Chris Johnson Bidler

Chris Johnson Bidler has an extensive work experience in the field of technology and software development. Chris started their career as an Applications Developer at Universal Talkware Corporation in 1999, where they designed and implemented Perl/CGI Web interfaces and worked on customizations of Mozilla releases. Chris then worked as a Build Team Engineer at StorageTek, where they designed and implemented a parallel build routine for firmware and software builds, reducing build time significantly.

After that, Chris worked as a Software Engineering Consultant at Medtronic, CRDM Research and Development, where they developed a Java3D application for investigating cardiac anatomy data sets. Chris also worked at McKesson Provider Technologies as a Software Engineer and later as Software Engineer III, where they worked on the development of Horizon Quality Monitor and proposed the adoption of DWR/Dojo AJAX UI.

Chris also worked as a Founder at Helper Monkey Software LLC before joining Quantum Retail Technology as a Senior Software Developer. At Quantum Retail Technology, they researched and recommended new platform technologies and mentored junior developers.

Following their time at Quantum Retail Technology, Chris served as a Senior Software Engineer at SPS Commerce, where they worked on building a data processing engine using the Amazon AWS stack. Chris then worked independently as a Software Consultant, assisting clients in solving complex business problems using iOS applications and Web apps in various programming languages.

In 2016, Chris joined TransUnion as a Senior Cloud Computing Engineer, where they were responsible for creating reference architecture and building core infrastructure for the AWS public cloud presence. Chris also gave talks at AWS Chicago and local meetup groups to share the company's work and establish its presence in the public cloud community.

Currently, Chris is working as the Chief Technology Officer at Centriq Technology, Inc., where they hold a leadership role and is responsible for driving the company's technological strategies and initiatives.

Chris Johnson Bidler completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Business Administration and Management from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, from 2021 to 2024. Prior to that, from 2006 to 2009, they obtained a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Metro State University. Their undergraduate education was completed at Grinnell College from 1994 to 1998, where they earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies.

In addition to their formal education, Chris Johnson Bidler has obtained several certifications, including a Strategic Leadership & Management Specialization from the Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in June 2023. Chris has also completed various online courses through Coursera, including topics such as Global Strategy, Corporate Strategy, Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Global Marketing, Investments, and Process Improvement, among others.