Gina Vargiu-Breuer’s Post

SAP faces turning point as Hasso Plattner steps down: Departure of CEO Hasso Plattner marks the end of the founding era at SAP, and adds further complexities for the German software multinational as it faces ongoing restructuring efforts, among many other challenges to solve. It’s difficult to imagine SAP without Hasso Plattner, who’s been there from the beginning and has significantly shaped the fortunes of Europe’s largest software manufacturer for more than five decades as founder, board of directors member, and, most recently, as chairman of the supervisory board. Now at 80, Plattner is giving up his post at the head of the supervisory board and leaving the SAP stage. In April 1972 five former IBM employees founded Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung GbR, which later became SAP, in Weinheim. From the very beginning, the key design principle at SAP has been the integration of individual components where users could perform tasks. In the first few years, they programmed modules for financial accounting, purchasing, inventory management, order receipt, material planning, and invoicing and auditing. The concept of an integrated system in combination with increasingly powerful computer architectures from IBM and Siemens meant a revolution in the early days. It was the starting point of an unparalleled success story that has remained closely linked over the decades with the original founders, mostly Dietmar Hopp and Hasso Plattner. While IT startups today are inflated by investors with billions of dollars and under enormous pressure, things were more leisurely at SAP in the beginning. “We were very lucky and in the right place at the right time,” Hopp said in a 2015 interview with NWZ. “Our startup phase lasted about 10 to 15 years.” After the IPO in 1988, Hopp and Plattner shared power at SAP by mutual agreement. Hopp took over the position of CEO until 1998 and Plattner took care of technology and development, as well as SAP’s important entry into the US market. “The period between 1988 and 1992 was wonderful,” Plattner said in an interview with the Smithsonian Awards Program’s Oral History Project. “I spent every day developing software. It was a great time.” #sap #sapcommunity #sapfiori #saps4hana #erp #hassoplattner #sapinception #sapbeginning

📅 Mark your calendars! Join us on November 22nd, 6pm. I'm thrilled to moderate a scintillating fireside chat featuring two tech and innovation powerhouses: Christine Regitz, Member of SAP's Supervisory Board/Vice President, Head of #WomeninTech at SAP, and Prof. Dr. Katharina Hölzle, Professor of Technology Management & Human Factors at the University of Stuttgart. In an era of uncertainty, where questions arise about Germany's enduring leadership in economic pathfinding, after decades of setting the gold standard, especially in industries like Mechanical and Plant Engineering and Automotive, built upon unparalleled engineering expertise, we find ourselves at a pivotal crossroads. 🌍 As the world evolves with the rise of emerging digital technologies like AI, the burning question is whether Germany is prepared to adapt to this transformative landscape. 🚀 🚀 How can we translate our historical expertise into a new era? Where do our strengths still lie? Are we nurturing the right talents, and are we equipping them adequately? What's missing, and what might be underestimated? 🌟 We'll dive headfirst into thought-provoking questions in a lively and enlightening discussion with these two distinguished and vastly experienced experts. Do you want to be a part of this knowledge-packed session? 🚀 Join us for an engaging discussion! Register for FREE on our Zoom channel here: https://lnkd.in/dJEn6Y-s Let's shape the future of tech and innovation together. See you there! 👏🔥 #TechInnovation #DigitalTransformation #FutureofTech #GermanyTechLeadership

SAP faces turning point as Hasso Plattner steps down: Departure of CEO Hasso Plattner marks the end of the founding era at SAP, and adds further complexities for the German software multinational as it faces ongoing restructuring efforts, among many other challenges to solve. It’s difficult to imagine SAP without Hasso Plattner, who’s been there from the beginning and has significantly shaped the fortunes of Europe’s largest software manufacturer for more than five decades as founder, board of directors member, and, most recently, as chairman of the supervisory board. Now at 80, Plattner is giving up his post at the head of the supervisory board and leaving the SAP stage. In April 1972 five former IBM employees founded Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung GbR, which later became SAP, in Weinheim. From the very beginning, the key design principle at SAP has been the integration of individual components where users could perform tasks. In the first few years, they programmed modules for financial accounting, purchasing, inventory management, order receipt, material planning, and invoicing and auditing. The concept of an integrated system in combination with increasingly powerful computer architectures from IBM and Siemens meant a revolution in the early days. It was the starting point of an unparalleled success story that has remained closely linked over the decades with the original founders, mostly Dietmar Hopp and Hasso Plattner. While IT startups today are inflated by investors with billions of dollars and under enormous pressure, things were more leisurely at SAP in the beginning. “We were very lucky and in the right place at the right time,” Hopp said in a 2015 interview with NWZ. “Our startup phase lasted about 10 to 15 years.” After the IPO in 1988, Hopp and Plattner shared power at SAP by mutual agreement. Hopp took over the position of CEO until 1998 and Plattner took care of technology and development, as well as SAP’s important entry into the US market. “The period between 1988 and 1992 was wonderful,” Plattner said in an interview with the Smithsonian Awards Program’s Oral History Project. “I spent every day developing software. It was a great time.” #sap #sapcommunity #sapfiori #saps4hana #erp #hassoplattner #sapinception #sapbeginning #1972

"🌟 A Personal Invitation to Women in Tech 🌟 I'm exploring the complexities of SAP software in Germany's startup ecosystem and I need your insights. Are you navigating through software selection and looking for the right implementation partners? I invite you to share your experiences and challenges in my survey. Your input is crucial in illuminating the critical decisions we face in our industry. By participating by Sunday, you could win a 20-minute consultation with me, aimed at enhancing your journey with SAP. 🔗 Share your story: https://lnkd.in/ehRH2YM3 *Image created by AI"

🌟 Mastering Work-Life Bliss in Tech: A Symphony for SAP Gurus 🚀💻 ✨ Embark on an exhilarating journey of career brilliance! ✨ Striking the perfect balance between coding marvels and personal zen is the ultimate secret to a thriving professional life. 🌐⚖️ ✨ Unleash the power of code while embracing moments of serenity – the key to unlocking not just productivity, but a sustainable, gratifying career in the dynamic tech cosmos. 🌈 ✨ Join the conversation! 💬👥 Share your genius: How do you navigate the demanding tech world, ensuring that elusive harmony between work and life? 🔄💼 ✨ Dive into the comments and be part of the movement! ✨ Inspire and be inspired to optimize productivity while savoring those well-earned moments of repose. ✨ Together, let's redefine the very essence of success in the ever-evolving tech landscape! 🌐🚀

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿! After a break to recoup, regroup and enjoy the festivities with friends and family: Who's ready to press ⏭ for this special year? Special? Here's to ✍️ 366 new pages in the 📖 of 2024. 366? 2024 📆 is a leap year, granting us an extra day in February. This periodic addition helps align our calendar with Earth's revolutions around the sun, preventing seasonal misalignments. Embrace the curiosity of this bonus day and explore new paths, as curiosity continues to drive us forward. 🚀 In 2024, it is all about curiosity for SAP, too. We will focus on the localisation of ☁ products and the concretisation of strategies, marking it as the inaugural year of "Business AI." We are committed to accelerating the foundation of Business AI utilisation. Additionally, SAP itself will actively incorporate new technologies, including AI, to serve as a leading example for our customers, practicing transformation in real-time. Our SAP-Team is dedicated to shaping a transformative future. With this focus on #AI and #GenAI, our AI copilot Joule 🤖 is set to revolutionise SAP interactions. Accessible across SAP cloud applications, Joule simplifies tasks, provides guidance, and enhances user experience. So, this is why I´m very excited to start the New Year with this exceptional team of SAP, partners and customers! Their remarkable talent and unwavering spirit assure me that, TOGETHER, we can conquer any challenge. Join us in investing time and energy to drive innovation and collaboration for the years ahead. 👣🛣 May you be as excited about 2024 as I am. 🙌 I wish you and your loved ones a Happy New Year, filled with remarkable achievements and memorable successes - but most important - with a lot of team spirit, laugther and happiness, appreciable moments with our dear people! 🙂 For all of us, whether we walk old paths or blaze new trails: Friends, family, co-workers, our team remain most important. No matter what year or phase in life. They are your best asset in business. Keep going, keep growing! 2 0 2 4 - may you be a good one! 🎉 🍀 🤞

*** Happy 80th Birthday, Prof. Hasso Plattner! *** Today marks the 80th birthday of THE true pioneer in enterprise software and innovation, Prof. Hasso Plattner, co-founder of SAP. His founding principles not only revolutionized enterprise applications but fundamentally transformed global business operations. For five decades, his vision has empowered organizations to thrive, adapt, and excel, creating a vast ecosystem that has generated hundreds of thousands of jobs. Beyond his immense impact on the business world, Prof. Plattner stands as one of the world's most significant philanthropists. In my brief interactions with him, I witnessed firsthand his charisma, intelligence, precision in thought and speech, and unparalleled listening skills—a profound influence on my own life. The sentiment that the world is a better place because of Hasso Plattner couldn't be truer. Happy Birthday from the whole team of Westernacher Consulting to a visionary whose legacy continues to shape our technological landscape for years! #HassoPlattner #SAP #Innovation #Philanthropy #HappyBirthday

🚀🌿Announcing a pathbreaking partnership and the launch of the Mission-based Ecosystem LAB!🌿🚀 We are excited to announce our partnership with SAP, a global leader in business process management software. This collaboration marks the beginning of an innovative journey with the kickoff of the "Mission-based Ecosystem LAB". In an era where cross-sector collaboration is not just beneficial but necessary, our partnership with SAP leverages both our expertise and SAP's vast experience in fostering impactful collaborations. The LAB is designed to be a melting pot of ideas, practices, and strategies aimed at creating sustainable solutions through cross-industry participation. 🤝 The Mission-based Ecosystem LAB is our joint commitment to advancing the field of sustainability and business. It signifies a step forward in our pursuit of tangible positive social and environmental impact through the power of collective action and evidence-based practices. This initiative aims to cultivate a robust platform for learning, sharing, and evolving the blueprint for impactful collaborations. It seeks to harness the collective wisdom of multiple stakeholders, drawing from SAP’s rich experience and beyond, to develop and refine approaches that drive meaningful change. As we celebrate this partnership and the launch of the LAB, we also look to the horizon for other organizations interested in joining this endeavor. If your organization is passionate about creating a sustainable future through collaboration and innovation, we encourage you to reach out. Together, we can expand this ecosystem of change-makers. 🌍 We would like to extend our gratitude to the individuals involved in bringing this vision to life and making the kickoff a success. Your dedication and expertise are the foundation of this promising collaboration: Jonas Dennler, Annina Lisa Wohler, Vera Furrer, Justus von Grone, Dr. Rachel Brooks, Lia Krebs, Nicole Gilli and Dino Darmonski. For more information or to express your interest in joining us, please contact us directly. #Sustainability #SocialInnovation #SDGs #Collaboration #MissionBasedEcosystemLAB

My former colleagues used to playfully banter about how “extra” I was, but little did I know that extraness would be valuable in my current role at SAP. Being on Team Awesome New Stuff, we are always trying to show up differently and creatively. So when I was asked to be the emcee for the Quarterly All-Hands meeting for our 600+ people organization, I knew I couldn’t follow the standard of emcees past. I had to do something 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒓𝒂 awesome 👀 Leveraging my genius teammate, Timothy DeVries, we came up with AI-PRIL 🤖 an #AI version of myself, who would kick off the presentation as an emcee trying to steal my job. AI-PRIL was creepy yet realistic, and a perfect new way to capture the engagement of the audience. I go on to eventually take back my job as emcee…with a brief digression into a true story about how I got trapped in the office elevator that broke down last week - my biggest fear 🫣😅 With that said, I’m very grateful for the opportunity to do something new, something slightly nervewracking, and something where I can be my best, most extra self 💁🏻♀️ Thank you to the amazing community of people who made this possible!! Keep being awesome 👏 Michael Golz Jared Coyle Kathleen Smith Danielle Banasek Brian Sutcliffe Scott Flathers Bjoern Ganzhorn Holly Devine (Hall) Ryan Bentz Brian Moore Ken Callen #SAP #CustomerAdvisory #AwesomeNewStuff #AI #AritficialIntelligence #MC #AuthenticSelf

Join the webinar to find out how UCSD is using AI to improve the student / administrator experience & about SAP student information systems.