Syspro names Leanne Taylor as Chief Executive Officer

Syspro has appointed Chief Revenue Officer Leanne Taylor as Chief Executive Officer as part of a planned leadership succession at the manufacturing and distribution software company.

Taylor succeeds Jaco Maritz, who led the business for four years and will remain on the board as a Non-Executive Director. The change follows a period of customer expansion and growth under Advent ownership.

During his tenure, Maritz guided Syspro through a change in ownership over the past 18 months and what it described as its first phase of growth under private equity. His time as CEO also included changes to the leadership team and operating model.

Taylor joined Syspro in April 2025 as Chief Revenue Officer. Since then, she has worked on the group's global strategy, partner network and customer relationships in manufacturing and distribution markets.

Leadership shift

The appointment puts a recent senior hire at the top of a company looking to expand its software platform and international operations. Syspro focuses on enterprise resource planning software for manufacturers and distributors, a market where suppliers are under pressure to add automation and artificial intelligence tools while maintaining sector-specific expertise.

Chairman Mike Ettling described the handover as the next step in the company's development. "Personally, and on behalf of the Board, I want to thank Jaco for his leadership during an important period for Syspro," he said. "The company has strengthened its leadership team, evolved its operating model and built the foundations for scalable growth. As Syspro moves into its next phase of growth, the Board has asked Leanne to step into the role of Chief Executive Officer as part of a planned succession. We are confident in her leadership as the company continues to scale."

The appointment comes as software vendors serving industrial companies respond to demand for more connected systems, better use of operational data and wider automation across supply chains and factory processes.

Syspro's customer base is concentrated in manufacturing and distribution, sectors that often require software tailored to inventory, production, procurement and logistics. Providers in this segment are also adapting their products as customers look for tools that can support decision-making in day-to-day operations.

Board role

Maritz will remain involved through his board seat after stepping down as chief executive, providing continuity during the handover following ownership changes and a management transition.

He pointed to the company's recent progress and backed the leadership change. "It has been a privilege to lead Syspro over the past four years and during such an important chapter in the company's history," Maritz said. "I'm proud of the momentum the team has built and confident that the company is well positioned for the future. I look forward to seeing Syspro's continued momentum under Leanne's leadership."

Taylor takes over as software groups across the industrial market place greater emphasis on data-driven products. Many vendors are trying to weave artificial intelligence into finance, operations and supply chain systems used by mid-sized and large businesses, although the commercial results remain uneven across the sector.

In her first comments on the promotion, Taylor outlined her view of how the market is changing. "Syspro has a strong foundation and bold opportunity ahead to lead the next wave of ERP with AI," she said. "We are entering a new era where intelligence, automation and operational context will reshape how industrial businesses run. Our focus is to continue evolving the platform into the trusted digital backbone for the True Pros of industry, combining deep operational expertise, modern platform architecture and embedded AI to deliver contextual intelligence inside the real workflows of manufacturing and distribution."

The succession also highlights the growing importance of commercial leadership at software companies serving specialist industry verticals. Executives with experience in customer growth, partner channels and market expansion are increasingly being tapped for top roles as vendors seek steadier recurring revenue and broader international reach.

For Syspro, the immediate change is straightforward: a new chief executive takes over after a planned handover, while the outgoing leader remains on the board and the company continues to target manufacturers and distributors with its ERP software.