Top 10 ERP Thought Leaders to Follow in 2021

May 14, 2021

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This guide updates our ERP thought-leadership rankings for 2021. Rankings are based on these ERP thought leaders’ social media presence and the frequency at which they publish. These rankings highlight the thinkers with the biggest impact on the present and future of ERP by analyzing who is speaking the loudest to the largest audience. This year, our list has some new entrants, along with some changes in rankings for previous top-ten leaders. To learn more about our methodology or to request a ranking of your own, please contact us.

R Ray Wang has moved up a notch in ranking since our 2020 report. Wang has held executive roles in product, marketing, strategy, and consulting at companies such as Forrester Research, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Personify, and Johns Hopkins Hospital. He later founded Constellation Research, where he serves as Chairman and Principal Analyst. Ray is a prominent and dynamic keynote speaker and research analyst working with clients on digital innovation, business model design, engagement strategies, customer experience, matrix commerce, and big data. He is also the host of DisrupTV, a weekly enterprise tech and leadership webcast.

Twitter followers: 133,900
LinkedIn Followers: 20,309
YouTube Videos: 100+
Book Credits: 2
Blog posts: 20+

Eric Kimberling moved up from the number three spot to the number two spot on our list this year. Kimberling is an expert in organizational change management, project management, implementation, and evaluations of ERP systems. His extensive experience includes ERP software selection, organizational change management, implementation, project management, and benefits realization. In addition to his extensive ERP experience, Eric has also helped clients with merger and acquisition business integration, via strategic planning, business process reengineering, and Six Sigma. He further demonstrates his innovative and unparalleled industry experience as the lead facilitator of a weekly webinar series.

Twitter followers: 13,100
LinkedIn Followers: 23,180
YouTube Videos: 200+
Book Credits: –
Blog posts: 20+

Lisa Anderson is a new entrant on the list this year. Anderson is the founder and president of LMA Consulting Group Inc, which specializes in manufacturing strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation. Often quoted in media outlets like the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, and Industry Week, she is regularly invited to speak at conferences and events on topics like the Amazon Effect and Resiliency in Supply Chain at venues such as the Drucker Supply Chain Forum and the Manufacturers Summit. Lisa has been named a Top 46 Supply Chain Influencer by SAP, a Top 50 ERP Influencer by Washington Frank, a Top 40 B2B Tech Influencer by Arketi, a Top 100 Supply Chain Blogger by SupplyChainOpz, and a subject matter expert by West Stringfellow.

Twitter followers: 16,300
LinkedIn Followers: 9,885
YouTube Videos: 11
Book Credits: 3
Blog posts: 20+

Louis Columbus dropped from the top spot on our 2020 list to number four for 2021. Columbus is currently serving as Principal at IQMS. Previous positions include product management at Ingram Cloud, product marketing at iBASEt, Plex Systems, senior analyst at AMR Research (now Gartner), marketing and business development at Cincom Systems, Ingram Micro, a SaaS start-up, and at hardware companies. He is also a member of the Enterprise Irregulars. His background includes marketing, product management, sales, and industry analyst roles in the enterprise software and IT industries.

Twitter followers: 29,500
LinkedIn Followers: 6,056
YouTube Videos: 1
Book Credits: 3
Blog posts: 5

Simon Porter moved up one notch from number six in 2020 to number five on our 2021 list. Porter is a general manager with broad experience in all aspects of channels, marketing, sales, and deal making. He has direct experience in establishing international start-up businesses as well as leading large billion-dollar units in the software and services fields, enabling sales and marketing to capture the new delivery and consumption models of SaaS and Cloud as well as reaching new buyers with digital and social marketing techniques.

Twitter followers: 149,100
LinkedIn Followers: 13,209
YouTube Videos: 1
Book Credits: –
Blog posts: –

Vinnie

Vinnie Mirchandani is a new entrant on the list this year. Mirchandani is a technology analyst, advisor, and author. Formerly an analyst for Gartner and a consultant at PwC, he went on to found Deal Architect, which advises businesses on technology strategy and negotiation. He has authored several books, including SAP Nation, the New Polymath, and The New Technology Elite. Mirchandani specializes in innovation strategy and technology contract negotiations.

Twitter followers: 6,411
LinkedIn Followers: 1,991
YouTube Videos: 42
Book Credits: 7
Blog posts: 20+

Holger Mueller dropped from the number four spot in 2020 to number seven on our 2021 list. Mueller is VP and Principal Analyst for Constellation Research covering Next Generation Apps and Human Capital Management. Holger provides strategy and counsel to key clients, including chief information officers, chief technology officers, chief product officers, chief HR officers, investment analysts, venture capitalists, sell side firms, and technology buyers.

Twitter followers: 46,800
LinkedIn Followers: 11,369
YouTube Videos: 350+
Book Credits: –
Blog posts: –

Shivmohan Purohit is a new entrant to our 2021 list. Purohit is an expert in Oracle applications and has been operating a website focused on Oracle ERP since early 2007, aimed at sharing knowledge and information with other ERP consultants. The site, “Know Oracle,” is rated as a top destination for Oracle users and consultants, with over 10,000 visits per week. In a previous position, Shiv worked for Oracle and has a broad range of experience serving global enterprise clients.

Twitter followers: 50
LinkedIn Followers: 16,151
YouTube Videos: 41
Book Credits: –
Blog posts: 14

Nick

Nick Castellina dropped two notches from number seven on our 2020 list to number nine this year. Castellina was the vice president and Research Group Director for Aberdeen’s Business Planning and Execution practice before joining Infor as their Director of Industry and Solution Strategy. Aberdeen’s Business Planning and Execution research practice examines industry trends surrounding enterprise-level applications and the ways in which those tools aid in business planning and execution. He has since moved into a new role at Infor as Vice President of Go-To Market.

Twitter followers: 12,800
LinkedIn Followers: 1,998
YouTube Videos: 12
Book Credits: –
Blog posts: –

Cindy Jutras dropped two notches from number eight on our 2020 list to number ten in 2021. Jutras is a widely recognized expert in analyzing the impact of enterprise applications on business performance. Utilizing 40 years of corporate experience and specific expertise in manufacturing, supply chain, customer service, and business performance management, Cindy has spent the past 10+ years benchmarking the performance of software solutions in the context of the business benefits of technology.