Epicor has announced the promotion of Himanshu Palsule to President. The move will see him assume responsibility for the Auto and EDI businesses. He will also continue in his role as Chief Product and Technology officer.
This is an interesting move and one that might be viewed as protective by Epicor. Palsule has helped to re-engineer the Epicor portfolio to a cloud based solution with some success. It is his architectural vision that has enabled the company to move from a legacy ERP vendor to a cloud centric company. There is still much work to be done to migrate customers.
Why now? Why Auto and EDI
Why Auto and EDI? Auto is a significant section of the Epicor Business especially the automotive after sales market. Both businesses have made acquisitions over the last year. EDI is a new native addition with the acquisition of 1 EDI Source. Palsule will no doubt help to guide the integration of that company at both a cultural and technical level into the Epicor technology stack.
Auto is more established. However, with the acquisitions of WMS provider Majure Data and MechanicNet Group, Epicor may feel that it needs to bring the various products within that business together.
Steve Murphy, CEO seemed to concur noting: “Since joining Epicor in 2015, Himanshu has built a compelling product strategy that aligns with our overall mission, drives a differentiated customer experience, and produces real growth for our customers. I am confident that under Himanshu’s thoughtful, bold leadership, our Auto and EDI businesses will benefit from a more unified approach.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
Palsule is ambitious. He has a wide experience of senior positions in other companies. Palsule was Chief Technology Officer and Head of Strategy at Sage. He previously headed up the North America Sage business as Exec VP/General Manager. He is also on the board at Calabrio.
Himanshu Palsule stated: “2019 was a great year of growth for our customers, and Epicor has demonstrated that our ability to innovate with our deep industry knowledge is a real differentiator in the market. We have a solid strategy in place, and as we deliver on our mission to be the cloud vendor of choice in the markets we serve, an increased focus on execution will be critical. I am grateful for the trust Steve and our Board have placed in me, and I look forward to accelerating this journey of growth for our customers into 2020 and beyond.”
Is this succession planning by Murphy? In taking on the role Palsule will be running a significant proportion of the Epicor business. The next step could be CEO if Murphy chose to step down, though there is no indication of this. The big question is whether he can retain his CTO/CPO position? Will Epicor look to fill that role(s) with someone else. Regardless, this is a positive career move for Palsule. If he is successful it will also bring him to the wider attention of other vendors in need of a CEO.
