Stephen Ibaraki
British Columbia, Canada

Vice-Chair, International Board Director, Stephen Ibaraki, MVP, DF/NPA, CNP, FCIPS, I.S.P.

Stephen Ibaraki, MVP, DF/NPA, CNP, FCIPS, I.S.P.  is a 35+ year veteran of Business and IT and serves as the Vice-Chair and Board Director for the international Network Professional Association—advocate for the international Network Computing Professional. Stephen Ibaraki is the Vice-President for the Canadian Information Processing Society beginning in May 2006 and will be the incoming President for the Canadian Information Processing Society in May 2007. Stephen Ibaraki has received more than 20 national and international awards and recognitions. Stephen Ibaraki is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP), Distinguished Fellow of the Network Professional Association (DFNPA), Certified Network Professional (CNP), Fellow of the Canadian Information Processing Society (FCIPS), and Information Systems Professional (I.S.P.).  He has achieved many other professional certifications in his long career. His first experiences with technology occurred in 1965—more than 40 years ago when he built his first analog computer.

In May 2006 Stephen Ibaraki was awarded the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) “Fellow” recognition given only to outstanding leaders and people of influence within the IT Community and “granted only to a select number of individuals from the IT community—those who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of Information Technology.” Fellows can be of any nationality or residency. Stephen Ibaraki is amongst a select group of elite professionals specially selected and elected to be a “founding” Fellow who will form a self-administering council recommending future Fellows. Due to their standing and reputation in industry, business, government, education, media, and information technology, Fellows will influence public policy, education, legislation, and the future of IT, business, and the industry as a whole. A representative sampling of other founding CIPS Fellows include:
Dr. C.C. Gotlieb
Dr. Maria Klawe
Serge Godin 

Microsoft announced officially on January 4^th 2006, that Stephen Ibaraki is the recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award for Windows Server Customer Experience. Stephen Ibaraki is the only Canadian so recognized out of 15 honoured worldwide in this award category:
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile=bf2fce10-19af-45a0-a2f5-f57f666c4280. From Microsoft Corporation: “It is with great pride that we announce that Stephen Ibaraki, MVP, I.S.P., DF/NPA, CNP has been awarded as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP).” MVPs are awarded “for their demonstrated technical expertise, willingness to help others and commitment to technical communities. All of us at Microsoft recognize and appreciate Stephen Ibaraki, MVP, I.S.P., DF/NPA, CNP’s extraordinary contribution and want to take this opportunity to share our excitement with you...MVPs are technology's best and brightest and we are honored to welcome Stephen Ibaraki, MVP, I.S.P., DF/NPA, CNP as one of them.” "Stephen Ibaraki, MVP, I.S.P., DF/NPA, CNP joins a stellar group of individuals from around the world who have demonstrated a willingness to reach out, share their technical expertise with others and help individuals maximize their use of technology."

On December 16th, 2005, and in the two weeks following online, Computing Canada (CC) "formally broke the story" that Stephen Ibaraki is the recipient of the "2005 IT Leadership: Lifetime Achievement Award."

Patricia MacInnis, Editor, Computing Canada: "Stephen Ibaraki is the kind of person who runs directly into the fire, knowing there will be some good coming from the experience. During the course of his career as consultant, mentor, teacher and writer, CC’s Lifetime Achievement honoree often worked 20 hours a day, seven days a week to advance the agenda of Canada’s high-tech industry."

Stephen Ibaraki is the first professional to be awarded this highest honour for the Canadian Business and Technology Industry. The IT Leadership Awards represent the highest of honours for the business technology industry with an estimated size of 500,000 to 800,000 professionals from business, industry, government, media, and education.

The CC awards in association with CIPS "... were created to recognize the achievements of IT professionals whose ideas and works have made a positive impact on their organizations...we continue to hear stories of outstanding leadership, teamwork and overall excellence... Computing Canada’s IT Leadership Awards are the first of their kind, recognizing outstanding achievements at the individual and team level... [from CIPS:] recognizing excellence within the industry ..."

Computing Canada is the largest and most influential No.1 bi-weekly newspaper whose broad audience also includes almost "...40,000 IT managers and decisions-makers in corporate Canada. Established in 1975, it is Canada's longest-standing business technology publication and is considered the best source of news and analysis on technology issues that matter to medium and large Canadian businesses...Computing Canada has the largest editorial team of any Canadian publication in its category, reporting and investigating on news, topics and concerns that affect the management of information systems departments in business, government and educational organizations..."

In January 2006, Computing Canada announced a partnership with Stephen Ibaraki. Computing Canada's new editorial feature, Blogged Down, features Stephen Ibaraki's upcoming interviews in the Canadian IT Managers (CIM) forum. The lead-off interview was with Roger Sessions, CEO and Founder of Object Watch Inc. Roger is considered the world's foremost expert in distributed software architectures.

In November 2005, Stephen Ibaraki received notice from Microsoft that he had been nominated for the MVP (Most Valued Professional) Award due to his work in the technical communities. Earlier, Stephen Ibaraki had been nominated for the Windows IT Pro, MCP Hall of Fame. This recognition also ties into a new IT Managers forum that he was invited to co-host with Microsoft in 2005 serving a world-IT view for IT managers. The web log provides dynamic commentaries, text and audio interviews (podcasts), with video and web casts for the future. Stephen's interview with celebrated computer science professor and Dean of Engineering at Princeton, Dr. Maria Klawe was one of the lead off contributions featuring a discussion about increasing "Woman in IT," and supporting higher enrolment into computing science. The interview is a natural extension to a world computer science faculty summit, sponsored by Microsoft where she served as moderator and fielded questions with Bill Gates. Stephen Ibaraki is also the administrator for Culminis Exchange Support Network portals for both the NPA and CIPS.

Beginning in 2005, Stephen Ibaraki is also serving as an international mentor for the Microsoft IT Academy program where he is helping "students during their early information technology (IT) experience," and supporting, "a life-long learning model of continuous improvement and career development." Together with technology, discussions include job strategies, job opportunities, alternative professional paths; best practices in professional and teaching experiences; networking and user group activities; guidance, and encouragement.  Moreover, this role is extended to college / university faculty members worldwide by providing support and assistance, and giving advice on business and new technologies.

As an acknowledged expert, Stephen Ibaraki's multiple 2006 predictions for the future of business and IT, appear in the well known best selling book series by Mitchell Levy. Published in November 2005, only the top selections from global experts are featured in the book:  http://happyabout.info/economy.php. Contributors from last year's book were published in a thought piece that went out to 10,000 CEOs.

Stephen Ibaraki was elected as a NPA Board Director in January 2005 to a four-year maximum term to the US-based international Network Professional Association (the only director outside of the US). He serves as a Director on the NPA Certification and Accreditation Board and on the Editorial Board where he also contributes as Managing Editor and Writer for NPA publications.

Stephen Ibaraki, after a worldwide search for finalists, was the inaugural recipient of the international NPA lifetime Career Achievement Award for Professionalism, presented at the Networld+Interop Conference Las Vegas in 2002. This honor represents the highest of international awards for the global networking industry with an estimated size of more than 20-50 million professionals from business, industry, government, media, and education in more than 100 countries. Moreover the lifetime Career Achievement Award represents outstanding lifetime business/technology achievements and contributions, integrity, and professionalism in the industry. Stephen Ibaraki is the only international recipient of this highest honor amongst elite global nominee finalists that have included top “Fellows” and “Distinguished Engineers.” The industry sector “Awards for Professionalism” were founded by the Network Professional Association in 2002, with cooperation and support from industry leaders including: Networld+Interop / Interop Las Vegas (largest international conference in networking, the internet, security, and communications); Network World magazine, Network Computing magazine (the leading publications in this sector); Pearson Technology Group Publishing (world’s largest publisher); Microsoft; and Novell (participated in judging for 2005). The judging by the independent international panel represents the leaders in the industry.

In 2005, Stephen Ibaraki was elected to be an international "Distinguished Fellow." In January of 2006, Stephen Ibaraki is formally announced in the NPA newsletter as amongst the first of four to be elected and awarded the international "Distinguished Fellow” recognition. The Distinguished Fellow (DF) award which is also the international Hall of Fame for the global networking industry, represents the highest of honours with an estimated size of more than 20-50 million professionals from business, industry, government, media, and education in more than 100 countries. Stephen Ibaraki was awarded this honor due to his:

 "...significant contributions to the IT industry and work as an outstanding, prominent, and distinguished professional in the networking industry sector (encompassing the internet, mobile computing, telecommunications, security, networking, business continuity/disaster recovery, interoperability, privacy/identity, …)..Fellows represent the “Hall of Fame” of the Networking Industry and Profession...Fellows are a class above in the IT Profession and Industry, demonstrating professionalism in service, contribution or leadership of network computing..."

Moreover, Stephen Ibaraki is an invited founding member to the international College of Distinguished Fellows and now serving as a Chairman of the NPA Distinguished Fellows Board and international College of Distinguished Fellows.

In 2005, Stephen Ibaraki was the first professional awarded the “new and updated” CNP [Certified Network Professional] designation from the NPA which is the networking industry’s first professional designation and more than a certification:

"... the only internationally recognized premier program in the Information Technology and Networking Profession in which the designation says it all. The [Trademarked] CNP is more than a standard certification but a professional credential or accreditation. A professional standard for the IT Industry defined by a Code of Ethics and a one-stop reference source...The CNP program’s designation stands for recognition, honor, excellence, respect, quality service, demonstrated verified experience, and certifiability, a representation of proven established skills and influential knowledge in the Industry Sector of Networking and Information Technology…The CNP designation serves as the seal of distinction beyond other vendor certifications and brings together all aspects of what it takes to be recognized as an IT professional. The CNP designation fills a void in the technology industry, to recognize individuals as IT professionals complete with experience, education, ethics, stability and knowledge. More than a certification, the CNP is the seal of approval for employers seeking qualified IT professionals..."

Stephen Ibaraki has been interviewed widely in the business and IT press as an international expert in more than 50 areas of business and technology where he believes strongly in having the NPA represented as the leading voice for network computing internationally, and for CIPS as the voice of the IT profession in Canada. One example is an interview for iQ magazine published by Cisco in 2006 where Stephen Ibaraki provides best practices for attracting, hiring, and retaining IT professionals for advanced networking projects. Other examples in January 2006 alone include Stephen Ibaraki being interviewed by ComputerWorld, NetworkWorld Canada and by Microsoft.

In May 2006, Stephen Ibaraki is elected by acclamation as CIPS Vice-President which transitions to CIPS President in 2007 and then CIPS Past-President in 2008—serving on the Executive Committee of the CIPS National Board for 2006, 2007, 2008; and in 2005 on the CIPS National Board as Director-at-Large. As a CIPS member and in his prior works, Stephen Ibaraki has contributed more than 500 book reviews, books, articles, papers, web-casts, blogs, and interviews with leading international experts in business and technology which appear on the CIPS national web-site and CIPS Connections newsletter. Since 1991, Stephen Ibaraki has been an international evangelist of the Information Systems Professional of Canada (I.S.P.) designation – previously you could also find his support for the legislated professional designation on the back of the CIPS membership card. He will continue this mission with the NPA Certified Network Professional (CNP) designation internationally, as the premier networking credential. As CIPS, Director-at-large, Stephen Ibaraki served on the Editorial Board of CIPS Across Canada (CaC) magazine, and the Advocacy Committee. He is also supporting IT professionalism and accreditation programs.

In 2001, Stephen Ibaraki was the recipient of the CIPS Gary Hadford Award, the highest of awards for individual professional achievement which includes a concurrent induction into the CIPS Hall of Fame.

This award was given in recognition of Stephen’s writings, his skill and experience to the IT industry as a researcher, consultant, and advisor to the media, and his “outstanding achievements in fields related to information processing and high degree of competence in his field”.

[Who is CIPS (Canadian Information Processing Society) today? This blog posting from June 2, 2006, and related links provide a snapshot of where CIPS is situated today: http://blogs.technet.com/cdnitmanagers/archive/2006/06/02/431974.aspx

CIPS (pronounced Kips), is the largest, oldest, and most influential "Canadian" voice of the IT practitioner and a strong advocate of professionalism.

With its nearly 50-year history, CIPS is a founding member and board member of the IFIP (International Federation of Information Processing) which consists of the official IT societies in more than 60 countries. Moreover CIPS holds two board seats with the international US-based ICCP (Institute for the Certification of Computing Professionals); an affiliate membership with the South East Asia Regional Computer Federation; holds formal ties with the British, Australian, and New Zealand Computer Societies; has relationships with major associations, and accreditation groups. CIPS is also very well respected globally and for this reason CIPS was granted and then hosted the biennial IFIP World Computing Congress in 2002. With ties to this organization (IFIP) and to major government, industry, and academic bodies, the installation of new initiatives goes through a rigorous due diligence process since what CIPS does has implications that go far beyond the society. For example, actions CIPS' takes can affect new government legislation, international trade law, academic programs, employment standards, relations with other professional bodies, new industry initiatives, and even items like the GATS agreement and the EPA (Emergency Preparedness Act).  CIPS also has the only government legislated professional designation (called the I.S.P.-Information Systems Professional) akin to the designations found in the accounting, legal, medical, and engineering professions. The I.S.P. (Information Systems Professional) designation/certification from CIPS integrates computer science, information systems, business, and demonstrated high-end professional-level practice and development. Moreover, CIPS has an accreditation program for universities and colleges. 44% of the membership are managers and officers in organizations and the membership represents more than 2000 corporations, government agencies, and other entities. In addition, CIPS hosts the largest educational professionalism conference in Canada for the IT Industry: INFORMATICS. ] 

Stephen Ibaraki is also an invited international industry expert for the US-based international Council of Advisors Gerson Lehrman Group, and the Society of Industry Leaders Vista Research group [which is a business unit of Standard & Poors]. In June 2005, he was invited as a founding leader of the Canadian Leadership Council for Culminis which [as of June 2005] is the largest IT Pro organization uniting more than 2800 user groups in 31 countries and 800,000 members. Other appointments include the board of directors for a Microsoft-profiled human resource management software company, chairman of an internationally-profiled web development company, directorships in several international companies including in the fast growing China sector (where he is also the chief strategy/alliance officer in the No.1 ranked new media company with 20,000 Research Analysts for 2006), membership in the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD, an appointment to the Advisory Board of Application Development Trends Magazine, invitations to the Microsoft Research Panel and Silicon Research Panel, and an appointment to the Advisory Board of the Prithvi Institute, a registered and established NGO working at the grass-roots level in India for the empowerment of people, rural economic development, training new leaders including with technology, and developing medical services in more than 300 villages. With Prithvi, Stephen Ibaraki is also providing funding support and his executive team led by the CTO is providing technical services.

In 2001, Industry Canada and the Information Technology Association of Canada representing the top 1300 corporations in computing, telecommunications software services, and electronic content awarded Stephen Ibaraki the IT Hero Award. They had this to say:

“Ibaraki has spent his entire career in the IT Industry and worked consistently on the leading edge of technology. He received the World Computer All Star award early on and has continued winning awards since. He could easily ride his talent and expertise to fame and fortune, yet the majority of his time, effort and resources go to his students...Stephen has consistently received the highest teaching evaluation scores. He has also earned the Top Teacher Award. He has freely shared his research…Throughout his career Stephen has excelled. Yet what is so unique about him is the amount of time and effort he freely gives to help others. Whether it is in the classroom or on a consulting assignment he never misses an opportunity to help others understand how things work in the world of technology.”

In 2004, Stephen Ibaraki’s executive team received IT Hero recognition from Culminis for their work in sponsoring entrepreneurship amongst college students. Earlier in his career, Datatech Systems Ltd (now part of EDS), the largest Canadian IT outsourcing, field service, mini/micro OEM, and research company awarded Stephen Ibaraki the national "All Star Team Award". Moreover, Stephen Ibaraki received selection as one of the top writers in science and technology by the Western Magazine Foundation.

Microsoft has profiled Stephen Ibaraki for "leading the industry," and he appears profiled internationally on their web site as a featured Microsoft Certified Professional.  In 2005, Stephen Ibaraki was nominated for the MCP Hall of Fame, sponsored by the leading IT Pro publication in the Microsoft Windows sector.

Stephen Ibaraki's business and technology research consultancy reports and articles reach more than 10,000 enterprises worldwide. He has authored and contributed to countless books, guides, research papers, and articles published in electronic and/or print form that have appeared worldwide and have been used for colleges, and he has developed software packages—much of it given freely, without providing authorship to foster sharing/re-use. Speaking requests include Networld+Interop, Comdex Las Vegas, WorldExpo WowGao conferences. Stephen Ibaraki also ensures he takes time to speak to communities and to students.  He has also served in the elite capacity as a certification exam author.

In 2005, Stephen Ibaraki spoke [Virtually] on Strategic Planning for the NPA AGM at the Networld+Interop conference in Vegas. Previously, Stephen Ibaraki presented on Building Business Models for Web Services at Comdex Las Vegas. He led all ten briefings over two days in London at an international conference for enterprises sponsored by Xephon, the leading European technical and marketing research organization serving 10,000 enterprises in over 80 countries. They had this to say:

Personally invited by the executive team and profiled as “world renowned” by Smartforce [now known as Skillsoft], the world's leading e-learning company, Stephen Ibaraki was one of the first to lead numerous global video broadcasts and live Q&A on leading-edge technology designs and business implementations to 2500 enterprise clients, and nearly 5 million users. His weekly discussions with leading CEOs/CIOs, senior business executives, business and technology experts plus articles also appear before the NPA, Pearson newsletters, InformIT, WorldExpo Conferences, Myst, Culminis, Xephon and recently with ChinaValue.NET (No.1 new media channel in China), China Information World (No.1 business/IT newspaper), CCIDNET (No.1 business/IT professional web site), …and so on. His business predictions were selected from amongst the world's best experts for CEOnetworking's top ten business trends and by the marketing portal TechTransform.

Stephen Ibaraki has taught extensively as a college faculty member in business and computing for 25 years earning an Excellence in Teaching Award, the Most Inspirational Instructor Award, and perfect teaching evaluations. He designed curriculum, entire programs, and taught courses related to computer science (programming logic, assembler, C, C++, VB, operating systems, data communications, Unix), information systems (business systems, SQL databases, networks, Microsoft, Novell, micro applications), and business (advertising multi-media support, marketing, quantitative methods or financial math). Various duties included as senior faculty, technical manager of advanced professional programs, head of research of advanced professional programs, computing convener [akin to computing head].

Stephen Ibaraki designed and implemented the first client/server labs sponsored by Chevron/Hitachi and featured in the media, the first industry/academic/CIPS accredited programs, and received letters of commendation and/or recommendation from the college board chair, college president, dean and has been profiled in college publications for his achievements. In 2002, he was invited to present at the World Computing Congress, the only Canadian college faculty member and company chairman invited to do so. In 2005, his work was cited along side Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web and the current director of the World Web Consortium (W3C), in a paper on the Semantic Web by the Boeing Phantom Works for the W3C.

Earlier Stephen Ibaraki graduated from college in Canada completing undergraduate studies in science, engineering, and accounting. Amongst his notable achievements he received a scholarship as an outstanding, top-ranking science student as well as one from the defense command for his academic scholarship and as a future leader. Stephen Ibaraki went on to achieve his government legislated IT credentialing, the I.S.P. professional designation/accreditation from CIPS (which integrates computer science, information systems, business, and demonstrated high-end professional-level practice and development). Stephen Ibaraki also undertook graduate studies in business  from the UK and in Canada. In his Masters studies, he achieved an unprecedented official 100% (101.257% unofficially). Stephen Ibaraki also has achieved major industry certifications from Microsoft, Novell, and others.

Stephen Ibaraki currently serves on corporate, non-profit, and governmental boards as a specialist in business planning, strategic planning, alliances/mergers/acquisitions, finance and human resources, corporate/IT governance oversight, regulatory compliance, and information technology. Stephen has a 40-year history with technology with a background spanning three decades in executive management, marketing, advising trade organizations in transition, as senior college faculty teaching IT and business, starting companies, writing, speaking, hardware design, software design, and consulting.

Stephen has a 35-year proven history of success with business and technology:

1. 30-years in leadership positions in business and technology including a sound background in strategic planning: Board Chairman, Board Director, Director, DP Manager, Speaking on Strategic Planning, Founding Companies/Entrepreneurship, Advising on Merger and Acquisitions
2. 30-years working with diverse communities: non-profit, user groups, charities, Web 2.0 forums, educational groups, media, business, industry, government
3. 30-years in innovation: creating new technologies/software, authoring guides/books, speaking at conferences, leveraging new media channels, conducting the first global webcasts
4. 25-years of 3rd-party recognition/awards in every job he has undertaken as a versatilist or multi-specialist with a strong business foundation (examples are provided in the profile)
5. 25-years teaching business and technology, retiring in 2004 from the degree-granting, publicly funded CC School of Business; with a teaching history including curriculum in: marketing, multi-media, math and finance, computer science, information systems, business systems, disaster recovery. His final four teaching years were with the Information Management Unit and his final teaching load was quantitative methods (financial math), business systems, disaster recovery, and office productivity systems
6. 25-years communicating effective business and technology strategies to print and online publications, trade organizations and research groups via articles, interviews, and papers. Stephen is interviewed regularly and serves as a strategic advisor to international groups as an expert in 50 areas of information communication technology.

Organizational agility is driven by an effective Information Strategy. Stephen’s diverse background enables business agility and he is a highly differentiated asset providing value to the many organizations that he serves. Stephen understands people, process, business, technology, leadership, management, effective information strategic planning and alignment to strategic goals.

Hall of Fame inductee, Stephen Ibaraki I.S.P., CNP, DF/NPA is a multi-award-winning 35-year+ information technology and business researcher, industry analyst, writer, and veteran college educator for the School of Business (retired in 2004).

Amongst the many thousands of companies, past advisory roles in business strategy, marketing, and technology include:

• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the world’s leading legal firm serving the technology and investment sector headquartered in Palo Alto California ($260B in M&A transactions, $90B in equity/debt offerings);
• 3000+ corporate member Canadian Office Products Association;
• Atomic Energy of Canada, the world's largest producer of radiopharmaceuticals;
• Telecommunications groups such as BC TEL;
• ASEA, one of the world's largest manufacturing groups; and
• Federal Business Development Bank.