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Founder, still head of the supervisory board, major shareholder: SAP patriarch Hasso Plattner
Photo: Uwe Anspach / dpa
After more than 20 years, Hasso Plattner wants to give up his position as chairman of the supervisory board of the software group SAP by May 2024 at the latest.
The Walldorf-based company announced this on Wednesday evening.
His successor should be Punit Renjen (61).
This must first be elected to the SAP Supervisory Board at the Annual General Meeting on May 11, 2023.
This would begin the transition process.
Plattner's term ends in May 2024.
The 79-year-old Plattner founded SAP in 1972 together with Dietmar Hopp, Claus Wellenreuther, Klaus Tschira and Hans-Werner Hector.
He has been the Chairman of the Supervisory Board since 2003.
In May 2022, he was last re-elected to the supervisory board of Europe's largest software manufacturer for two years.
Even then it was clear that this would be his last term.
He had told the shareholders that he had noticed the criticism of him.
A successor solution is being worked on.
Difficult search for a successor
The fact that Plattner went beyond the actual limits for supervisory board members at SAP caused displeasure among some investors and prompted inquiries from journalists.
Their terms of office should not actually exceed 12 years, and at the age of 75 they should also end.
Plattner now told the "Handelsblatt" that he had to stay because the search for a successor had been so difficult.
"First we wanted to appoint an internal candidate, but the plan fell through," says Plattner.
The search among former SAP top managers "didn't work out" either.
Now Plattner said that Renjen will be proposed as a new member of the Supervisory Board at the Annual General Meeting in May 2023 for a four-year term.
This will initiate a structured transition at the top of the Supervisory Board.
As a very successful CEO of one of the world's largest consulting firms, Renjen brings valuable experience and knowledge to the board.
Renjen (61) is originally from India.
He was Global CEO of management consultancy Deloitte from 2015 until his departure on December 31, 2022.
Deloitte employs 415,000 people in 150 countries.
beb/Reuters