About Me
Business systems and enterprise applications leader
My Background
I'm Ralph Koterwa. My background combines direct IT people management with enterprise business systems delivery across ERP, CRM, HR systems and integrations. I have run IT functions, developed employees and led business application initiatives across fleet management, insurance, retail and hospitality.
At Summit Fleet, I manage two direct reports and lead Salesforce/Certinia ERP and HR/payroll integration initiatives across Canadian and US entities. I set individual goals, coach and develop employees, and conduct annual performance reviews. I also own portfolio intake and prioritization and work with the CTO on vendor performance, negotiations and technology spending recommendations.
Earlier, I managed a five-person IT team covering database administration, systems administration and support, and led an IT function with two employees and a contractor. Those roles included recruitment, hiring and performance management. Developing people and helping them take on greater responsibility is a part of leadership I particularly enjoy.
My systems experience includes an LMS for a network of 25,000+ insurance agents, customer self-service automation, and a B2B ordering platform used by 200+ partners. At lululemon, I led the North American seasonal store technology program and vendor delivery, including technology readiness for 100+ new store openings annually and realized annual vendor savings.
I also built LandTheCall, an AI-assisted resume-tailoring product, from product design through development, payments and a browser extension. This independent project keeps my technical judgment current and strengthens my work with engineering and application teams.
How I Work
- I start with business outcomes and work backward to technology decisions
- I give teams clear goals and the room to reach them
- I keep one view of the work: intake, priorities, capacity and the roadmap, visible to everyone
- I surface risks early and say plainly when the news isn't good
- I stay hands-on with the technology, so my plans hold up in front of engineers
Areas of Experience
Insurance
Business applications, claims-partner data integrations, learning systems and customer self-service initiatives.
Retail
Store technology, point-of-sale implementations, multi-location deployments and vendor management.
Hospitality
Point-of-sale and platform implementations for hospitality and gaming clients, including multi-site engagements.
Technology & Fleet Management
Salesforce and Certinia ERP across US and Canadian entities, iCIMS applicant tracking with payroll integrations, and delivery intake on Monday.com.
What I Focus On
Business Systems
CRM, ERP, applicant tracking, payroll integrations, POS and LMS. I lead implementations end to end, across entities and countries.
People and Teams
Two direct reports today and five earlier. I set individual goals, coach and develop employees, and conduct annual performance reviews.
Vendors and Spend
Vendor performance and technology spend analysis, contract negotiations, and recurring annual savings at lululemon.
AI, Hands-On
An AI customer support chatbot that gave customers self-service answers without a phone queue, and my own AI product built with AI-assisted development.