
Project & Program Management
Senior IT Program Manager and Management Consultant with extensive experience leading global z/OS infrastructure projects
IT Infrastructure & Data Centre Migrations —
end-to-end lifecycle delivery
Regulatory Compliance —
BAFIN, FCA, GDPR-driven infrastructure projects
Risk Management —
and cross-functional team leadership across geographies
Architectural Frameworks —
TOGAF, Agile, Six Sigma, ITIL, Change Management
Technical Expertise
z/OS Systems Programming — Sysplex, GDPS, SMP/E, RACF, DFSMS, Assembler, REXX
Security Infrastructure — RACF/IAM/RBAC migrations
ISV Product migrations — Specialised on ISV product migrations for cost reduction
Data Centre Consolidation — outsourcing, relocation, cloud transition
Architectural Frameworks —
TOGAF, Agile, Six Sigma, ITIL, Change Management
Centralised software maintenance —
from a central repository across Sysplex boundaries.
Key Achievements
Landmark engagements that defined careers, transformed institutions, and moved mainframes across continents.
Deutsche Bank — BAFIN Regulatory Project
Managed full lifecycle of BAFIN regulatory infrastructure project. Budget: €3M. Team: 30 FTE. Ensured compliance across complex mainframe environments.
UBS AG — Transatlantic DC Consolidation
Led consolidation of USA and UK data centres to Switzerland — 10 mainframe systems, 20,000 users migrated seamlessly across international boundaries.
Siemens AG — Global DC Consolidation
Spearheaded consolidation across US, Taiwan, and Belgium to Germany — 8,000 users impacted. Coordinated multi-region teams with precision and zero service disruption.
TSS to RACF Migration
Delivered complex TSS-to-RACF security migration in a multi-Sysplex environment for a major German insurance company — a technically demanding, mission-critical transformation.
Career Timeline
A continuous trajectory of increasing responsibility — from permanent technical roles to founding and leading consultancy firms across Europe and beyond.
1
1980–1993
Permanent IT Positions
Candle Corp Munich & LA, BBV Insurance, Vereinte (Allianz), Siemens AG
2
1993–2005
C.O.P.S. GmbH, Germany
Owner & Senior PM — clients include UBS AG, Beta Systems Software AG, Siemens AG, Candle Corporation (Now IBM), DPC Data Pioneer Ltd, Océ Printing Systems, GBM (IBM Dubai), German Trade Association, Bavarian State Ministry for Nutrition, Agriculture and Forestry
3
2005–2012
Freelance IT Consultant
UBS AG Switzerland, Euroclear Belgium, RBS UK — major security and infrastructure engagements
4
2013–2022
z/Minds Consultancy LTD, UK
Founder & Owner — clients include IBM(multiple encounters), Co-Operative Bank, US-Software company
5
2022–Present
24ZOS LTD & z/Mente S.L.
Owner/MD — ISV replacements, RACF conversion, z/OS Systems Programming across EU & UK
Notable Client Engagements
Current Services — 24ZOS
Operating across the EU and UK, Werner's current firms deliver hands-on z/OS consultancy and project management for enterprise clients with mission-critical mainframe environments.
ISV Replacement & Migration
End-to-end program management for ISV product replacements on z/OS to address cost reduction issues.
Security Migrations
TSS to RACF conversions in complex multi-Sysplex environments — recently delivered for a German insurance company.
z/OS Systems Programming
Base System, Sysplex, DFSMS, and RACF — full systems programming services for enterprise mainframe environments.
Project Management Advisory
PMP-certified leadership for complex infrastructure programs — budgets, timelines, risk, and regulatory compliance.
Technical Stack
A deep and current toolset spanning IBM mainframe infrastructure, security, storage, performance management, and project delivery platforms.
Mainframe & z/OS Core
IBM Mainframe, z/OS, SYSPLEX, GDPS, JES2, FICON, USS, WLM, SMP/E, OMEGAMON II, RMF, DFsms
Security & Access
RACF, RACF/IAM, TSS, security infrastructure hardening, compliance-driven access management
Storage & Data Management
DFSMSdfp, DFSMShsm, VSAM, SDSF — enterprise-grade data management and storage optimization
PM & Delivery Tools
JIRA, ServiceNow, MS Project, Clarity — full PMO toolkit for complex program governance
Training & Development
Certifications & Frameworks
Credentials That Deliver
Werner holds the globally recognized PMP® certification from PMI and applies industry-leading frameworks on every engagement — ensuring structured, risk-aware delivery from day one.
PMP® — Project Management Professional
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Six Sigma & TOGAF
Process optimization and enterprise architecture frameworks
Agile & PMBOK
Adaptive delivery methodologies for complex programs
GDPR & DR/BCP
Regulatory compliance and business continuity planning
Languages
Communication Across Borders
Operating seamlessly across European and international engagements with native fluency in two major business languages.
English
Native / Bilingual proficiency
German
Native / Bilingual proficiency
Spanish
Elementary — based in EU (Spain)
Let's Work Together
Available for senior z/OS project management and consultancy engagements across the EU and UK. Whether you need a PMP-certified PM for a complex mainframe migration or a trusted technical architect for a regulatory compliance program, Werner brings decades of proven delivery.
📞 Phone
+34 636 85 6650
✉️ Email
werner.zieleznik@24zos.com
🌐 LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/werner24zos
📍 Location
EU (Spain) & UK — available internationally