Avsnitt

  • Join us as we sit down with the remarkable Stephanie Poore, now the MD of IFS, who shares her captivating journey within the ERP industry. Stephanie opens up about the personal and professional hurdles she has overcome and how redundancies led her to an unexpected crossroads between software and pharmaceuticals. Her eclectic background, spanning economics to e-commerce, offers a unique perspective on her rise to success. The panel also delve into the inspiration behind the Women in ERP podcast and how it has been an eye-opener for women's experiences in a predominantly male sector.


    Listen in as the panel tackle the complex topic of gender diversity in the tech industry. Stephanie, Emma and Abi discuss how growing up in a gender-neutral environment contrasts sharply with the stark realities of the tech world, where the imbalance in gender representation is glaringly apparent. We touch on the power of visible female leaders in shaping the future for aspiring women in tech, debunk the myth of needing a "Prince Charming," and celebrate the significant career milestone of stepping into a managing director role. Our conversation also extends to the importance of a strong company culture and the challenges the ERP industry faces, from AI integration to data security.


    Wrapping up this insightful discussion, the panel reflected on the pivotal moments and failures that have sculpted their careers. From tales of resilience and adaptability to the transformative influence of supportive relationships, they underscore the profound impact of authentic leadership. Stephanie imparts wisdom for those eyeing leadership roles in ERP, emphasising the necessity of maintaining engaging dialogue and offering actionable insights. Tune in for a thought-provoking episode that not only highlights the challenges within the ERP industry but also offers encouragement and guidance for the next generation of leaders.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Could you strike the perfect balance between a dynamic career and a fulfilling personal life? Julie Weir, the passionate Head of Community Development for the UK and Ireland SAP User Group, is a testament that it's entirely possible! Join us in an enlightening conversation with Julie, where she shares her unique journey into the world of ERP, and how she deftly balances working in a demanding field with her personal commitments.


    We all need a community that uplifts us, encourages us, and makes us feel seen and heard. The UKISUG does exactly that, particularly for women in the ERP sector who often require a distinct level of support. Hear about the group's commendable initiatives to champion both women and men. Julie also delves into how she fosters diversity and ensures a work-life balance, despite the extensive travel her role entails.


    Your fitness and body confidence needn't take a backseat while you navigate the challenges of a demanding job. Julie's dedication to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is sure to inspire you. Tune in as we discuss tips on establishing an easy exercise routine, the importance of creating new habits for staying fit, and how to strike the right balance between work, family, and fitness. This final episode of series 2 is a treasure trove of valuable advice and a source of motivation for anyone seeking to thrive in a fast-paced industry.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Saknas det avsnitt?

    Klicka här för att uppdatera flödet manuellt.

  • Raised as the youngest among five siblings in a family with deeply committed parents, particularly a father who transitioned from the priesthood to IT, life was always dynamic. Ann Blakely of Milwaukee, USA, joins us to shed light on how this unique family backdrop paved her path, leading her from the University of Wisconsin to becoming a pivotal figure in the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) domain.


    Ann's passion for creating a profound societal impact shines through in her leadership role in a child welfare information system project in Alaska. This significant undertaking was aimed at enhancing the prospects for at-risk children. While juggling professional demands with parenting her two kids, Ann has adopted the principle of establishing clear boundaries and refraining from guilt for being a working mom. This philosophy has notably shaped her children's ambitions.


    Currently, as the Managing Partner of Baker Tilly Digital at Baker Tilly, Ann champions the causes of gender diversity and adaptability in work setups. She's a staunch advocate for diverse viewpoints within consulting groups and is on a mission to foster a more inclusive workspace. As our conversation with her unfolds, you'll discover that this episode is not merely a narration of Ann's story but a motivational roadmap for all Women in ERP.



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Join us for an inspiring discussion with our special guest, Michael Ouissi, the Group Chief Operating Officer at IFS. Listen in as he shares his unique journey from growing up as the son of an immigrant in Germany to becoming a leading figure in the tech industry. Hear about the profound impact of his parents' values of hard work and self-determination on his life, and how his early exposure to technology sparked his interest in the field. Michael also reflects on the unconscious bias he faced and the importance of seizing opportunities to create change.


    Our conversation with Michael takes a fascinating turn as he talks about his tech career transition and his day-to-day role as COO at IFS. Hear about his strategies for navigating challenges, dealing with unconscious bias, and having a seat at the table. Learn about the demanding nature of his customer-facing role that requires discipline to juggle different global time zones. He also sheds light on how IFS Cloud has revolutionized the upgrade experience for customers, turning it into an incremental update process rather than a major release cycle. We discuss the shift in customers' mindset and how IFS Cloud is tailored to meet their unique needs.


    In the final part of our conversation, Michael takes us through IFS's commitment to promoting gender equality in the workplace. Listen in as he talks about the importance of openness and integration in enterprise architecture, and how IFS Cloud is making it easier for customers to integrate into larger infrastructures. He further examines the inequalities that exist in the workplace, especially in terms of gender and the steps IFS is taking to ensure fair opportunities for everyone. We conclude with a powerful discussion about the need for more diverse teams and the importance of taking the initiative to seize opportunities, both globally and locally.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • Ever dreamed of a career that encompasses global travel, technology and sociological studies? Meet Kate Waterton, the SAP Alliances Lead and Associate Partner at EY, who has lived this dream and more. From an early life of global travel to a successful career in tech, Kate's journey is a testament to adventurous spirits and the power of adaptability. This episode captures her unique life trajectory, providing a glimpse into her passions for diverse cultures, recruitment, and SAP consulting.


    Can women truly have it all? This question often comes up in discussions around work-life balance, and Kate Waterton has some powerful insights to share. As a successful professional and mother, she shares her strategies for juggling high-profile alliance roles with motherhood. Reflecting on the influence of both male and female mentors on her career, she provides a candid perspective on this oft-debated mantra. Whether you're a working mother or aspiring to be one, Kate’s insights are nothing short of inspirational.


    Finally, we talk about promoting women in alliances and careers. With Kate’s involvement in the EY EMEA Women for Alliances Communities, we get an insider’s look at their initiatives to empower women in the field of alliances, providing visibility, role modelling, and a safe space for learning and sharing. We also delve into early development influences, examining how parents and teachers can inspire kids to pursue careers in tech. And if you've ever wondered about the actions taken by such communities to ensure progress, tune in for a robust discussion on this and more. Prepare to be inspired and empowered by Kate's remarkable journey and the exciting opportunities within the tech alliance space.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • On the sixth episode of Women in ERP series 2. Abi and Steph are joined by an Award winning woman in ERP, Vicki O'Neill-King, COO of Sapphire Systems. The panel discuss inequalities in the workplace and learn how having supportive peers can make all the difference to a successful career trajectory. Vicki tells her tale from being a PMO resource to COO. As a single parent Vicki had worked incredibly hard to build an amazing life for her family, she has broken stigmas whilst breaking the glass ceiling. Vicki has a huge appreciation for the day-to-day challenges women face and has been a driving force behind female centric policies such as a groundbreaking Menopause policy, developed by men and women, that aims to alleviate the business impact when an employee or employees partner is going through the menopause. Vicki's dad clearly had a profound impact on the family as Great Britain's Olympic rowing coach as Vicki tells us all about her competitive family of sisters, all whom are working in ERP. There a certainly a few laughs a long the way as well as some experiential advice for listeners, including the direct correlation between baby Guinness and being barefoot at The CRN Awards... Not one to miss!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • On the fifth episode of series 2, Abi and Steph are joined by Kayleigh Brown, an Independent IFS Consultant and Director of KDI Consulting Ltd. The panel discuss project management and working with difficult personalities. They discuss techniques to help deal with trauma in the workplace, such as having a good mentor. Kayleigh hails from the North East and doesn't mince her words, she advises the panel on her experience in the workplace and her success with therapeutic solutions such as the Havening technique. Kayleigh spends large amounts of time on customer sites across the UK and so she devised a solution to take a piece of home away with her, she bought a camper van. Now Kayleigh takes her home with her to wherever she may be working and has found a network of other women on the road supporting and keeping each other safe. The panel discuss the trials and tribulations of being a woman in unfamiliar locations and how best to keep safe. This is such a fun episode, a real inspiring, eye opener and you'll probably end up browsing eBay for a vintage VW camper afterwards...

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • For International Womens Day 2023 Abi & Steph hosted a live recording of WERP for Linkedin at the IFS UK Head office. The WERP co-hosts were joined by Emma Chambers, Head of NATS Integrated Business Systems (NIBS), UKISUG Director and co-chair, SAP S/4HANA an Women in SAP SIG's. NATS is the UK's leading provider of air traffic control services. In a typical year pre-Covid, they handle over 2.5 million flights and 250 million passengers traveling over the UK and across the North Atlantic. If you’ve been a passenger on a commercial aircraft flying in UK airspace then it's highly likely that they’ve handled your flight. The panel discusses Emma's journey into ERP and her experience as a female leader in a male dominant field. They explore Emma's initiatives to drive positive change within the ERP community, her personal drivers, and how Emma actively supports and promotes inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.

    For International Women’s Day this year the theme was Embrace Equity. Equity isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have and a focus on gender equity needs to form a part of every society's DNA. The panel will help you to understand the difference between equity and equality.


    This live Episode is sponsored by leading independent ERP Advisory, Resulting IT.


    Resulting IT have made a substantial donation to Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust for International Women’s day, the UK’s leading cervical cancer charity.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • On the third episode of series 2, Abi and Steph are joined by SAP Centre of Excellence Manager, Fiona Warburg from Dwr Cymru, Welsh Water. The panel discuss their experience of gender pay disparity and why it is still an unconscious bias within the industry. Fiona tells the panel how she found her path into ERP, following in her fathers footsteps from Accountancy to coding within SAP. They discuss the trials and tribulations of being a minority and the conscious effort Fiona makes to help to improve the diversity within her own organisation and the wider ERP network. The panel explore the importance of the SAP user group and user groups in general. It's clear that strong networks and having the right support in and outside of work are imperative to career consistency and progression and Fiona places a huge importance on people. Being our first female guest working within SAP, Fiona gives her key tips for effective project management within an SAP project setting, moving to Azure and future planning for S/4 Hana. The highly driven Fiona certainly knows her worth, the importance of equality and the value of the team around her. An episode that truly empowers and makes a leap towards positive change and real impact within the ERP industry by calling out inequality.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • On the second episode of Series 2, Abi and Steph are joined by senior IFS recruitment consultant, Emily Hunter, from Cubiq. The panel has an in-depth exploration into the world of ERP recruitment, dispelling the myths around recruiters and recruitment. Emily advises how, out of all the candidates she has placed in recent months within ERP, only 20% were women. The women in ERP discuss how we can improve this figure and help promote ERP as a credible career path for young women and girls in order to fill the current skills deficit. We discuss how to get your CV into shape, key search terms to be found for the right roles, and how to be confident enough to step up a rung on a ladder and nail that next interview. An educational episode that really opens up a deeper thought process around how we can attract more female talent into the ERP pool.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In the first episode of Series 2, Abi and Steph are joined by a female icon in ERP, Anwen Robinson, UK & Ireland GM & SVP at Infor. The panel hears all about how Anwen climbed her way to the top, facing adversity and stereotyping along the way but brushing it off to continue her focused assault. Anwen is incredibly open and honest with the panel, giving us an exclusive insight into her world as a working single mum and SVP of one of the largest ERP Vendors globally. The panel discusses mum guilt, the importance of asking for help, the employment tapestry that lead Anwen to where she is now, her mental health battle, and how she actively now pays it forward with true altruism, supporting causes for the greater good of people. A truly enlightening and humbling episode that will inspire hope and encouragement within listeners.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In the tenth and final episode for series one of WERP, Abi & Steph are joined by Davina Webb, Lead Functional Consultant for Dynavics. The panel discuss low diversity in IT roles and possible solutions to make tech more inclusive for the black community. Davina tells her story of growing up in a predominantly white community to then progressing to the top of a predominantly white career sector. Davina continues to defies convention through continual education and inspiringly made the transition from industry to technology by self teaching. Davina is an incredible black woman in technology, a powerhouse who's paving the path for future generations and her current mission is to get more finance professionals to transition into ERP consultancy to fill the rising demand. This episode is inspiring, motivating and a great way to conclude series 1 of WERP.


    SERIES 2 COMING AUTUMN 2022


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In the ninth episode of WERP, Abi & Steph are joined by their first male guest, Chris Gabriel, Chief Strategy Officer for Sapphire Systems. The panel discuss the power of ERP, how improving systems impacts upon most aspects of our everyday lives. Chris has a unique and inspirational way of approaching work by linking everything he does back to his mum, Jean, who is living with dementia. The panel discuss system improvements, the impact of streamlining processes, utilising key pieces of ancillary technology and the road to true sustainability for ERP users. This episode is light hearted, inspirational and informative with real world impactful ideas.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In the eight episode of Women in ERP, Abi & Steph are joined by Ukrainian national and resident Olga Tuchina from Knubisoft. The panel discuss life before and after the invasion of Ukraine. Olga gives a harrowing tale of how she escaped Kharkiv with her friends, family and colleagues through a strong support network and the incredible Ukrainian community. Remaining in Ukraine, Olga and her team at Knubisoft are helping at the front line with support and donations whilst still working to rebuild their country. Incredible listen, a story told directly from a resident in the Ukraine and not one to miss.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In the seventh episode of WERP, Abi & Steph are joined by Amanda McKay, Director of Quality at AWE. The panel discuss the process and impact of transitioning from male to female when working in a male dominant industry. Amanda gives a very honest account of her own experience of transitioning, hiding her true self, choosing masculine roles throughout her career and suffering in silence. From white privileged male to female on the receiving end of conscious and unconscious biases, becoming Amanda tells the true story of a bold and strong woman who found her courage to come out after many years. Through her experience and knowledge Amanda has helped pave the way for many others within the LGBTQ+ community. Amanda also shares with us her quality approach to ERP implementation, having a structure and planned approach to a new business system whilst harnessing as much data as possible within a data lake to use as part of decision making, ensuring you're teams agile in response to change.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In the sixth episode of WERP, Abi & Steph are joined by Melissa Dickens, Infor's Senior Account Manager. The panel discuss Melissa's pioneering journey through male dominated corporate ranks, key relationships built with male allies in the workplace and the importance of learning to be agile and innovative in ERP for the Food and Beverage sector.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In the fifth episode of WERP, Abi & Steph are discussing what it takes to become a successful independent ERP consultant. Joined by successful IFS consultant and owner of Cornerstone Consulting Solutions, Caroline Capper. The panel discuss the importance of having a trusted professional and personal support network, Carolines journey from Rio to Entreprenuership, successful remote working on major projects and how to break female stereotypes when it comes to being the main breadwinner.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In the fourth episode of WERP, Abi & Steph are discussing the importance of professional mentoring. Ashley Colquhoun and Gemma Coupland from Boomi join the panel to talk about the value of mentoring across career stages and sectors , learning by example and the importance of bringing your vulnerabilities to work in order to support others to grow. The panel gets to grips with the power of Boomi and how to create integrated experiences by bridging the gap between legacy ERP and modern cloud applications.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In the third instalment of WERP, Abi & Steph are celebrating International Women's Day. Discussing conscious vs unconscious biases, inequality in the boardroom and the gender pay gap. Find out how to encourage change within your organisation and discover the top female trailblazers to follow within ERP. #breakthebias

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • In the 2nd Episode of WERP, Abi & Steph are discussing social networking. Network Marketing guru Em Lovs joins the panel to advise listeners on how to elevate their online social presence. Learn how to leverage your LinkedIn, ditch the mum guilt and project your personality to increase your online social presence. Steph and Abi explore the immediate impact and future possibilities of personalised ERP systems.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.