Business-first technology leadership, delivered personally.
I work with manufacturing leaders on the decisions where technology, operations, risk, and business strategy meet. The decisions that can shape the next three years, not merely the next quarter.
Today I maintain a deliberately limited independent practice. My work is direct, pragmatic, and built around long-term relationships.
More than twenty-five years, from building the software to running the business.
I built ERP software before I implemented one
Nearly nine years at Epicor as Director of Software Development, owning product development strategy for enterprise application suites. I understand these platforms at the architecture level, not the sales demo. When a vendor says something cannot be done, I can tell whether that is a technical fact or a commercial position.
Ten years as CIO of a multinational manufacturer
Operations across North America and Europe. Multiple subsidiaries, multiple ERP platforms, budgets from $500K to $5M+. Strategy, implementations, vendors, teams, board reporting. I led technology through a successful 9x exit of the operating divisions.
Then I ran a business
Vice President of IT, then Chief of Staff to the CEO, then General Manager establishing a European operation from Barcelona. Legal entity, hiring, facility, UK and EU distribution. Technology leadership is not a silo; it is a business function.
Three areas, consistently.
Core system decisions
Selecting, replacing or upgrading the platform the business runs on. Having built ERP software and then implemented it eight times as the accountable executive, I can distinguish a genuine technical constraint from a commercial assumption that deserves to be challenged.
Technology in transactions
Diligence before a deal and integration after one. Two ERPs, two sets of processes and two ways of working do not reconcile themselves, and the cost of leaving them alone compounds quietly.
Building the function and its people
Governance, board reporting, vendor relationships, and developing the leader who will eventually not need me. The engagements I value most are the ones that leave something behind.
A few engagements that show the range.
ERP selection and negotiation
A new ERP implementation negotiated end to end — software licensing and the full implementation services scope. Having spent nine years building ERP software, I understood how the pricing was constructed and where costs could be removed without weakening the scope. Approximately $500,000 came out of the deal before signature, not through change orders afterwards.
Eight-year advisory retainer
A retained relationship of more than eight years, covering technology strategy, ERP management, cybersecurity, team development and board reporting. It has scaled up and down as the company's needs have changed.
Health insurance administrator
An IT operation running twelve concurrent initiatives with no project discipline and no visibility into status or risk. Established a project management office and gave leadership a view they could actually make decisions from.
Confectionery manufacturer
The company had promoted someone from Finance into an IT director role. I mentored her through the transition; within six months she was running the function independently. That work outlasts me, which is the point.
People I have worked with.
What made Sanu valuable went beyond the technical execution. He understood the business side — what we actually needed versus what a consultant would try to upsell. … If you're a mid-market company that needs a technology leader who actually understands the business, Sanu is the real deal.”
Senior level presence that integrates well with the entire organization. Very pragmatic in terms of how much technology can be utilized within the business, given the nature and structure of the business. Sanu gets that in order to do your job properly, first and foremost, you need to understand both what the business is about and doing.”
Sanu helps meld the technology side of the business with the business strategy in a complementary fashion so that senior leadership is not faced with a series of ‘either technology is optimized or business is optimized’ choices. He brings a fundamental understanding of business first to problem solving.”
Sanu brought a sense of purpose, focus, and urgency to our entire team. He mentored the leaders into taking responsibility for their teams and deliverables while challenging the culture to move with greater clarity and pace. When you engage with Sanu, you get someone committed to helping you build a high-performing, business-focused technology organization.”
If this sounds relevant, get in touch.
I work with a limited number of clients and consider new relationships selectively. If you believe my experience may be relevant to your situation, you are welcome to get in touch.