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In part one of this two-part SUGTalks conversation, Craig is joined by Sandeep, Global Business Transformation and Technology Officer at Twinings.

Together they take a deep dive on career growth, leadership and business transformation. Sandeep shares how he moved from engineering into technology, why he sees himself as a business problem solver first, and what senior leaders need to do to make transformation meaningful and sustainable.

Along the way, he discusses authenticity, curiosity, feedback, collaboration and the importance of taking people with you through change. He also offers a clear-eyed view on AI, the pace of change facing digital leaders, and the need to keep learning - and unlearning. Part two will bring in questions from the audience at his UKISUG Connect keynote.

To learn more about the UKISUG referral scheme, visit: https://www.sapusers.org/community-referral-scheme

In our latest SUGTalks episode, Craig is joined by UKISUG Women in SAP Community Leads Emma Chambers and Fiona Warburg. Together they discuss the progress made by the Women in SAP community over the past year and some of the equality challenges that still persist across the tech sector. In addition, they outline how practical initiatives such as mentoring, networking and allyship are helping to support career progression and representation.

They also explore this year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Give to Gain,” and how contributing time, experience and support can help individuals, organisations and the wider SAP ecosystem thrive.

To learn more about the UKISUG referral scheme, visit: https://www.sapusers.org/community-referral-scheme

In our latest senior leader interview, Craig is joined by Emel Morris, CIO at Central Bedfordshire Council.

Emel shares her journey from corporate communications into IT leadership and the skills that helped her transition into the role. She also outlines why today’s CIO must focus on stakeholder engagement, change, and aligning technology to real service outcomes.

Craig and Emel also discuss pressures on public sector services, cyber security, AI alongside the importance of inclusion and Women in SAP.

To learn more about the UKISUG referral scheme, visit: https://www.sapusers.org/community-referral-scheme

In this episode of SUGTalks, Craig is joined by Mark Raben, former SAP EMEA CTO, keynote speaker and leadership coach, to examine the role of trust, culture and leadership in the era of AI.

Recorded at UKISUG Connect following Mark’s keynote, the conversation looks beyond technology to focus on human behaviour, trust and culture in transformation programmes. Mark explains how the brain works as a prediction machine, why structure alone isn’t enough for successful SAP projects, and how leaders can reduce anxiety by being transparent about intent.

Learn more about Mark Raben here: https://www.markraben.com/

🔗 Learn more about the UKISUG referral scheme: https://www.sapusers.org/community-referral-scheme

In this episode of SUGTalks, Craig is joined by Phil Creek, Intake Demand Lead at the SAP Centre of Expertise at Boots, and Rohan Parikh, SAP Platform Architect at Maersk, to explore the value of building an SAP Customer Centre of Expertise (COE).

The conversation builds on the UKISUG SAP Customer Centre of Expertise Insights paper, covering why COEs matter, the importance of senior sponsorship, what effective governance looks like, and the skills a modern COE needs. Phil and Rohan share practical perspectives on balancing internal capability with partners, supporting a clean core, and how COEs need to evolve as SAP customers move further into the cloud.

📄 Click Here to download the UKISUG SAP Customer Centre of Expertise Insights paper
💬 Join the UKISUG ALM Community to continue the discussion with fellow SAP users
🔗 Learn more about the UKISUG referral scheme: https://www.sapusers.org/community-referral-scheme

Recorded live at UKISUG Connect 2025 at the ICC in Birmingham, Craig Dale is joined by Cliff Saran, Technology Editor at Computer Weekly, and Gerren Maine, host of SAPCHAT, to unpack the keynotes and what they mean for SAP users.

They discuss the key points raised, including the need for balance between AI ambition and practical delivery, why “foundations first” keeps coming up, and how looming maintenance timelines are still shaping transformation plans. They also explore cloud adoption blockers, from security and cost to customisation and clean core, plus the role BTP and partners can play in helping customers move forward.

To learn more about the UKISUG referral scheme, visit: https://www.sapusers.org/community-referral-scheme

You can read Cliff Saran’s Enterprise blog here: https://www.computerweekly.com/blog/Cliff-Sarans-Enterprise-blog

In this episode of SUGTalks, Craig is joined by Russell Smith, Vice President of ERP Transformation Technology at AstraZeneca.

Together, they unpack SAP’s newly announced partnership with Snowflake and what it really means for SAP customers in practice. Russell shares why AstraZeneca was involved early, how the collaboration supports large-scale S/4HANA transformation, and where zero-copy data sharing can remove complexity and accelerate timelines.

The conversation explores semantically rich data, real-time analytics, AI readiness, and the cultural shift required to bring analytics and AI to the data rather than moving data between platforms. Russell also reflects on governance, data trust, and why strong foundations matter before scaling AI across the enterprise.

To learn more about the UKISUG referral scheme, visit: https://www.sapusers.org/community-referral-scheme

In this episode of SUGTalks, Craig continues the conversation with Ian Mallinson, UKISUG Board Member, and David Yawalkar, Head of Solution Management, RISE with SAP, to discuss SAP’s cloud roadmap and what that means for customers. They explore the differences between S/4HANA on-prem and cloud editions, including cloud-only AI, sustainability tools, central finance, and new Business Data Cloud apps.

The discussion also covers clean core, how tools like Signavio, LeanIX and BTP support modernisation, and the incentives and support SAP is offering to help customers transition to S/4HANA.

To learn more about the UKISUG referral scheme, visit: https://www.sapusers.org/community-referral-scheme

You can find the UKISUG blog on SAP ERP, private edition, transition option here: https://www.sapusers.org/resource/sap-s-cloud-subscription-transition-option.html

UKISUG Members can access the SAP S/4HANA and RISE Report 2024 here: https://www.sapusers.org/resource/sap-s-4hana-and-rise-report-2024.html