REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – November 10, 2026 – Propel Software, creator of the intelligent product thread that transforms how businesses develop, launch, and service products, today announced that Chief Product Officer Eric Schrader will retire effective December 11, 2026. Tom Shoemaker, Propel's vice president of product marketing, will become head of product management. The planned transition keeps Propel's product vision and roadmap on course for customers in the high tech, medtech, industrial equipment, and consumer goods industries.
A leader who knows Propel's products and customers
Shoemaker has been at Propel for more than six years and brings more than 20 years of experience in product lifecycle management (PLM). Prior to joining Propel, he spent over two decades at PTC, where he held leadership roles in pre-sales, R&D, and marketing. He led go-to-market strategy and product launches for PTC's Windchill and Creo solutions. At Propel, Shoemaker has been a key leader on the product management team, overseeing product packaging and positioning, sales enablement, and voice of the customer programs.
Shoemaker’s appointment reflects Propel's commitment to building customer feedback into its roadmap. It also supports Propel's continued investment in AI for PLM. Propel One, the company's agentic AI solution, is built natively into the platform for ease of connectivity, ease of use, and strong data security. In June 2026, Propel became the first PLM vendor to deliver Model Context Protocol (MCP) for production use, connecting enterprise AI tools to live product data so users can prompt agents to quickly find accurate information.
An orderly handoff
Schrader and Shoemaker will work together through Schrader's departure on December 11 to ensure product priorities, in-flight releases, and customer commitments carry forward without interruption. Schrader will stay on as an advisor after the transition.
Schrader joined Propel as an advisor in 2019 and has served as chief product officer since 2022. Over a career in enterprise software that includes early PLM pioneer Agile Software, he has focused on customer-centric product strategy and delivery. Schrader’s career started in aerospace manufacturing before he transitioned to building successful software companies, including two IPOs. His experience includes roles across product management, professional services, marketing, and customer success.
"It has been a privilege to lead the product team at Propel," said Schrader. "Tom and I have worked closely for years, and I'm confident the product organization and our customers are in excellent hands. I'm looking forward to supporting the team as an advisor."
"I'm honored to take on this role and build on the foundation Eric has laid," said Shoemaker. "Customers have always shaped what we build, and I will keep their feedback at the center of our roadmap. We will keep advancing AI where it solves real product problems, working from the trusted product data in Propel."
"Tom knows our customers, our platform, and our market as well as anyone, and he has been part of our product leadership team for more than six years," said Ross Meyercord, CEO of Propel. "I'm grateful to Eric for his leadership and for the careful handoff he has planned. Customers can expect the same vision, the same roadmap discipline, and the same focus on AI that delivers real results."
About Propel
Propel helps product companies grow revenue and increase business value. Our intelligent product thread connects product, quality, and commercial teams to optimize decision making, drive process efficiencies, and engage customers with compelling products and experiences. Propel has a proven track record of improving product quality, speeding time to revenue and profit, and improving customer satisfaction. Recognized as one of America's fastest growing private companies on the Inc. 5000, Propel is a 5x Deloitte Technology Fast 500 winner, and one of Fortune America's Most Innovative Companies. Built on Salesforce, Propel drives product success for hyper-growth startups, corporate pioneers, and Fortune 500 leaders in the high tech, medtech, industrial equipment, and consumer goods industries. For more information, visit propelsoftware.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
