On November 12, 2019, SAP hosted a special Capital Markets Day that drove analysts and shareholders alike to New York City. This Capital Markets Day was special not only because it was SAP's second Capital Markets Day of 2019, but also because it was the first chance for new co-CEOs Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein to make an impression on investors.
Customer First
After Bill McDermott unexpectedly announced his retirement in October, Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein took the helm. This leadership change surprised customers and shareholders alike, as it resembled more an impulsive decision than stringent HR planning.
No wonder, then, that the co-CEOs used their first weeks in their new positions to convince customers of SAP's new management - and Capital Markets Day was no exception.
"We've spent the last month listening".
Jennifer Morgan said.
"We hear you. We hear what's important. Our customers clearly want a strategy that drives growth organically and integrates our cloud acquisitions over the last few years. We hear you."
Listening to Morgan, one might get the impression that this is a customer event like Sapphire, rather than a conference to communicate with shareholders and financial analysts.
While the customer seemed to be the focus for both co-CEOs, the official topic was actually growth and operational excellence. Chief Financial Officer Luka Mucic, in particular, spoke about the key growth drivers and SAP's goals for 2023.
Not surprisingly, the cloud will remain a key revenue driver for SAP. As part of its 2023 targets, SAP is aiming for revenue of €35 billion, which includes tripling cloud revenue.
In addition, SAP aims to improve profitability by reducing costs, particularly in the areas of marketing and sales (streamlining operating models) and in the product portfolio (optimizing ecosystem leverage).
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