<ul> </ul> <p>This episode dives into the evolving landscape of enterprise technology, revealing how AI and cloud ERP are changing the pace and purpose of business operations. Join Richard Howells, Cognizant’s Gary Hayes, and SAP’s Alex Pierroutsakos as they share candid industry perspectives—spanning utilities, chemicals, and manufacturing—about overcoming legacy barriers and harnessing data-driven innovation. Listeners will hear memorable examples: from automated case management resolving millions of utility errors, to Guinness World Record-winning hackathons and accelerated digital transformations. Explore how conversational AI, real-time analytics, and agile change management liberate people from repetitive tasks, empowering them for higher-value work. Tune in for a blend of actionable insights and inspirational advice, and discover why staying curious—and leveraging the latest tech—might be the smartest business decision you can make. Don’t forget to subscribe for more on the future of ERP and business innovation.</p> <p></p> <div class="wp-block-image is-style-rounded"> <figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="381" height="418" src="https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2025/11/guest1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-559" style="aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover;width:250px" srcset="https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2025/11/guest1.jpg 381w, https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2025/11/guest1-273x300.jpg 273w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 381px) 100vw, 381px" /></figure></div> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Guest Speaker:</strong> Alex Pierroutsakos, Industry Executive Advisor – Chemicals</h4> <p>Alex, currently is an executive industry advisor for the chemical industry at SAP where he guides executives through operational and digital transformations with a deep expertise in supply chain and manufacturing. Over the last 25 years, Alex has held leadership, project management, and supply chain positions in management consulting , software development, and within industry.  Within the chemical  industry, he was a Global CIO and held multiple senior business leadership positions including Chief Sustainability Officer, Global Director of Quality Assurance, and Internal Audit. Alex has a balance of industry, technology and business experience which enables him to provide a comprehensive and value added approach when working with chemical business leaders and CIO’s.  He has earned numerous credentials and awards, along with a Bachelor of Science with honors in Industrial Engineering from the University of MO &#8211; Columbia and an Executive Master’s in International Business with BSG honors at St. Louis University. He currently resides in Tampa, Florida with his wife and three daughters. </p> <div style="height:38px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <div class="wp-block-image is-style-rounded"> <figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1151" height="1280" src="https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2025/11/Gary-Hayes_color_square-Large.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-560" style="aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover;width:250px" srcset="https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2025/11/Gary-Hayes_color_square-Large.jpeg 1151w, https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2025/11/Gary-Hayes_color_square-Large-270x300.jpeg 270w, https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2025/11/Gary-Hayes_color_square-Large-921x1024.jpeg 921w, https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2025/11/Gary-Hayes_color_square-Large-768x854.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1151px) 100vw, 1151px" /></figure></div> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Guest Speaker:</strong> Gary Hayes, SAP Solution Enablement Domain at Cognizant</h4> <p>Gary&nbsp;brings 35+ years of managing technology strategies, delivery and operations of SAP in the utilities industry, including his role as VP &amp; CIO at CenterPoint Energy.&nbsp;</p> <p>His background includes extensive experience in:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Technology Leadership &amp; Business Transformation<ul><li>Program Leadership</li></ul><ul><li>Customer Systems</li></ul><ul><li>Enterprise Asset Management</li></ul><ul><li>Financial / Supply Chain</li></ul> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Smart Grid / ADMS / AMI</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p>At Cognizant, he is responsible for managing a team of SAP Solution Enablement Domain experts within North America.&nbsp; Responsibilities include solution delivery, transformation advisory, product strategy &amp; delivery, roadmap alignment, product development &nbsp;and go-to-market strategies for the energy and utility market.</p> <div style="height:38px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <div class="wp-block-image is-style-rounded"> <figure class="alignright size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2074" height="2074" src="https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2024/05/Host-1-Richard-Howells-Picture-4.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-297" style="width:250px" srcset="https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2024/05/Host-1-Richard-Howells-Picture-4.jpg 2074w, https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2024/05/Host-1-Richard-Howells-Picture-4-300x300.jpg 300w, https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2024/05/Host-1-Richard-Howells-Picture-4-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2024/05/Host-1-Richard-Howells-Picture-4-150x150.jpg 150w, https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2024/05/Host-1-Richard-Howells-Picture-4-768x768.jpg 768w, https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2024/05/Host-1-Richard-Howells-Picture-4-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://podcast.opensap.info/the-future-of-erp/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2024/05/Host-1-Richard-Howells-Picture-4-2048x2048.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2074px) 100vw, 2074px" /></figure></div> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Host:</strong> Richard Howells, SAP</h4> <p>Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.</p> <p><strong>Richard Howells:</strong> <a href="https://url.sap/22otax" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/howellsrichard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X (Twitter)</a></p> <div style="height:46px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Useful Links:</strong></h4> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://sap-podcast-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/the-future-of-erp/the_future_of_erp_ep76_transcript.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Download Transcript</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.sap.com/ERP" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SAP Cloud ERP</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.cognizant.com/us/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cognizant Technology Solutions</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Follow Us on Social Media:</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><strong>SAP S/4HANA Cloud ERP</strong>:&nbsp;<a href="https://url.sap/4baqcf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="">LinkedIn</a></li> </ul> <p>Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!</p> <p></p>