Cristina Woodbridge is the Worldwide IT Architect Profession Leader and an Executive IT Architect in IBM. Her responsibilities include managing the ongoing IT Architect professional development programs deployed worldwide in IBM, reviewing and approving skill and experience requirements, professional education, and certification programs to ensure geography and business unit consistency and maintenance of profession standards and vitality.

Cristina is an IBM Certified IT Architect and a member of the IBM Americas IT Architect Certification Review Board. She is an Open Group Master Certified IT Architect by and is the Certification Program Manager for IBM's Open Group Accredited IT Architect Certification program. She has also participated as a board member for The Open Group Direct Certification boards.

Cristina has more than twenty-five years experience in the IT industry. She began her IBM career in Argentina. Her background includes various technical and managerial roles in and outside of IBM. She was Lead Architect for the IBM Healthcare practice in the Western United States before assuming her current responsibilities. She has a strong background in the profession specializing in Application Architecture.

Presentation
Becoming an IT Architect

The IT Architect defines solutions to client business problems through the reasoned application of information technology. Those solutions are manifested as architectures and can include systems, applications and process components.

Enterprise and IT Architects today play a key role in helping every enterprise succeed. Looking at The Open Group Conformance requirements for Master Certified IT Architects, the candidates must be able to perform independently and take responsibility for delivery of systems and solutions as lead architects and have had repeated success at delivering architectures. How does one start to develop the skills and experiences to be a successful IT Architect?

This presentation will define the key attributes of an IT Architect and the areas of experience that an IT Architect must acquire. It will provide recommendations on how these experiences may be broken down into a more granular and manageable level for professionals wanting to develop as an IT Architect. The information presented can be used by developing IT Architects, mentors and those responsible for the career development of IT Architects.

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