ASUG Talks

Tune in to a special roundtable episode of ASUG Talks, where Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community, is joined by two ASUG Board Members: Mark LeClair and Craig Dalziel.  A few weeks ago, the three attended the SAP Business Unleashed event in New York, where the software company unveiled the SAP Business Data Cloud along with a new partnership with Databricks. Aimed at helping ASAP customers establish a sound data foundation in order to embrace AI solutions, the offering is yet another in SAP's business AI development journey. The three thought leaders leveraged their extensive SAP knowledge to offer their thoughts on what the announcements mean for SAP Customers. Key topics covered in their discussion include: How SAP Business Data Cloud integrates into the larger SAP suite of solutions. The ways in which SAP Business Data Cloud can enable customers to improve their data management practices and set a foundation to embrace AI solutions. The three leaders' first impressions of the new solution and partnership. 

ASUG Talks dives deep into the technology of the moment: artificial intelligence. In this roundtable, Jim Lichtenwalter, ASUG Content Manager, is joined by two AI experts:  Paul Modderman, SAP AI Director, Mindset ConsultingAnurag Barua, Transformation Leader, SAPOver the past 18 months, SAP has taken massive strides in developing AI solutions and embedding them across its entire suite of solutions. During the conversation, Modderman and Barua lend their expertise to articulate the value of AI and how enterprises can embrace these solutions. Key topics covered in the discussion include:  Steps enterprises can take to effectively leverage AI solutions in their IT landscapes. The importance of data security and governance and how SAP approaches this critical topic.  The future state of AI and what development trends are telling us about where the technology is going. 

Each year, ASUG charts the shifting attitudes, focuses, hurdles, and solution adoption rates among its members with the annual Pulse of the SAP Customer Research project. With the release of the 2025 iteration, ASUG Content Manager Jim Lichtenwalter sat down with Marissa Gilbert, ASUG Research Director, and Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion.The three discussed key highlights from the research--including popular focuses and challenges among ASUG members--and what the data is saying about how the ASUG Community is approaching SAP innovation.Key insights from the conversation include:What SAP undertakings ASUG Members are prioritizing in 2025.Top challenges ASUG Members are facing, especially as they embrace SAP S/4HANA and migrate to the cloud.The breakdown of environments ASUG Members are leveraging to run their SAP investments.Download the full 2025 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer report here.

ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott traveled to New York for the SAP Business Unleashed event, where SAP unveiled its newest offering, SAP Business Data Cloud, and its partnership with Databricks, a data analytics and  management software company.During his trip, Scott sat down with Irfan Khan, President and Chief Product Officer of SAP Data & Analytics. They discussed SAP's new offering and partnership, and how these announcements will help enterprises develop a data foundation for business insights and artificial-intelligence applications.Key topics from their conversation included:How SAP Business Data Cloud is different from SAP Datasphere.The way SAP Business Data Cloud will sit in the SAP suite alongside applications such as the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) and SAP Analytics Cloud.The importance of integrating SAP and non-SAP data into a single data layer.For more information on these announcements and their impact on the SAP ecosystem, check out the following SAP insights:The trust factor: Data, resilience, and innovationSAP and Databricks Open a Bold New Era of Data and AI

To debrief major announcements from the most recent editions of Microsoft Ignite and ASUG Tech Connect, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott and Carolyn Szczurek, ASUG Communications Lead, recently welcomed Holger Bruchelt, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, to a special episode of the ASUG Talks podcast.

 ASUG partnered with Diginomica for a special episode of ASUG Talks. Recorded at ASUG Tech Connect,  Jon Reed, Co-Founder at Diginomica, hosted a conversation with  Geoff Scott, CEO & Chief Community Champion at ASUG, and Joshua Greenbaum, Principal at Enterprise Applications Consulting.  The three thought leaders fielded live questions from the audience focused on two areas of vital importance: artificial intelligence and enterprise architecture. During the session, the three experts had an insightful dialogue on how enterprises can leverage AI to drive improved business outcomes, and how the enterprise architect role is evolving.  

Tune in for a special episode of ASUG Talks dedicated to insights from the recent collaborative research project ASUG undertook alongside DSAG and UKISUG. Focused on AI, the research examined how members of the three communities are approaching the technology and implementing it into their IT ecosystems.In this roundtable conversation, ASUG Research Director Marissa Gilbert is joined by Geoff Scott, CEO & Chief Community Champion; Conor Riordan, Chairperson at UKISUG; and Jens Hungershausen, Chairman at DSAG. The four thought leaders break down the research's highlights and key findings and discuss the impact of AI across the SAP ecosystem. 

Supply chains have steadily become a major priority for organizations in recent years, especially as black swan events severely disrupted normal supply chains and trade routes. Enterprises must take steps to ensure their supply chains are effective and resilient, even in the face of unplanned circumstances.In this latest ASUG Talks Roundtable, supply chain experts Isabelle Leclerc, Vice President Supply Chain, Cascades; and Darcy MacClaren, Chief Revenue Officer for SAP Digital Supply Chain, sit down with ASUG to discuss how organizations can leverage technology to bolster their supply chains. During our conversations, we learned how SAP approaches developing effective supply chain solutions based on its customers' needs, and how customers--like Cascades--are using SAP supply chain solutions to confront modern hurdles and drive their businesses.

In this latest episode of ASUG Talks Live, recorded at ASUG Tech Connect, AI takes center stage. Marissa Gilbert, ASUG Research Director, is joined by Geoff Scott, CEO & Chief Community Champion, ASUG; Jared Coyle, Chief AI Officer, SAP North America; and Soulat Khan, Worldwide Head of SAP Solution Architects, AWS. Diving into recent ASUG research focused on the community's usage and attitudes of AI solutions, the panel also discussed the way AI is driving change in the SAP ecosystem along with ways listeners can effectively embrace these solutions. 

In a special episode of ASUG Talks, Thomas Saueressig, Member of the SAP Executive Board overseeing the Customer Services & Delivery Board area, sits down with ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott. Their conversation, recorded at SAP's global headquarters in Walldorf, Germany, focused on Saueressig's background, how he approaches his customer-centric role, and his thoughts on the importance of enterprise architects in the SAP ecosystem. 

In this ASUG Talks roundtable, we are joined by three change management experts--ane E. Schwartz, Senior Director of Global Financial Services, Arthur Lawrence; Karan Froom, Transformation Change Leader & Owner of KFROOMCO Consulting; and Elaine Basa, Senior Director of Global Financial Services, Arthur Lawrence--to discuss how organizations can empower their employees when rolling out new software and processes. During the conversation, we touch on importance of change management efforts, common pitfalls companies can avoid, and how to approach budgeting. Listen here. 

Jeff Miers, Director of Partnerships and Alliances for the Energy & Utilities Industries at AWS, and John Downie, Global Energy Industry Lead at Accenture, joined Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, to discuss growing value and utility of AI-powered solutions, as well as how AWS and Accenture are helping customers effectively implement and leverage next-generation technology. 

The steadily growing skills gap is complicating the implementation of next-generation technology, including cloud ERP and AI solutions. We're seeing this at play in the ASUG community. According to the 2024 ASUG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, 29% of respondents cited maintaining knowledge staff and turnover as challenges their organizations are experiencing. In the first episode of our roundtable discussions focused on topics vital to the ASUG Community, ASUG Talks dives deep into the technology skill gap, and how hiring companies and education institutions are working to improve current workforces and empower the next generation of SAP professionals. We are joined by three experts keenly focused on this issue: Jelena Perfiljeva, Expert SAP Developer at Mindset Consulting & Chief Nerdess at Boring Enterprise NerdsDr. Ronald Freeze, Director for Enterprise Systems & Professor at the University of ArkansasChristine Aboud, CEO of St. Michael's Learning AcademyListen in to our conversation, where we discuss where hiring organizations and education experts are seeing the skill gap, how both groups work with one another and SAP to improve the knowledge base of SAP professionals, and the importance of reskilling and upskilling. 

Kicking off the SAP for Utilities conference, Michael Sullivan, National Vice President of Renewable Energy and Utilities at SAP North America, joined Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion, to discuss cloud migration, the clean energy transition, the increasing relevance of AI, and how SAP is empowering its customers.

In a special, live episode of ASUG Talks recorded at SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference, Marissa Gilbert was joined by Geoff Scott, ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion; Deirdre Toner Marketing Director for Specialists' Sales at Amazon Web Service (AWS); and Brendan Verni, ASUG Board Member.Coming off the heels of SAP CEO Christian Klein's marquee keynote address where he emphasized SAP's focus on AI and announced an expanded partnership with AWS, the discussion focused on the place of AI in the SAP ecosystem and the experiences of customers working with hyperscalers. Listen here.

In this exclusive episode of the ASUG Talks podcast, celebrating ASUG Volunteer Week, three long-time ASUG Volunteers discuss their journeys through the SAP user ecosystem, reflecting on memorable moments from their ASUG membership and the important role of community engagement in achieving personal and professional goals. Listen now. 

Tune in to an exclusive conversation between ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott and ASUG Research Director Marissa Gilbert on key takeaways from the 2024 ASuG Pulse of the SAP Customer Research, reflecting on what these results say about the ASUG membership's outlook on key SAP topics. 

Listen in to a special ASUG Tech Connect episode of the ASUG Talks podcast, recorded live from New Orleans, in which ASUG CEO & Chief Community Champion Geoff Scott hosts a lively discussion between Matt Schwartz, Global Head of AWS SAP Alliance and Partner Network at Amazon Web Services, and Max Wessel, Executive Vice President & Chief Learning Officer of SAP Learning. Reflecting on how organizations can develop, capture, and retain the skills and competencies needed to thrive during business transformation, the keynote conversation addresses the importance of continuous learning, the widening technology skills gap, and the need to impart SAP skills to younger generations.

In this eleventh and final episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Benjamin Deaver, Senior Solution Architect for SNP Group. 

In this tenth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Joe Leimer, VP of Technology with Design Resources, Inc.

In this ninth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Darin Schultz, AMS in Commercial and Logistics with Braskem America. 

In this eighth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Mark Richardson, Chief Technology Officer at Rich Analytics.

In this seventh episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Scott Gordon, Senior Principal IT Technical Analyst for Medtronic. 

In this sixth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Maria Hourani, Director General, Strategic Financial Governance with the Department of National Defense, Canadian Armed Forces.

In this fifth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Kris Cowles, senior vice president of IT at Topcon Positioning Systems and a member of the ASUG Board of Directors.

In this fourth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Amy Her, Associate Partner with AscendN.

In this third episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Jason Sprunk, Global Director, GRM Systems and Operations, Global Revenue Management for Rockwell Automation. 

In this second episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Chris Pelchat, Corporate Technology Applications Manager with the Nebraska Public Power District.

Season 2, Episode 1 In this first episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Tim Nguyen, consultant for the SAP S/4HANA Digital Transformation Project. Tim discussed his path to becoming a SAP professional. 

In this ASUG Talks episode, we talk with Bob Bucy, N.C. State University Teaching Support Specialist, about his career and academic pursuits.

Tune in to our newest ASUG Talks podcast episode for a Candid Career Conversation with Staci Baker. In a short 15 minutes, Staci breezes through her career experiences, educational pursuits, and what she's learned, and continues to learn about SAP tech solutions.

In this episode of ASUG Talks, we talk with Vinnie Mirchandani, founder of Deal Architect and the prolific author of the “SAP Nation” books. Vinnie walked us through how he got into writing in the first place and his thoughts on the changes in the SAP ecosystem.

In this episode of ASUG Talks, we chatted with ASUG volunteer and Consulting Director at Rizing, Kimberly Sharp. She spoke about her experiences as a woman working in IT, her first career success, and how she stays up-to-date with the SAP ecosystem. 

We sat down with ASUG CEO Geoff Scott to talk about his career progression and lessons learned during COVID-19. 

In the sixth episode of ASUG Talks, we sat down with Matthew Harmon, Solution Manager Leader of SAP S/4HANA Cloud Environment at W.L. Gore & Associates. Matthew talked with us about his career progression, how he stays up-to-date in the SAP ecosystem, and his experiences with ASUG. 

We sat down with Tammy Powlas, Senior Business Analyst at Fairfax Water and an ASUG volunteer, to talk about her career path and how she pursued certifications to expand her skill set. 

In the fourth episode of ASUG Talks, we sat down with David McClure, Chief Information Security Officer at CONA Services - A Coca-Cola System IT Services Company. He discussed how he got into the IT field and the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity. 

In the third episode of our Candid Career Conversations series, ASUG Talks sits down with Allison Boutilier, project delivery manager at Marine Atlantic. She talks about her path to IT, her experiences working in the male-dominated IT field, and her work at Marine Atlantic. 

In episode two of our Candid Career Conversations series, we spoke with Cindy Seaburn, an ASUG volunteer and SAP systems analyst for Duval County Public Schools in Florida. We spoke about Cindy's path to IT, how she juggles being an adjunct English professor in her spare time, and her experiences with ASUG. 

For the debut episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, we are joined by Ann Largent, a senior solution engineer at enosix and an ASUG volunteer. In celebration of International Women's Day this month, this is part of a series of content focused on the experiences of women working in the IT world.  We discussed how Ann got started in the IT industry, her experiences working as a professional in the SAP ecosystem, and her work as an ASUG volunteer.