Mark Ernest  IBM Global Technology Services, 903 Israel Creek Court, Knoxville MD 21758 (lernestus.ibm.com). Mr. Ernest is the Chief Technology Officer for the Server Service Product Line (SPL) within Global Technology Services (GTS). In addition, he is a member of the IBM Academy of Technology and the GTS Architecture Board and serves on the core teams of the IT Optimization, Enterprise Systems Management, and IT Cost and Value communities of practice. Collectively, these groups are responsible for creating many of the IT consulting-related work products, tools, and techniques. Prior to being named CTO for the Server SPL, Mr. Ernest's primary focus was on leading the team responsible for the development, evolution, and application of IT optimization methodology. He led the team that created the CBMBoIT and its predecessor the IBM IT Process Model. He is also a certified ITIL practitioner. Mr. Ernest started his 29-year IBM career in the Field Engineering division as a customer engineer and later as a program support representative. He joined the Washington Systems Center, and in 1992, he was asked to become a founding member of the IBM IT consulting competency. He was named a Distinguished Engineer by the IBM Corporate Technology Council in April 2001.

John M. Nisavic  IBM Global Technology Services, 50 Bathurst St., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2V 2C5 (johnnca.ibm.com). Mr. Nisavic is a managing consultant, specializing in the management of IT as a business. He works in the IT Strategy and Architecture SPL (Service Product Line) within Global Technology Services. In his 25 years in IT, he has had both bottom-up (technology and process) and top-down (strategic) experience, which he offers to IT executives seeking to better define, design, and deliver efficient and effective IT services. He is a leading practitioner of IT optimization methodology, CBMBoIT, and IT-service-management consulting. He has led and participated in the development of enabling tools and techniques, is a certified ITIL practitioner, and is co-leader of the IT Optimization community of practice.