Kerrie Jordan, the Group VP – Product Management at Epicor says recognising colleagues and celebrating success is something she encouraged on a regular basis
Can you share your journey into the technology world? What inspired you to pursue a career in this field?
What brought me to business technology might be a little surprising – it was the love of stories. I pursued Marketing and Literature while in college and got an internship at a supply chain technology company writing customer case studies. I was hooked! Through those interviews I discovered just how dynamic and rewarding the field truly is. Afterwards I took on roles in Product Marketing and Product Management at various software companies. I now lead Product Management at Epicor, a fast-growing cloud ERP and business application provider serving over 23,000 customers worldwide.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as a woman, and how did you overcome them?
Achieving balance, delegating, and overcommitting. As the only woman in the room many times, I felt I needed to prove that I deserved to be there. I started taking on more projects than I could handle and worked very long hours to avoid falling behind. Eventually I realized the pattern and was risking serious burnout. I actually spoke with my manager, and I’m so glad I did. He helped me rebalance my workload and even offered to sign me up for a prestigious mentoring and coaching program. I learned that it’s better to be upfront about the challenges I face, and I encourage my teams to do the same.
How do you describe your leadership style, and how has it evolved over time?
I believe in empowering others. I trust my team and give them the autonomy, authority, data, and tools to make decisions and get their work done. To empower them you have to communicate early and often – what’s the strategic vision, measures of success, link to each team member, how are we progressing and what should we consider changing. Over time I’m learning the right balance between empowerment and necessary processes to enable the individual while scaling a growing organization.
What strategies do you use to motivate and empower your team?
I believe it’s important we celebrate our wins. So often we get mired in the issues and the achievements can easily pass us by if we don’t acknowledge them. Recognizing colleagues and celebrating success is something I encourage on a regular basis. In fact, our quarterly goals include sending at least five messages recognizing or thanking a team member.
Have you had any mentors or role models who have significantly influenced your career? How did they impact your journey?
Yes, absolutely. I can’t stress enough how important mentors and role models are, especially women in similar fields. It gives me a profound sense of confidence when I can workshop ideas or brainstorm solutions with other women. To hear their perspective, insight, and wisdom is truly invaluable. Two of my biggest breaks in my career were made possible in large part by a woman who became my mentor: my first job at a software company, and my first people manager job. I am incredibly grateful they saw something in me and took that risk.
What advice would you give to young women aspiring to enter the technology world?
There are so many opportunities in this world to grow and lead a highly rewarding career. Dynamics are shifting and there are more women joining these industries to take advantage of the opportunities. Don’t hesitate to build your network – reach out to leaders and influencers in the field who might be able to guide you throughout your journey.
Can you highlight some of your proudest achievements in your career so far?
I have been a part of some incredible stories of growth, like having driven the cloud transformation at Epicor and we recently surpassed $1B in ARR milestone. Another milestone I’m very proud of – I led our teams to launch Epicor Sustainability Management to help businesses improve competitiveness while reducing carbon impact.
But perhaps most rewarding are the smaller, daily wins, like when I coach a colleague on an executive presentation and she nails it, or when I workshop solutions with a team member and he figures out how to solve his customer’s challenge.
How do you manage work-life balance, and what tips do you have for other women striving to achieve this balance?
My strategy is to put absolutely everything in my calendar. I block time for meetings, specific work projects, preparing for presentations, travel, and even personal commitments like workouts and driving my daughter to gymnastics after school. When I can see it all laid out, it helps me visualize the time I actually have and work within realistic bounds.
