Who is James?
At work, I am the Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Epicor Software, a Global ERP software company.
I am originally from the UK and grew up in a place called Reading which is just outside of London. I moved to Austin, Texas in 2015 for work and I live in Austin with my wife and three wonderful kids. Outside of working and being a dad, I love to play golf, watch all kinds of sports, and I am passionate about music and boast a vinyl collection of over 3000 records. I used to DJ and play music at bars and nightclubs however the combination of late-night DJing and early-morning kids activities didn’t match up so well!
Tell us more about your role in Epicor.
As the VP of Global Talent Acquisition, I am responsible for the strategy and operations of Epicor’s talent acquisition team. My position oversees global Talent Acquisition, executive recruiting function, Talent Operations, Employer Branding and University Recruiting Teams around the world with core hubs in the US, India, Mexico, EMEA, and APAC. My teams support the 4,500-person ERP SaaS business in over 30 countries.
What is the most difficult part of your job? But the most rewarding one?
The most difficult part of my job is to keep up with hiring trends and challenges in so many job groups and countries and stay ahead to maintain our competitive advantage. The rewarding part is having the opportunity to continue to learn and grow in a supportive environment.
On top of this, I love to see and hear feedback from candidates, hiring managers, and leaders in the business about our service and the impact we have on the business.
Is there anything that you would change about your professional path?
Everything I have done in my career has led me to this point so I wouldn’t change anything. I have sometimes chosen a more difficult path than I expected as I like to challenge myself and live out of my comfort zone. I believe that if you can push yourself to be uncomfortable, you will often find you can achieve a lot more than you believe.
What’s your key strategy for the development of your company?
Epicor is very focused on serving the technology needs of the essential industries – what we call the Make, Move, Sell economy. Our cloud software and business intelligence tools give manufacturers, distributors, and retailers the operational advantages and insights they need to maximize growth and profitability.
What do you think about the next period of time, keeping in mind the pandemic and the new business climate? How will your industry be affected?
At Epicor, we understand the challenges that the Make, Move, and Sell industries are facing – economic pressures, supply chain disruptions, labor issues – and are focused on helping them navigate and thrive through our deep industry expertise, purpose-built technology portfolio, and strong partnerships.
Please name a few technologies which have the greatest impact on your business.
A cloud-centric technology strategy has given many of our customers the flexibility, scalability, and security they need to accelerate and strengthen their business, something that is especially critical in today’s environment as business leaders think about navigating and responding to market dynamics to ensure the health of the organization.
What books do you have on your nightstand?
- Business:
The subtle art of not giving a f**k – Mark Manson
Start with why – Simon Sinek
Shoe Dog – Phil Knight - Personal:
Harry Potter – JK Rowling (currently reading to my 7-year-old)
