Advertise on podcast: Sage Thought Leadership Podcast

Inder Seth, the CEO of Limelight Software, discussed her journey in the tech industry. Inder shared her passion for problem-solving, innovation, and collaboration. She also explained how her company's automation software has transformed the way finance teams operate. Inder mentioned that her son, who has special needs, is her hero due to his selflessness, hard work, and pure nature.  Inder Seth, CEO of Limelight Software, isn't just a leader - she's a visionary. Her decades of experience at Dell, IBM, and Clarity Systems shaped her sharp business acumen and honed her ability to innovate, navigate markets, and find new opportunities. Today, she drives Limelight's vision for empowering businesses with transformative financial solutions. Inder's passion for customer success, product excellence, and collaboration inspires her team to push boundaries and make a lasting impact.

Colette Markham shared her insights about the Nuvei's marketing approach, which involves understanding the needs of their partners and tailoring strategies accordingly. She mentioned that about 20% of their top Partners are broken down into tiers, and each partner's needs are addressed individually. She also highlighted the shift towards virtual marketing, particularly webinars and podcasts, due to Covid-19, which now constitutes about 60 to 70% of their marketing efforts. Colette acknowledged the challenges of partners being stuck on their own ideas and the need to adapt and learn from trial and error. The conversation ended with an exit question from Ed, asking about Colette's hero. With over 20 years of experience in partner management, channel development, and strategic alliances, Colette Markham is a seasoned executive who delivers strategies that drive growth, profitability, and competitive success. As the Director of Channel Partnerships at Nuvei, Colette oversees the domestic portfolio of B2B strategic partners, aligning with ERP product integrators and leading initiatives to increase year over year revenue, promote product enhancements, and foster organic growth within the channel.  Her mission is to add value to the organization and the partners by understanding their different needs, guiding and mentoring them with solid leadership skills, and resolving conflicts that arise on a daily basis. 

Brett Michalson shared about the company's focus on enhancing the Sage Intacct ecosystem with integrations, automations, and intelligence products. He also reflected on his professional journey and the importance of fully leveraging a new finance and accounting system. Furthermore, Brett emphasized the importance of actionable insights for decision-making and shared his admiration for Alan Turing.  Brett has more than 20+ years of accounting and technology experience. Brett is an experienced executive leader with an extensive background in solution design, product management, product development, professional services, information technology, and enterprise risk management. He was a founding employee of AcctTwo, and since the firm’s combination with Baker Tilly, leads Baker Tilly’s finance as a service solution designer and software developer. Brett started his career in the advisory practice at a Big Four public accounting firm and spent seven years in public accounting advisory before becoming the implementation practice leader and CTO of AcctTwo.

Jeremy Almond discussed the limitations of traditional financial services and how his company, Paystand, is using blockchain technology to improve the industry. He emphasized the benefits of Paystand’s service, such as faster money transfers, automated processes, and eliminating fees. Ed Kless brought up the emergence of blockchain technology, which Jeremy responded can improve financial efficiency and automation for businesses. Jeremy also highlighted the security benefits of blockchain technology and shared his personal goal of creating a lasting legacy through his involvement in the blockchain industry. Jeremy Almond, CEO and Co-Founder of Paystand. Jeremy has spent the last 15 years in the tech-industry as a serial entrepreneur, startup adviser, and occasional investor. Jeremy has helped dozens of B2B companies drive adoption of digital commerce, and is still an active board member at a number of fintech companies. He's been thinking about how to use technology to innovate in B2B financial services ever since.

Scott Hollrah discussed the mission and culture of Scott's company, Venn Technology. Scott emphasized the importance of freeing small and medium-sized businesses from time-consuming tasks through integrations between cloud accounting and CRM solutions. He also underscored the significance of company culture, noting that their relaxed and fun culture is reflected in their unique branding. Furthermore, Scott highlighted the importance of hiring employees who share their core values and creating a strong company culture. Ed agreed, suggesting that this approach is key to preserving the team's culture. Scott also shared his personal motivation for building the kind of company he would like to work for, aligning with the Golden Rule taught by his father. Scott Hollrah is the founder and CEO of Venn Technology. He has more than 17 years of experience in the business technology industry, and more specifically in CRM and accounting software solutions. Scott founded Venn Technology in 2015 to help small and medium-sized businesses get their time and sanity back by building integrations between cloud accounting and CRM solutions to just about anything with an API. Venn’s top priority: build solutions that free people to focus on what they’re best at.

Ben Parker shared his professional journey and insights on the evolution of expense management, emphasizing the need to balance controlling and insight into spend. Ben also revealed that his father, a successful salesman, was his hero due to his dedication and integrity. Ed concluded the interview by providing contact details for Ben. Ben Parker is the Director of Strategic Alliances at Emburse.  Ben leads the strategic direction for all referrals and bookings growth for ERP & VAR Partners. Ben has more than 20 years of experience in the ERP, risk management, and spend management technology industries. He joined Emburse in 2013 and led the business development efforts for Travel before becoming ERP Strategic Alliances Manager in 2020. Prior to Emburse, Ben worked in the Government Sector for Tyler Technologies and prior to that focused on Risk Management efforts at Pulte Homes in Scottsdale, AZ.

Andy Nunez is an industry leader with extensive expertise in operational and sales domains, specializes in ERP consulting and ISVs. His M&A career started in 1997 with ePartners, eventually leading to the co-founding of NexTec Group. As SWK Technologies' CRO, he increased revenue from $7M to $50M, was pivotal in 17 acquisitions, and aided SWK's NASDAQ listing and Mapadoc's sale. Currently, as President & CEO of Scanco, he guided its sale to Firmament Partners, a PE firm. He continues to focus on driving Scanco's organic growth and strategic acquisitions in collaboration with Firmament. Summary Operational and sales expertise in ERP consulting and acquisitions. Andy Nunez, industry leader in ERP consulting and ISVs, shares insights on growth and acquisitions. Career path from archaeology to ERP software sales. Ex-archaeology major finds excitement in ERP software industry's daily variety. The impact of a company acquisition on the team and culture. Andy: Acquisition was transparent, resulting in team's readiness to "hit the ground running" after six months. Organization hires new team members to fill gaps and change culture. Growth strategy and acquisitions in a business.  Andy highlights the importance of hiring the right people to build a successful business, citing their experience with Firmaments and acquisition in December. Living life without regrets with a 96-year-old activist. Andy shares their admiration for a 96-year-old neighbor who is a retired professor and social activist, inspiring them with her fearlessness and lack of regrets about her life. Andy believes that making small decisions over a lifetime and living with no regrets takes more character than making one heroic decision in a moment of crisis.

Zack Manning shared his career journey and his passion for sales and customer success. He emphasized the importance of building high-performing teams and his instrumental role in FISPAN’s growth. Zack also discussed his approach to sales, adding value for the customer, and the importance of technology in streamlining financial transactions and allowing employees to focus on more strategic tasks. He highlighted examples of success, such as integrating a business's ERP system and its bank. Zack also revealed his admiration for Nicola Tesla's work, believing it to be the cornerstone of modern technology. Zack Manning, SVP of Revenue at FISPAN, is a seasoned sales leader in the financial technology industry with a holistic approach, guiding Sales, Marketing, Business Development, and Solutions teams. Having worked at companies like Hyperwallet and SAP before FISPAN, Zack has built expertise in developing and executing go-to-market strategies that involve complex distribution channels. His focus on customer success and his ability to build high-performing teams has been instrumental in driving FISPAN's growth and expanding the company's presence in the market to service not only banks, but ERP and consultant partners alike.

Daniel Cuthew discussed the importance of data-driven decision-making and the role of technology in facilitating this process. Daniel, the global partnership executive at Phocas Software, shared his mission to create value for Phocas and their partners through innovative and customer-centric solutions. He emphasized the need for technology that is easy to use and intuitive, enabling organizations to identify areas of growth and make informed decisions. Daniel also highlighted the importance of collaboration with partners and the right fit for both individuals and companies. He shared a success story from a company called Quality Bearings Online, which has benefited from using Phocas Software's platform. The conversation ended with Daniel providing details on how to contact him and his admiration for authors Patrick Lecioni and Geoffrey Moore. Daniel Cuthew is the Global Partnership Executive at Phocas Software,  responsible for developing and managing channel and alliance partnerships that generate revenue and growth for Phocas across Sage globally. He has over 12 years of experience in the software sector, with a focus on B2B SaaS solutions. Daniel has a strong background in sales and financial management, and business development and he’s a member of Partnership Leaders, the industry association for partnership professionals. His mission is to create value for Phocas and their partners by leveraging his go-to-market skills and industry knowledge together with his passion for delivering innovative and customer-centric solutions that solve complex business challenges and drive positive outcomes.

Geof Brown is Illinois CPA Society President and CEO, role he took over in 2023 and has quickly moved to maintain the society’s position as a thought leader in the profession while stepping up as one himself. In fact, Geof was named as one of Accounting Today’s most influential people in the profession! In December 2023, the ICPA released the society’s latest Insight Special Feature, “Righting Retention,” which addresses the leading factors driving perpetually high turnover in the accounting profession based on the personal responses of both employees and employers. Summary Accounting profession turnover with Illinois CPA Society president. Geof Brown, Illinois CPA Society president and CEO, discusses the society's latest insights on writing retention in the accounting profession. Talent retention in the accounting profession. Retention is a growing concern in the profession, with high turnover rates and associated costs impacting businesses. Employee retention in accounting and finance industries. Valued feeling and career advancement opportunities drive retention in public accounting, while burnout and lack of recognition affect industry professionals. Retaining employees in the workplace. Geof suggests connecting people to the mission and culture of organizations to improve retention. The impact of a dedicated public educator and the importance of retention in the finance and accounting profession. Geof Brown praises his mother as a hero for her dedication to public education and her unwavering support.

Thejo Kote discussed the challenges and solutions in expense management for small and medium-sized companies. Thejo Kote, founder and CEO of Airbase, a spend management platform, explained the difficulties of bringing together disparate systems to properly understand expense management. He highlighted the benefits of consolidating all non-payroll expenses into one platform, which Airbase offers, and the positive impact this can have on various stakeholders such as employees, managers, budget owners, and finance and accounting professionals. Thejo Kote also shared an example of how Airbase has helped a public company, Proximity, streamline its expense management processes. Thejo Kote shared his personal hero, his grandfather, who despite facing significant challenges and poverty, became a leading scholar and author in India. He admired his grandfather's hard work and persistence, which have influenced his own life and career path. Thejo Kote also mentioned that he can be easily contacted through LinkedIn, and encouraged potential customers to explore the integration between Airbase and Sage. Thejo Kote is the Founder and CEO of Airbase, the leading spend management platform for small and midsize companies. Founded in 2017, Airbase is a venture backed company and has raised over $100M from Menlo Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures and First Round Capital. Thejo’s first company, Automatic, was acquired by SiriusXM.

Edwin Willis, Director of Channel Sales for Quadian Financial Automation, shared his journey in the channel sales industry, emphasizing the role of mentors and his team in his growth. He also discussed his focus on helping his team achieve their goals. The need for strong partner relationships to drive business growth was a topic of discussion. Ed and Edwin also discussed the impact of the declining interest in accounting degrees and the resulting workforce gap in the industry, which Edwin suggested will be increasingly automated. Ed concluded the interview by asking Edwin about his heroes. Ed Willis is the Director of Channel Sales for Quadient Financial Automation. With over 10 years of channel experience, Ed leads the Quadient partner team in shaping strategic channel direction with a strong focus on building partner relationships that drive mutually beneficial business growth. Quadient Financial Automation encompasses Beanworks Accounts Payable Automation which is the white labeled solutions powering Sage AP Automation for Sage 50, 100 & 300 as well as Yaypay Accounts Receivable Automation.