IBM Ukraine

Today, the team went to the IBM office located here in Kyiv.  After an "interesting" cab ride (read as drivers drive where they want here, they make their own lanes, squeezing their cars into spaces that we would never consider back home and often the traffic lights apply only to someone else), we arrived at the office which was located on the other side town (or so it seemed).  I have to say that with the couple of cab rides I've had here, I've never arrived late anywhere.
 
IBM Ukraine has only been at this site for two years now and the views are just spectacular.  You can see the Olympic Stadium, the railway (and the building next to it is where Dell and CISCO are located) and behind the building is this beautiful cemetery.

I don't think I've every seen a more pristine and cared for cemetery.  The organization of the plots is well laid out and the color of the crypts and flowers are just amazing and in one picture you can see two women tending to the graves.  I've never seen such care given to those who have passed, it really made me pause for a minute and just admire it all.

The meeting today was with the General Manager for Ukraine, Penko Dinev, and his Senior Leadership Team.  I had met Penko a few days ago when Paul (Australia) arranged for him to come and meet the two of us in a preparation meeting for getting the CSC team together with the IBM Ukraine Team.  He was gracious to take time out of his schedule to meet two lowly Band 9s / 8s and when he found out I was in Hardware Development, he offered to show me all the hardware he had on-site.

Of course I wasn't going to pass up that opportunity and after the meet / greet session I took full advantage of his offer and checked out his "briefing center" with all the IBM hardware, although I was not happy to see more xSeries systems then Power systems, that will have to change.  It should come as no surprise that I was brazen enough (or perhaps confident, or just giddy about this whole experience) to ask the GM to pose for some pictures, in his corner office to boot!  Penko also put me in touch with his Power Sales Team and I did some Q & A with them on our Power products.  I realize this sounds boring for those at home (and possibly for some of those of you at work) but I felt like it was my first client meeting and I was going to make the most of it.

At the request of my boss (again), I made sure to get another picture of a work outfit and since I knew I didn't have to walk far today I even put on my high-heels.  It was a fun morning and at some point this weekend I will type up my notes and send them back to the office.