Manufacturing the Future Epicor's Lisa Pope on Strategic Career Planning and the Future of ERP Technology
Meet Lisa Pope, recently retired President and Chief Revenue Officer at Epicor
"I think honestly the number one thing is to be client centric at all costs," says Lisa Pope, recently retired President and Chief Revenue Officer at Epicor, encapsulating the mentorship philosophy that has defined her remarkable 40-year career in software technology. Throughout leadership roles at industry giants including NCR, Oracle, QAD, Infor, and ultimately Epicor, Lisa has cultivated a leadership approach centered on empowering teams and maintaining unwavering customer focus.
Today's technology leaders face unprecedented challenges in navigating digital transformation, particularly as artificial intelligence emerges as what Lisa calls the third wave of ERP evolution. After the Y2K and cloud computing revolutions, AI represents a critical inflection point where software providers must seamlessly integrate this technology into their core systems rather than treating it as an add-on. Companies failing to embrace this change risk falling behind competitors who leverage AI to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency.
Lisa's career journey began unexpectedly when Triad Systems (later acquired by Epicor) recruited her after college, initially placing her in customer-facing roles that instilled a deep appreciation for client perspectives. This foundation guided her through multiple leadership positions across the industry, eventually bringing her full circle to Epicor where she helped drive the company's transformation into a billion-dollar cloud technology leader. Under her leadership, Epicor evolved from reactive customer relationships to deep collaborative partnerships, while simultaneously achieving double-digit revenue growth.
In This Episode
Lisa shares invaluable insights on strategic career planning, including the importance of thoughtful job transitions, the value of lateral moves for gaining broader experience, and practical advice for retirement planning. She discusses how mentorship and building diverse professional networks can accelerate career development, while emphasizing that the most sustainable path to organizational success lies in unwavering customer-centricity. For technology leaders navigating today's rapidly evolving landscape, Lisa's experience offers both practical guidance and inspirational perspectives on creating meaningful impact.
Topics- The evolution of Lisa's 40-year career in software technology, from unexpected beginnings to leading a billion-dollar global enterprise at Epicor.
- Strategic approaches to career advancement, including the value of lateral moves to gain broader experience rather than always climbing upward.
- The importance of mentorship and building diverse professional networks beyond immediate colleagues to create career opportunities and support.
- How artificial intelligence represents the third wave of ERP transformation, following Y2K and cloud computing revolutions in enterprise software.
- Practical guidance for retirement planning, including developing a structured approach rather than focusing solely on age or financial milestones.
- The transformation of Epicor over eight years from siloed products to integrated solutions, with significant improvements in customer-centricity and financial performance.
- Evolution of customer relationships from reactive support to collaborative partnerships, with deeper engagement and value-focused interactions.
- Industry consolidation trends and cross-pollination between manufacturing, distribution, and retail sectors creating new competitive challenges.
- Work-life balance strategies that incorporate travel and personal interests throughout career development rather than deferring until retirement.
- Why unwavering customer centricity at all levels — from frontline staff through executive leadership to the board — remains the cornerstone of sustainable business success.
For more discussion about the future of AI in ERP, check out Arturo Buzzalino, Epicor Chief Innovation Officer, on the SourceForge podcast.
Get in touch with Lisa Pope:
Get in touch with your host, Kerrie Jordan: