Responsible for driving product development and services of Eka’s next-generation ETRM software.
Eka Software Solutions, the leading global provider of Smart Commodity Management software solutions, announced today that Karen Lukacs has been appointed Eka’s general manager of energy. Mrs. Lukacs is responsible for driving the ongoing development and services of Eka’s rapidly expanding energy trading and risk management (ETRM) software business.
“Karen has a unique perspective on the energy industry, combining experience in the business, ETRM, and consultant dimensions,” said Manav Garg, founder and CEO at Eka. “Her experience growing the ETRM business at Entero and Sapient makes Karen a great addition to the Eka team. I look forward to working with her to expand our global energy business.”
Mrs. Lukacs began her career managing gas plant reporting and supply at Suncor Energy. She then transitioned to logistics optimization and ultimately to an NGL marketer. After ten years of working for one of Canada’s premier energy companies, Karen spent 13 years leading the ETRM and midstream services presence of Entero in North America. Most recently she was part of Sapient Global Market’s North American leadership team, driving significant growth in the region. Karen studied economics and business at the University of Calgary.
“I am excited to lead the energy division of Eka’s next-generation ETRM software,” said Karen Lukacs. “I have been involved with all major ETRM systems in the industry, and Eka has an amazing product and people, fantastic customers, and significant growth potential. What is highly impressive is the effectiveness and efficiency of implementations. They are done in a short time frame and with high client satisfaction.”
Karen will be replacing Andy Bout, who is now Eka’s chief architect – energy. In this newly created position, Andy will focus on product strategy and development for Eka’s energy business.
“This is a great time for Karen to join Eka,” said Andy Bout, chief architect – energy at Eka. “Energy markets are rebounding after a multiyear dip, and demand for Eka’s ETRM software is increasing in all regions. Eka offers unparalleled functionality and customer service as recognized in extremely high grades in our customer satisfaction surveys. Karen will be a tremendous asset to the team, and I am excited to work with her to expand our energy business.”
Eka experienced tremendous growth across all geographies and product lines in 2016. Commodity Analytics Cloud customers grew by over 400 percent and Eka increased ETRM customers by 25 percent. Eka opened three new offices to accommodate the surge in growth in 2016, adding a fourth office in Houston in 2017.
About Eka Software Solutions
Eka is the global leader in providing Smart Commodity Management software solutions. Eka’s analytics-driven, end-to-end Commodity Management platform enables companies to efficiently and profitably meet the challenges of complex and volatile markets.
The company’s best-of-breed solutions manage commodity trading, enterprise risk, compliance, procurement, supply chain, operations, logistics, bulk handling, processing, and decision support. Eka partners with customers to accelerate growth, increase profitability, improve operational control, and manage risks and exposures.
Eka is a team of 315 staff with offices in the Americas, Asia, Australia, and EMEA, serving a rapidly growing global client base across multiple commodity segments.