Oliver Weers is a CSC Oracle database specialist by day, and a rock star by night. A singer/songwriter living in Denmark, Oliver started performing in bands in 1983 and has been playing rock/blues/funk and progressive metal from small clubs to big festivals across Europe. In January 2008, Oliver competed on the Danish show X-Factor (similar to American Idol). And though he did not win, he made a big splash on the finale, performing Queen’s “The Show Must Go On.” Oliver has released rock albums internationally and is the opening act for Whitesnake in Copenhagen this month. We spoke with Oliver about his dual roles.

When I’m not working on my music, I’m working for CSC. I work 200 percent of the time.  I rehearse three to four times a week. I also take care of my band’s MySpace page, merchandise, media interviews and working with my record label. It’s very busy but it’s fun, because I’m doing things I really like doing. I like performing, and I like my job at CSC.

I’ve been playing music for a very long time, and have lived in many countries across Europe. I decided to go on X-Factor because it was a very efficient and fast way to get to meet people in Denmark’s music business.

Going on X-Factor and performing on the finale was really exciting. Half of the country watched the finals because it was broadcast on the national channel. I made a lot of good music industry contacts, and I was contacted shortly afterward by producer/songwriter Søren Andersen, who is part owner of the well-known Medley Studios in Copenhagen.

Søren had been on tour with former Whitesnake band members Tommy Aldridge and Marco Mendoza. Together we produced and recorded my latest album “Get Ready,” which was released in Denmark September of this year. It will be released in Germany, Sweden, Benelux and other countries across Europe in early 2009, with the USA to follow.

Now it’s just been confirmed that I’ll be the opening act for Whitesnake in Copenhagen in December, which I am really excited about.

Learn more about Oliver at www.myspace.com/oliverweersband.

Around the Bay in a Day is the largest cycling charity event in Melbourne. This year the event coincided with the last professional race in Australia for Team CSC Saxo Bank—the Jayco Herald Sun Tour.

Over 200 riders, including CSC customers, dressed in CSC-branded cycling gear to ride distances ranging from 50 to 250 km (about 31 to 155 miles). Team CSC raised $17,000 (AUS) in funds to support The Smith Family, a charity that provides educational assistance to disadvantaged children and their families. Employees and customers had the opportunity to meet Matthew Goss from Team CSC Saxo Bank.

CSC took this opportunity to present framed yellow cycling jerseys signed by team members to the charities which our Australian staff have nominated to support over the next three years—the Cancer Council of Australia, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and beyondblue.

Sheri Thureen, vice president of CSC’s North American Public Sector, Defense Division, has been listed among the “Women Worth Watching in 2009” by Diversity Journal. Thureen was recognized for her initiative, achievements, purpose and drive, and for representing diversity within her spheres of influence.

Thureen joins 108 other leading business women from around the nation who were nominated by their colleagues, peers and mentors for the honor.

“To be successful in today’s corporate world, I believe you must have integrity, respect for people, a desire to continue to advance your education and a commitment to teamwork,” said Thureen. “You must set high standards for yourself and deliver what you promise. I also believe you need to find a strong mentor.”

“This award reflects Sheri’s technical knowledge, approach to teamwork and commitment to excellence,” said James W. Sheaffer, president of CSC’s North American Public Sector line of business. “She exemplifies the passion, responsiveness and innovation for which CSC is known, and we are honored to have her on our team. We are proud of her much-deserved acknowledgement and her continued dedication to helping American government agencies achieve excellence in executing their core missions.”

With 21 years of information technology experience, Thureen has an extensive background in enterprise resource planning and business reengineering transformations, infrastructure upgrades and sales and marketing initiatives. She has worked on global projects spanning Europe, Asia and the U.S.  Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in computer science and psychology from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., and a master of business administration in international relations degree from the University of Delaware.

Jose Jimenez, president of CSC’s North American Public Sector Strategy and Development division, was honored for his leadership in the IT industry by both Hispanic Engineer and Information Technology (HE&IT) magazine and the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC).

HE&IT magazine ranked Jimenez in the Most Important Hispanics in Technology list for 2008. Editors researched and evaluated thousands of employees from 100 candidate companies and then ranked the highest-achieving Hispanic executives, technologists and researchers in industry, government and academia who demonstrated leadership on a broad front in the workplace and in their communities. Jimenez was honored during the Most Important Hispanics in Technology dinner in Dallas, Texas, on Oct. 24.

Jimenez was also selected as one of this year’s top 100 IT executives by HITEC, a council founded by senior Hispanic executives who have built outstanding careers in IT and have a strong desire and passion to make an impact within the Hispanic community.

“These honors reflect Jose’s commitment to both the information technology and Hispanic communities,” said James W. Sheaffer, president of CSC’s North American Public Sector line of business. “With more than 30 years of experience spanning both the public and private sectors, Jose brings deep knowledge and extensive expertise to his leadership of our public sector’s strategy and development function.”

Dewes van Lohuizen is a database administrator for CSC in the Netherlands. In his free time, he supports a primary school in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He talked to Voices about his inspiration.

In 1997, a refugee from Democratic Republic of Congo came to the Netherlands, and began to send books in French to help create a library in Mikondo, a part of Kinshasa in the DR Congo. His dream was to create an educational and social center for the people of Mikondo, who lack financial and educational opportunities to develop themselves.

I met him in 2000 and got involved, and with the support of our church group, we created a foundation. Along with the people in Mikondo, the foundation set up a primary school, and today we still help the school by: 

• Finding sponsors (please for information)

• Collecting ink cartridges

• Organizing short cycle tours to raise funds

• And this year, for the seventh time, we are holding a flower bulb auction.

We do everything we can to offer good education to the very poor children in Mikondo.

Every year, about 400 children benefit and about 20 personnel make a living with our help. We try to think of new fundraising ideas all the time because we want the primary school to continue on and on. For the future, we dream about a vocational school for 12- to 16-year-old children, but as always, it depends on money. People in Mikondo cannot pay for this school, and education is not free. But if I look at the picture above, I know why we work so hard.

To learn more, e-mail or visit www.mikondo.org.