At Encompass Solutions, we understand that manufacturing drives commerce. With so many moving parts, maintaining operational efficiency can be challenging. We help manufacturers overcome these obstacles by providing clear insights into the enterprise technology landscape, enabling them to unlock their full potential.

As Sr. Territory Manager, I focus on driving new business with Epicor’s Kinetic ERP, helping manufacturers streamline operations and achieve their goals. 

Phil Alessi is the Principal Automotive CAM at Epicor, bringing more than two decades of global experience in driving operational excellence, commercial growth, and transformative performance across the manufacturing and automotive sectors. A strategic growth architect, Phil has led high-performing teams across five continents, redesigned revenue engines, and built scalable operational frameworks that help organizations compete and win in dynamic markets. His background includes executive roles in major technology and consulting firms, where he delivered measurable financial impact, strengthened partner ecosystems, and optimized end‑to‑end manufacturing operations. Phil blends executive leadership with academic rigor as a doctoral researcher focused on operational resilience and business performance. Known for his accountability ‑ outcome-driven mindset, Phil brings a practical, results‑focused perspective to every stage, strategy, and shop floor he engages.

Rob Cummings’ diverse experience spans over 24 years across numerous areas that include project management, implementation, formal & informal end-user training, business process improvement, process & transactional analysis, productivity improvement, report writing, and data conversion & migration. The sales selection of Enterprise Resource Planning (Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing, Financials, and CRM) software for manufacturing & distribution companies covering aerospace & defense, capital equipment, and medical devices has contributed to high customer success and satisfaction in these industries.

Rob's experience also consists of over 100 successful ERP implementations for the following products: Epicor Kinetic, Epicor ERP 10, Epicor 9, Epicor Vantage, Visual Enterprise, SAP Business One, and Great Plains accounting. Rob excels at working with companies to make ERP easy. Rob is equally strong in manufacturing and accounting areas of ERP, having completed Epicor implementations that required his knowledge in production management and distribution, supply chain, inventory management, and report writing. The use of Epicor's extensibility tools, such as Dashboard Development, BPMs, DMT, and embedded Configurator, has lengthened its capabilities.

Rob Cummings has performed as project lead for many implementation projects across a wide variety of industries. His strength in process development with a clear understanding of best practices provides him the ability to effectively communicate across all functions and levels. He has worked with more than 300 customers during the last 22 years to improve their use and understanding of the ERP system.

Recently, Rob accepted the Consulting Manager position at Encompass Solutions with the goal of developing stronger consultants for our Epicor practice. Leading a growing team of consultants and project managers was a natural transition for such a great educator like Rob.

Areas of Expertise

• Kinetic Operations and Finance
• Embedded Configurator
• Supply Chain Management
• Project Management, EDI, Manufacturing & Distribution, Inventory Management, Job Costing
• Advanced Material Management
• Customer Relationship Management
• DMT, BPMs, Dashboard Development
• Report Writing, End User Training

Certification
- Kinetic Operations Certifications

As a Ross Systems alumnus, Sonia has developed a multifaceted compedium of expertise, acquired in more than a decade of taking on a series of new challenges. 

She began in manufacturing, working on an ERP implementation. From there, she became proficient in small business operations, including the development of a standard implementation methodology. As she has grown to take on ever more complex projects, including many for large, multi-national companies, Sonia has worked on many implementations in a cross-section of process industries. She is particularly knowledgeable in enterprise-wide integration and the management and support of heavily customized applications.

Todd Sellers is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. He has more than 38 years of experience in operations, order fulfillment, supply chain, repair, and logistics. Todd specializes in continuous performance improvement by systematically eliminating process waste and reducing process variation. He thrives on enabling others to do things they never thought possible. 

Alex Shikany is the Executive Vice President of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the leading trade association for robotics, vision and imaging, motion control, artificial intelligence, and automation technology. In this role, he oversees A3’s operations, serves as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors, and leads strategic initiatives to enhance member value and industry impact. Since joining A3 in 2012, Alex has been instrumental in driving growth, including the rebranding that unified four organizations under the A3 umbrella and expanding membership to over 1,400 companies worldwide. A recognized thought leader and sought-after speaker, Alex is passionate about advancing the global adoption of automation technologies. He holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Michigan State University and brings over a decade of experience in market strategy, brand development, and industry leadership to his role.

With over 29 years of experience in engineering leadership and product development, Anny is passionate about helping other engineering professionals achieve their career goals and fulfill their potential. As a certified professional coach and a Cor.E Dynamic specialist, Anny uses evidence-based tools and frameworks to guide her clients through personalized coaching sessions that enhance their motivation, performance, and well-being.

Before becoming a coach, Anny held various roles in the global dispenser sub-systems business at Gilbarco Veeder-Root and Vontier, where she led cross-functional teams, managed product strategy and roadmap, and drove innovation and revenue growth. Anny also served as the ERG chair for Vontier Women's Guild, supporting the advancement and empowerment of women in engineering. She has a strong background in electrical engineering, analog semiconductors, and critical thinking, and Anny is always eager to learn new skills and insights from industry experts and thought leaders. 

Jon Owens, MAAP
Director, Product Management
Epicor Software

Jon is a senior-level executive with more than 40 years of experience in the automotive aftermarket. He began his career with The Timken Company and held roles of increasing responsibility with Babcox Media, Auto 7, the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, and now Epicor for the past 9 years.

Throughout his career, Jon has been an active industry volunteer, having served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Auto Care Association, past President of the Automotive Communications Council, the AWDA Board of Governors, and is currently President of the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation.

In 2002, Jon became the 36^th recipient of the prestigious AWDA Pursuit of Excellence Award and was also recognized by Northwood University for his many contributions to automotive aftermarket education with the Northwood University Automotive Aftermarket Education Award.

Jon holds a Master Automotive Aftermarket Professional (MAAP) degree from Northwood University’s University of the Aftermarket, and is a graduate of Defiance College in Defiance, OH. He, his wife Sue, and their 15-year-old son Jonathon reside in Vermilion, OH.

THOMAS P. DESCH, MS ED.

Tom is an experienced Executive Coach and VP of Research and Development at Jamesson Solutions, LLC. He has coached hundreds of business leaders over the past 20 years, including professionals from the staff level through regional and international corporate executives, leading corporate clients through rapid organizational change.

As the author of Mastering Leadership Level Alignment and principle developer of The Leadership Nexus Assessment, he has been instrumental in promoting the concept of Role-Aligned Leadership, an approach to leadership level alignment that has demonstrated exceptional success in helping leaders improve their skills. His role at Jamesson Solutions is focused on continuing research into leadership development and developing cutting-edge approaches that meet the needs of 21^st century organizations.

Tom lives in Clemmons, NC, has a BA from the University of Notre Dame, and an MS in Counseling from the University of Dayton.

Sam Gupta brings more than two decades of expertise advising executives on business, AI, ERP, and technology transformation. He has been involved with over 200 digital transformation strategies and implementation projects. Sam is rated as #1 thought leader in the ERP and CRM categories and #15 in the digital transformation category on Thinkers 360. He is also among the top 100 thought leaders across all categories. He has been part of large transformation initiatives for Fortune 500 corporations but now spends his time consulting with SMEs as a Principal Consultant at ElevatIQ. Sam regularly speaks at industry conferences and is frequently cited by major business and industry media, including BBC, TechTarget, Yahoo Finance, Financial Post, CIO.com, and Accounting Today. He also hosts a podcast, WBSRocks, focused on digital transformation executives. 

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/samguptausa/
• https://twitter.com/samguptausa
• https://www.youtube.com/@ElevatIQ
• https://podcast.wbs.rocks/
• https://www.elevatiq.com/