At the start of the week of Unleashed, its replacement for the World Conference that used to be held every 18 months, IFS made two senior appointments. Cindy Jaudon, who has been President of Americas for the last 17 years, is moving to a global role as Chief Operating Officer for the company’s Global Customer Organization. In her place, IFS has appointed David Spencer as President for IFS North America.
The change marks a subtle shift in ambition in North America as the company looks to accelerate its regional growth. Last week it announced the appointment of John Walsh, Chief Sales Officer of Accenture as a non-exec director.
IFS’s Chief Revenue Officer, Simon Niesler, commented: “North America is a hugely significant market for us, and we are committed to investing in all areas of the organization. I am, therefore, delighted to have David join my team and accelerate our growth in the region.
“I am equally delighted to have the opportunity to bring Cindy Jaudon into a global role; nurturing and investing in our own talent is a key value at IFS, and in her new role, Cindy will add value to the broader organization through her years of learnings which will directly benefit customers and partners.”
Step aside or up for Jaudon?
Is this a step up for Jaudon or a step aside into a less intensive role? It certainly means a reinvigoration of the IFS operation in the US. It also means that IFS has not lost an experienced executive who can bring her wide experience and knowledge to the wider IFS operation. In her new role, she will help drive success with IFS’s customers, employees and partners communities globally.
Cindy Jaudon, Chief Operating Officer for IFS’s Global Customer Organization, commented: “I am hugely proud of the achievements of the North American organization over the years I’ve had the honor to lead the team. I am excited for David to be joining and look forward to working with him as we continue to grow our footprint.
“With more and more of our customers being truly global organizations, it is natural for us to organize accordingly. I am committed to further advancing IFS’s global customer organization so that we can effectively serve our customers as they themselves grow and scale.”
Who is David Spencer?
Spencer joins from data management company Syniti where he helped that company grow as President Americas. In July, Syniti announced 63% year-over-year growth in ARR. Significantly Syniti growth was powered partly by strategic partners such as IBM, Deloitte, HCL, and Accenture.
If Spencer can help cement relationships with these organisations in the US for IFS, then similar acceleration may become possible. North America is perhaps the market with the most potential for the global cloud applications provider.
Spencer is no stranger to ERP and some of the other applications that IFS offers. He was previously COO at SAP North America and held several leadership roles during his 12-year tenure at SAP. Before SAP, he also worked at Trancentrix and Gelco Expense Management.
David Spencer commented, “I am excited to join IFS at an important time in the company’s growth journey. We have all the ingredients we need to succeed: a differentiated and compelling proposition, advanced product capabilities, and a strong team. I believe my experience, approach, and ambitions are well aligned to enable us to capitalize on the opportunity that lies ahead of us in North America. I also want to recognize the strength of the business Cindy is handing over, which, together with the team, I am committed to taking to the next level.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
IFS is ramping up for growth in North America with the appointments of Walsh and Spencer. Spencer will re-invigorate the US team, and it will be interesting to see whether he brings any other people across from either Syniti or SAP. IFS is looking to accelerate growth in the US, and this appointment may help this. It won’t be easy, though, and it will be interesting to see how Spencer approaches the task.
Spencer started this week as IFS Unleashed begins in Miami. There, he will have the opportunity to meet with colleagues, partners and customers to kick-start his tenure and meet several key players.
