At a glance
- COSOL's SAP & Data Capability Manager Beau Jagger shares how a sales background shaped a sharper, more customer-focused approach to solving complex technology problems.
- Beau explains why SAP best practice doesn't always deliver the best outcome - and why an agnostic, problem-first approach leads to stronger results.
- Building the right team means balancing technical depth with customer instinct - and holding both to the same standard of accountability and collaboration.
- From uncovering the real problem to designing the right solution, Beau reflects on what it takes to lead a high-performing SAP and data capability.
Beau Jagger didn’t start her career where most people in her role do, and that’s exactly what makes her so effective.
Now SAP & Data Capability Manager at COSOL, she came up through sales, not the traditional technology path. That early, customer-facing experience still shapes how she works: asking better questions, challenging assumptions, and focusing on outcomes rather than default solutions.
It also gives her a different lens in a highly technical, still largely male-dominated field, one that’s sharpened her ability to read the room, balance perspectives, and take a more holistic approach to problem solving.
At COSOL, Beau is known for building teams with the right mix of technical depth and customer insight, bringing those perspectives together to solve real business challenges.
We sat down with her to explore how she approaches customers, gets to the heart of complex problems, and builds teams that deliver real value.
-
-
How important is having multiple perspectives in that process?
-
Does your non-traditional career path influence how you hire?
-
When you first sit down with a client, what are you really listening for beyond what they’re saying?
-
Customers don’t always know what the real problem is. How do you help them uncover it?
-
Can you share an example where what a client wanted was different from what they actually needed?
-
So, what you’re describing is confidence across multiple levels, including yourself, your team, the product, the company, and even the client relationship. You spent a significant part of your career in sales, which is quite different from a traditional technology pathway. How has that shaped your approach?
How do you move from a messy, unclear problem to something structured and actionable?
What does SAP actually look like in day-to-day operations, particularly in asset-heavy environments?
Can small changes in processes really have a significant impact?
Overall, how would you say you approach your team, customers and the business?
1. You’ve built your career in a space that’s both highly technical and traditionally male dominated. Has that shaped how you show up in conversations with clients, teams, or leadership?
Beau:
It’s definitely shaped how I approach things. The technology industry still requires a degree of resilience, and you need to be comfortable navigating environments that can be quite direct and, at times, demanding.
Our focus on asset-centric customers adds another layer to that. These are highly specialised, operational environments, often still male-dominated, where many of the people you engage with have come from hands-on, on-site roles and then transitioned into technology. It creates a very specific dynamic and the ability to understand how technical systems and practical, field-based experience impact each other.
That said, the landscape is shifting. There are more pathways and support networks emerging, like Women in SAP, which I’ve been involved in, and you’re increasingly seeing women step into both technology and on-site roles. It’s still a niche space, but one that more women are actively choosing to enter and shape.
2. There’s a lot of discussion about women entering STEM. From what you’re seeing on the ground, what’s actually driving that change?
Beau:
A lot of it comes down to a shift in perception and intentional effort from companies. Organisations are paying more attention to gender balance than they were 10 or 20 years ago. That’s been pivotal in encouraging women to enter these fields.
There used to be a strong stigma around technology and site-based roles being male-dominated, and it was unusual to see women on-site. Now, there are programs actively encouraging women into these roles.
3. Research shows that diversity, particularly in leadership, leads to better outcomes. From your perspective as a woman in STEM, do you think you bring a different approach to problem solving?
Beau:
Yes, I think it definitely does. It’s probably hard to pinpoint exactly where it shows up, but it does influence the overall mindset. Sometimes people can be quite brash, whereas there’s real value in stepping back and looking at the bigger picture. It’s about reading the room and bringing a softer touch where it’s needed.
4. Has that approach influenced how you ensure you’re starting with the right solution on complex projects?
Beau:
Yes. It’s probably the most pivotal part of everything. From a technical perspective, if I’m scoping a project and leave gaps, those gaps will come up later, leading to delays, miscommunication, and stakeholders not fully understanding the end result.
It’s not just about the product; it’s about solutioning for the outcome. I often refer to “best solution” rather than “best practice,” because following something like SAP best practice doesn’t always deliver the right outcome for the customer. We take a more agnostic approach and are willing to tweak things slightly to achieve a better result, one where the project is delivered on time, stakeholders are aligned, and no one is overly stressed.
5. How important is having multiple perspectives in that process?
Beau:
It’s critical. I’m a huge believer in my team and their expertise. SAP is so vast that no one can be an expert in all of it. Anyone who claims that is setting themselves up to fail.
6. What has kept you in this industry?
Beau:
I love the freedom and ability to be creative in what I do that COSOL gives me. Whether I’m crafting deals, working with customers, or designing solutions, there’s real satisfaction in delivering something that genuinely makes a customer’s life easier.
I started in sales, where I was already thinking about how to deliver the best outcome for a customer. That evolved into leading SAP and data capabilities, where I now bring together the right people to deliver those outcomes.
7. Does your non-traditional career path influence how you hire?
Beau:
Yes, definitely. Rather than focusing purely on whether someone ticks every box on paper, I look at how they interact, answer questions, and whether they’re a cultural fit.
Technical ability matters, but attitude and approach are just as important. There are plenty of technically brilliant people, but not all of them are suited to client-facing roles. It’s about understanding how to combine different skill sets.
8. You’ve spoken about creativity, challenge, and enjoying working with people. What does that combination feel like day to day, especially given the broader concerns around technology and its impact on jobs?
Beau:
I think I was incredibly lucky, as I progressed through my career, to have some really great mentors. That has definitely shaped how I think, and I try to replicate that by giving the same kind of guidance to others.
I don’t believe in micromanagement. I think it ends up being more of a hindrance than a help. Instead, I focus on helping people develop their own ideas.
It’s very similar with customers. I like to come in, problem solve, and figure out what really works and what doesn’t. Working in larger environments and with different personalities has helped me develop a strong sense of what approaches are effective.
That mindset carries through into the team and what we’re trying to achieve. Having had those influential people in my life has been one of the key things for me.
9. Have you taken on a mentorship role yourself?
Beau:
I wouldn’t necessarily say I’ve formally taken someone on as a mentor, but I definitely try to do that within my team.
I’m very supportive of what they want to achieve, whether that’s learning, developing IP, or building solutions. We always find ways to make those things happen.
There is one example with a junior salesperson who joined the organisation. We all worked together to support him, because it can be quite daunting coming into an environment like ours, where you’re dealing with SAP, Maximo, and advisory services end-to-end.
Salespeople often specialise in one area, so being exposed to everything can be overwhelming.
10. When you first sit down with a client, what are you really listening for beyond what they’re saying?
Beau:
It’s incredibly important to sit back and just listen. If you let the conversation flow, you can start to tease out the real problems. Too often, someone will walk into a room and say, “You need this product,” without actually listening.
11. Customers don’t always know what the real problem is. How do you help them uncover it?
Beau:
Once you start hearing where issues are coming up, you can begin to tease things out.
You ask questions like: How is this task being done? Who is doing it? Why is it done that way?
That’s where you uncover things like custom code, outdated processes, or inefficiencies. Then you can assess whether a new solution will actually fix the issue, or whether some level of change is required first.
Sometimes organisations don’t want to change, so they look to buy something new instead, but if you don’t address the underlying issues, you’re just moving the problem into a new system. The key is active listening, documenting what’s being said, and asking the right follow-up questions.
12. Can you share an example where what a client wanted was different from what they actually needed?
Beau:
There are plenty of examples. One common scenario is when a customer asks whether they should move to S/4HANA and what the value would be. I often describe SAP as the Rolls Royce of ERPs. It’s incredibly powerful if it’s implemented properly, but the question is whether the customer actually needs that level of capability at their stage of growth.
Sometimes what they need is more like a family sedan; something simpler that still meets their needs.
Another example is deciding between having everything in one system or using a “best of breed” approach. For instance, Maximo might be a better fit for certain asset management needs.
13. Is that something you learned early in your sales career?
Beau:
I was lucky enough to observe it happen to others.
I often ended up taking over what I called “problem child” accounts, which were situations where things had gone wrong. When you dig into those, you often find that what was sold didn’t align with what the customer actually needed.
It’s not that people intentionally mislead, but sometimes things are embellished.
14. That level of honesty requires confidence in what you’re delivering. How did you build that trust over time?
Beau:
It comes from multiple areas.
I’ve been fortunate to work with very strong solution architects, technical consultants, and functional consultants. Over time, you absorb knowledge from them. You fix problems, and eventually you find yourself repeating insights you’ve learned along the way.
I also stay up to date with how technology is evolving. SAP moves quickly, so I make use of resources like the SAP Learning Academy, attend partner conferences, and engage with product owners to understand new developments.
From a company perspective, we rely on collective experience, including what we’ve done before, what’s worked, and what hasn’t. I also bring my team into conversations early to validate what’s possible before taking anything to market.
15. So, what you’re describing is confidence across multiple levels, including yourself, your team, the product, the company, and even the client relationship. You spent a significant part of your career in sales, which is quite different from a traditional technology pathway. How has that shaped your approach?
Beau:
I originally was on a trajectory toward a more traditional sales director pathway, but what drove me in a different direction was seeing how projects were being delivered and feeling that they could be approached in a better or more interesting way.
I would see people being assigned to roles where their skill sets weren’t being fully utilised, and that became frustrating. It got to a point where I thought, you either accept it or you do something about it.
Because I had built strong relationships with customers, moving into delivery felt quite natural. I was already involved in conversations, and over time I became more interested in how things were actually delivered.
That shift also allowed me to support the broader sales team, especially those who weren’t as familiar with SAP. Having come from that background, I was able to bring a more agnostic perspective and help guide how solutions were approached.
16. You’ve mentioned taking an agnostic approach, even though you lead SAP. How does that influence how you think about solutions?
Beau:
It creates a different way of approaching problems. If someone is deeply embedded in a single technology, it can be difficult to step outside of that mindset. They may focus on what the system can do, rather than what should be done.
For example, I could go into a customer and say, “Yes, you can implement this SAP module, and it will do X, Y, Z.” But instead, I might step back and look at whether small changes to processes could achieve a better result.
Sometimes that means not selling a particular product straight away.
17. How do you move from a messy, unclear problem to something structured and actionable?
Beau:
It starts with having the right people involved, both on our side and the customer’s side.
Often, the perspective from IT will differ from the perspective of the people actually using the system day to day. You need to bring those views together.
For example, a functional consultant might speak to the end user to understand how tasks are performed, while a solution architect looks at the technical implications of any changes. Both perspectives are valid, and the goal is to combine them into a complete picture.
18. In those situations, whose problem gets prioritised?
Beau:
It comes down to what’s best for the business overall.
If a change to the technical architecture is going to be costly and impact a large part of the organisation, it may not make sense to implement it just to solve a small issue for one individual.
You have to weigh the impact and the value. Sometimes the “squeaky wheel” does get attention, but we try to rely on facts and a clear understanding of the broader impact. It’s about giving the customer the full picture so they can make an informed decision.
19. What does SAP actually look like in day-to-day operations, particularly in asset-heavy environments?
Beau:
It’s constantly evolving. The technology continues to improve in terms of functionality, usability, and accessibility.
At the same time,
There’s often a gap between what the latest technology can offer and what businesses are currently working with. If a system is implemented properly and aligned with best practice, it can be highly effective and more than sufficient for most businesses. However, over time, processes change, customisations are introduced, and complexity increases. That’s when systems can become inefficient.
A large part of our work involves reviewing how systems are being used, understanding why they’ve evolved in certain ways, and then optimising them. When people express frustration with SAP, it’s often not the system itself, but how far it has deviated from best practice.
In an ideal scenario, where everything is aligned, the system works exceptionally well.
20. Can small changes in processes really have a significant impact?
Beau:
Absolutely. Even something as simple as a process workflow can have a major impact.
Adding one small layer into a process can create a trickle-down effect. For example, one person might suddenly need to approve 50 items a day because of a minor change. That’s not efficient, and it’s not a good use of time. On the other hand, the opposite can also happen. Processes can become too loose, where approvals are happening without proper review. Someone might just approve everything without even looking at it.
21. Overall, how would you say you approach your team, customers and the business?
Beau:
The way I often describe COSOL is that we take a holistic view. We look at everything, from advisory through to people on-site or in the office. That gives us a broader perspective compared to larger organisations, where the focus is often limited to a specific area.
At COSOL, we can step back and consider whether the right solution is actually a system, or whether it’s data, processes, or something else entirely. That’s what makes us quite unique in the market. It was also one of the biggest reasons I chose to move there.
Rather than hitting a ceiling or being constrained to a single way of doing things, there’s the opportunity to be creative and explore solutions that other organisations might not consider.
