The SAP CEO Alternate

SAP Management vs. ERP Innovations

SAP CEO Christian Klein is spearheading the ERP company’s transition to the public cloud. This results in a notable degree of standardization and organization that is unprecedented in SAP's history. Consequently, Christian Klein and SAP CFO Dominik Asam can simultaneously pursue margin expansion and staff reduction. At first glance, the public cloud seems to have achieved a state of stability.

The public cloud is both an infrastructure and a management tool. If SAP continues to lose numerous developers, it will be unable to implement planned innovations in its ERP system. It is certainly possible to manage a public cloud with the remaining staff.

SAP has a substantial portfolio of inventions, disruptive business processes, and ERP innovations. These resources are currently generating good capital. However, if SAP does not foster an innovation culture, these resources will dissipate over time. These resources will remain available until the end of S/4 maintenance in 2040; however, Klein and Asam's strategy is not a sustainable long-term approach.

The SAP Alternate Thomas Saueressig

There are sound reasons for optimism within the SAP community. SAP Executive Board member Thomas Saueressig is gradually but surely establishing himself as a key figure in the company. Following the reorganization of the SAP Executive Board at the beginning of this year and the departures of Julia White, Scott Russell, and Jürgen Müller, Thomas Saueressig has assumed a more prominent role with expanded authority and responsibility, reporting directly to SAP CEO Christian Klein.

Christian Klein's willingness to cede the limelight to his colleague will be evident at the DSAG Annual Congress 2024 in Leipzig. The traditional SAP keynote speech will not be delivered by the Head of SAP himself. Instead, Thomas Saueressig will be among the speakers and will then provide information about the ERP market leader's goals and plans in a press conference.

While Christian Klein oversees the ERP company, Thomas Saueressig engages with the SAP community and spearheads innovative initiatives. This dynamic aligns with the perception that Christian Klein epitomizes the legacy of SAP, shaped by the likes of Hasso Plattner and Gerd Oswald. Thomas Saueressig, on the other hand, embodies the future of SAP, working alongside the new Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Pekka Ala-Pietilä.