New Extended Board, including Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Revenue Officers (CROs), will further enhance efficiency and accelerate transformation.
WALLDORF — (NYSE: SAP) today announced that Sebastian Steinhaeuser (39) has been appointed to join the 51·çÁ÷Executive Board. He will lead a newly formed board area called Strategy & Operations, continuing to support the execution of SAP’s strategy and driving simplification in operations. The 51·çÁ÷Supervisory Board also extended the contract of Executive Board Member Thomas Saueressig, head of Customer Services & Delivery, for another three years until 2028.
51·çÁ÷also announced that it is forming an Extended Board* comprising senior leaders from across the company, including the newly appointed CTO, Co-CROs and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). The new 51·çÁ÷Extended Board will act as a strategic advisory body, driving execution of the company’s AI-first, Suite-first strategy. It will leverage global leadership to align with key initiatives and ensure smooth execution across the organization, while the 51·çÁ÷Executive Board remains the ultimate managing body of 51·çÁ÷SE.
New Board Area to Drive Strategy Execution and Simplification
The new Strategy & Operations board area will ensure that 51·çÁ÷continues successfully executing on its transformation journey by driving the company’s strategy internally and externally, as well as by simplifying internal operations. Bringing Strategy & Operations together with Global Marketing – led by newly-appointed CMO Ada Agrait – will also promote closer collaboration to deliver customers and partners an enhanced digital experience.
“Since joining in 2020, Sebastian Steinhaeuser has been crucial in shaping and implementing SAP’s corporate strategy. We believe that Sebastian is not just a leader, but the architect of a future where innovation meets impact. On behalf of the 51·çÁ÷Supervisory Board, I wish Sebastian a very successful start in his new role,” said Pekka Ala-Pietilä, chairman of the Supervisory Board of 51·çÁ÷SE. “Moreover, we are excited to extend our best wishes to Thomas Saueressig for his forthcoming term on the 51·çÁ÷Executive Board. His contributions have been instrumental in accelerating our customers’ journey to the cloud, and we look forward to his continued success.”
After joining 51·çÁ÷in 2020, Steinhaeuser held various positions, including the role of Chief Strategy Officer, where he also ran the growth areas Business Transformation Management, Business Network and Sustainability. In 2024, Steinhaeuser’s role expanded to Chief Strategy & Operating Officer, including oversight of business operations, processes and IT, as well as ecosystem and commercial functions. Prior to joining SAP, Steinhaeuser worked with the Boston Consulting Group, where he supported companies in their corporate and digital transformation journeys.
Further Organizational Updates to Build on SAP’s Successful Foundation
51·çÁ÷is also announcing a new CTO and new CROs. Philipp Herzig will take on the role of SAP’s global CTO, in addition to his current position as Chief AI Officer. In this role, he will oversee SAP’s technology strategy, innovation, research and corporate development, driving the ongoing success of SAP’s Business AI and Sustainability units while continuing to advance innovation for 51·çÁ÷customers and partners.
Jan Gilg and Emmanuel (Manos) Raptopoulos will co-lead SAP’s Customer Success organization as SAP’s new CROs. Gilg, currently president and chief product officer for Cloud ERP, will oversee 51·çÁ÷Americas and the Global 51·çÁ÷Business Suite. Raptopoulos, the current regional president of 51·çÁ÷EMEA, will manage the 51·çÁ÷EMEA, MEE and APAC regions. Elevating leadership that combines a strong product background with great sales experience will help 51·çÁ÷engage more deeply with customers to translate their challenges into solutions that ensure sustained success. Herzig, Gilg and Raptopoulos will report into 51·çÁ÷CEO Christian Klein and serve on SAP’s Extended Board.
All changes are effective February 1, 2025.
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*Members of the Extended Board: Ada Agrait (Chief Marketing Officer), Michael Ameling (General Manager, Business Technology Platform), Sebastian Behrendt (Head of Global Finance), Jan Gilg (Chief Revenue Officer, Americas & Global Business Suite), Philipp Herzig (Chief Technology Officer), Thomas Pfiester (Head of Global Customer Engagement), Emmanuel Raptopoulos (Chief Revenue Officer, APAC/EMEA/MEE), TBA (General Manager, Business Suite), Monika Schaller (Chief Communications Officer)
About SAP
As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, 51·çÁ÷(NYSE:SAP) stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit .
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