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Well, as usual, I'll start by saying that YES, my real name is Chase Hacker, and YES, I do work for a major software company (Sybase, Inc.), NO, I did not change my last name after deciding long ago to be a computer professional, and for those of you so inclined to ask, YES, I am an avid golfer (not a hacker!).

Now that we have all of that cleared up (smile), I thought I'd take some time to get those of you who either don't know me at all, or whom I haven't spoken to in some time, caught up on what's been going on in my life.

I was born on June 30, 1971 in Albany, Georgia (approximately 200 miles southwest of Atlanta for those of you who don't recognize the name), the youngest son of an incredibly loving and understanding set of parents who always made sure that I had the best opportunities to succeed in whatever path I chose to take.  I have one older (15 years older, infact!) brother who now lives and works in New Jersey for a very successful independent software company which he helped found.

I attended 2 or 3 primary schools, but in 6th grade we moved into a new house, and I began middle school at Deerfield Windsor School, a private college preparatory school.  Even though my parents had to struggle somewhat to afford to have me attend Deerfield, it was undoubtedly one of the best decisions they ever made.  Still to this day, I look back on my time at Deerfield with fond memories, and great respect for the valuable lessons I learned there.  In 1989, I graduated (in a cosy class of just 44) and prepared for my next educational journey at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia.

At Georgia Tech, I studied in the field of Computer Science, and in March 1993, I completed my Bachelor of Science degree.  Just one and a half years later, in January 1994,I completed my Masters Degree in the same curriculum there as well.  I must also "pay tribute" to Tech, as I honestly feel like it is an outstanding academic institution.  The preparation they provided me gave me all the confidence and credentials I needed to jumpstart my career.

That career began at MCI in Atlanta, where I was originally hired as a system and database administrator for a group which managed a large-scale database marketing and lead generation system.  However, I advanced quickly as new and exciting opportunities within the group opened up.  When I finally decided to leave MCI in March of 1998, I was manager for the system architecture group of that same team.  My experience at MCI was truly invaluable, and many of the people I met there I still stay in touch with today.  Unfortunately, as I'm sure many of you know, MCI (actually MCI/Worldcom) went through some very serious financial problems shortly after my departure (I promise I had nothing to do with it!) and many of those acquaintances were forced to look for other career opportunities as well.

So, after leaving MCI, I joined Sybase as a Senior Consultant and still remain employed with them to this day.  BUT, though the employer has remained the same, just about everything else about my career has changed including relocating some 10,000 miles from Atlanta and really redefining my role which is now Director of Business Intelligence for Asia Pacific.

While still based in Atlanta, I worked on several exciting projects, all dealing with data warehousing systems in one way or another.  I also worked hard on advancement and certification to Principal Consultant, and then Principal Architect.  Although I truly enjoyed the work I was doing in the US, a variety of opportunities presented themselves to me that allowed me to travel to Asia Pacific and help "spread the word of BI" in that part of the world.

Well, as so many have done in the past, I fell in love with Asia and soon put in for a transfer to work more on a full-time basis for the Asia pacific region.  All the straws fell into place, and as they say, "the rest is history!"

From 1999 until 2004, I lived in Bangkok, Thailand while working for Sybase which proved to be a truly life-changing experience for reasons I talk about more in my Expat Life in Thailand section.  Now, (somewhat regrettably) I have relocated to Hong Kong for career reasons, but still working with the same company.  I have been with Sybase almost 7 years now, what a heck of a ride it has been!

I must admit that after graduating with my Master's Degree in Computer Science from Georgia Tech and taking a job with MCI back in 1995, if someone would have told me that just a few years later I would be living in Asia, I probably would have laughed hysterically!  But, that being said, I would not change a thing about the career decisions I have made, and in particular about moving to Asia, as my time here has been the most rewarding of my entire life.