New TUG Chair, Jamie Hutt Semple
New TUG Chair,
Jamie Hutt-Semple

As he begins his two-year term as Chairman of TheUserGroup.org, Jamie Hutt-Semple, Vice-President, Operations at Kerr Controls Ltd., is emphasizing the gains and successes the organization can carry forward from past generations of board leadership.

With TUG adopting a more strategic posture as a center for thought leadership in distribution, and the board crafting closer relationships with Infor and dozens of channel partners, Hutt-Semple’s focus for the next year is on building the member participation that is the foundation of the organization’s success.

“Our Infor software is what brings us all together, and information technology will always be an essential focus for TUG. But the shining insight from David White’s term as Chairman is that we’re also all distributors,” Hutt-Semple says. Which is why “TUG now delivers more content that is distribution-driven, with dedicated tracks on operations, purchasing and inventory management, pricing, and finance and a popular executive summit at TUG Connects . That’s an innovation that we’ll carry on and expand over the next two years.”

From Don Green’s recently-ended term of office, Hutt-Semple points to TUG’s excellent working relationship with Infor and the many channel partners that help members capture the best return on our investment in Infor software.

“When our software vendors and we work more closely together, we all win,” he notes. “As users, we drive the efficiencies and strategic insights that build our businesses, and when that happens, we can keep investing in the software that drives our success.”

But that activity both enables and depends on building up members’ participation in their own user group. “I can think of no higher calling, no more urgent priority for the TUG Chairman than to act as a conduit and ​support for that passion,” Hutt-Semple stresses.

His goals for the next year: Helping every member get a better idea of how TUG’s networks work, and making sure everyone who attends a TUG event for the first time knows they’re welcome, and have something to contribute.

“TUG is already an effective, successful organization,” he says. “But the more voices and fresh ideas we can bring to the table, the better we’ll be. That’s an idea I never plan to let up on.”