Paul has more than 15 years experience working with SAP systems. Currently he is head of IS at Burtons Biscuit Company and prior to that spent 10 years in SAP-related roles at Northern Foods and Bluefin Solutions. Paul is the User Group SIG (Special Interest Group) chair for Application Lifecycle Management and for the last 7 years he has helped grow interest in the group to the point where there are now 6 or 7 SIG meetings a year. For the last 18 months he has been a board member with responsibility for keeping abreast of the latest technology trends and ensuring that the User Group remains relevant to its members.
Im delighted to be taking on the role of vice chairman and look forward to playing an important part in the continued growth of the User Group, commented Paul Cooper. As a User Group member, I have found real value in being able to network with fellow users and hear the latest product information directly from SAP. At the same time, I recognise the importance of the User Group continuing to influence SAP and championing the needs and concerns of our members. In my new role I aim to voice the views of an everyday user, both to the membership, and to SAP.
In addition to the appointment of a new vice chairman, the User Group has named John Weikert as a full board member. This follows the successful integration of the Business Objects User Group UK, where John served as chairman. The combined entity now has in excess of 560 organisations, comprising more than 6,500 individuals across the UK & Ireland.
In order to support the growing membership, the User Group has also strengthened its back-office team with the appointment of Helen Borland as general manager. Helen has more than 18 years management experience, working for the likes of Royal Liver Assurance and UKAR, and she will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the 10 person full-time back office team. The User Group created the new general manager role to enable it to deliver even greater value to members by running more SIGs, webinars and special events throughout the year.
It is very important that we have a professional infrastructure in place in order to continue to deliver quality events and provide the necessary support to our membership. The appointment of Helen will enable us to continue to grow our membership and deliver value to SAP users of all sizes and types, said Craig Dale, chief executive of the UK & Ireland SAP User Group.
The success of the User Group is very much founded on the dedication of its volunteers, whether this is at board level, or through their involvement in our SIGs. The UK & Ireland is the third largest market sector for SAP worldwide, so it is important that we continue to be an influential voice globally and work closely with the company on behalf of our members, added Philip Adams, chairman of the UK & Ireland SAP User Group.
The 25th Anniversary UK & SAP User Group Conference is taking place 24th 26th November in Birmingham. For further details please visit www.sapusers.org/conference
