My first Sapphire

It’s been a long time coming but my FIRST #SAPSapphire is in the books (I started SAP SuccessFactors right before COVID and then last year I got COVID myself). ??

I can’t express how energizing it was to see the enthusiasm for our innovation announcements. All the hard work in product engineering becomes SO worth it when you have the opportunity to see customers' eyes light up and feel the positive energy in the room.? Positive customer feedback is the fuel that motivates a product team and it honestly never gets old.

HXM on the main stage

If you saw the Day 1 mainstage keynote you’ll understand why I believe there has never been a more exciting time (or more urgent need) for SAP SuccessFactors – our #HXM mission,?putting people at the center of business, is the foundation for our #AI innovation and the reason I am bullish on the #futureofwork. The future of work I'm helping create is one that maximizes human potential by valuing the unique #WholeSelf of each person.?

Having HXM featured in the opening keynote filled me with #joy – Megan Smith and Aaron Green laid out why #AI innovation is important for HR leaders and how a #upskilling strategy is critical for business transformation. ?

Of course the Sapphire conference is not just about HXM - it is about SAP 's integrated capabilities that enable transformation and #FutureProof business. I adored seeing Thomas Kurian and Christian Klein talking about the power of #data in the era of #AI.

In fact, what becomes very clear when you watch these keynotes, is that the power of the ecosystem to accelerate innovation is staggering and it's still early days.

Our investments in cloud and transformation over the last few years are the building blocks that help us all deliver concrete value to business today and continue to innovate into the future.

HXM Track Keynote

I was fortunate to join Aaron Green , our customer Melinda McKinley , Global Head, HR Strategy and Digital Transformation at 渣打银行 , and our partner Kirk Koenigsbauer , Chief Operating Officer, Experiences and Devices Group at 微软 , for a #skillsofthefuture panel. ?

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Melinda’s story about how Standard Chartered analyzed positions and roles to focus #upskilling toward "sunrise" roles and away from "sunset" roles was a powerful story. Their human centric focus on enhancing work experiences leveraging strategic business planning and executing their talent strategy has already delivered strong results to the business and they are just getting started.

Kirk shared stories about how Microsoft is learning from and adapting to data for the benefit of their entire customer base. He highlighted that while many people are nervous about the looming changes due to #AI even more people are optimistic about the opportunities that it holds for reducing drudgery and optimizing time. Our partnership with Microsoft continues to bring critical processes into the flow of work – valuing the most important thing for each of us... our time.?

I’m personally optimistic about how SAP SuccessFactors helps HR leaders and businesses #ChangeWorkForGood. By simplifying system interactions, expanding growth opportunities, elevating human potential, and closing the skill gaps AI will be a force multiplier to our HXM vision to individualize every experience.??

Fun and Friends

I mentioned on twitter that I'm not really a huge fan of networking in the broad sense, my joy is in relationship building. I love to #listen and #learn from others. I like to #laugh, #hug and connect. Conferences are like a massive shot of adrenaline - requiring recovery, but also wonderful. I come back from every conference with my views expended my perspectives enhanced and my feet reminding me how much they abhor adult shoes. I like to call this personal growth.

Highlights (in no particular order)

• Pickleball - thanks to #PWC for this fun experience - as you can see, my celebration game was strong, but my ^actual game less so. Note everything this article complains about pickleball not being a sport, is exactly why I adore it... #WholeSelf (more here and here ).

• Analyst and Influencer connections - all the #nerd talk a girl could hope for, with an outdoor reception with beautiful weather and great people. Met new people - connected with old friends and made a lot of follow up plans - didn't take photos so had to use ones other people took, got to spend time with Jon Reed Joshua Greenbaum Harold Sinnott Gale Daikoku Trish (McFarlane) Steed Liz Miller Vinnie Mirchandani Tim Crawford Helen Yu Enrique Rubio (he/him) Chris Ortega Elaine Benfield Ursula Ringham Rachel Miller Kevin L. Jackson, CISSP?,CCSP? Maria Villablanca to name a few. Fun tweets here, here, here, here and here.

• Serena! - Of course as a rule follower, I took to heart the request to not film or photo the session. I did however take some solid notes. I loved her messages about the importance of having a champion mindset - setting goals and doing the work (and the side eye she gave when she recounted people who claim to want to be champions but not doing any of the required work to make those claims credible - we all know people like that, we've all BEEN people like that). I also loved her reminder to not feel compelled to follow other people's paths, especially for those of us who are not part of a majority group. Instead be willing to break the mold and find your own path. I also love how seriously she takes bringing opportunity to people who aren't well represented (investment rates for women and people of color are objectively terrible). Such an inspiration for us all. So much #WholeSelf thinking.
• Usher .. yeah man. My POV: If you get a chance to watch live music you should -- my spot was a bit further away than Trish who took some great shots.
• Ice Cream-I especially loved the live VR demo made more fun by focusing on my favorite food group... Ice Cream. Huge shout to Dr. Philipp Herzig , Michael Ameling and Jana Richter for that fun experience (more here)

• Work friends - the ability to travel has been limited for me this year - maximizing the time with work friends is also a big part of my #joy. There are so many smart, kind and fun people at SAP and I enjoy spending time with them. #LifeAtSAP some fun tweets here, here, here, here,

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My Thanks

This Sapphire will be hard to top. Thank you for all the support Samantha Rudolph Bo Bartley Blair Gove Nina Greenblatt ?

And most importantly I want to thank the amazing Amy Wilson

Thank you for bringing me to SAP SuccessFactors and making work better [for me personally]. I appreciate so much about you, your kindness, your visionary brain, your wit and your commitment to teamwork. You lift everyone around you up and I find that inspirational. Most importantly I need to thank you for showing me the way - both literally and figuratively. I am consistently in awe of you and I wish you the most joyful sabbatical with your family.