Thread regarding SAP layoffs

There is an important relevant interview of Hasso Plattner - Birthday 80. th. - very open - honest and interesting.

https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/inte-hasso-plattner-ld.1775134

Kindly use google translator.

Main aspects:

SAP failed in the Cloud area (most likely Business By Design)
Thus Bill McDermot has buyed several Cloud companies - I think CK has to work to integrate this set of different IT Solutions.
Bill was not accepted by German employees any more leading to CK
Hasso says that he has no idea/concept on how to continue at SAP or does not want to take part in this discussion. Hana DB was his last topic.
Employees in Germany have asked Hasso to consult SAP in the near future to avoid problems for themselves.

Well, there are a lot of open questions - no visible concept for the future. Another newspaper tells no complete Cloud native software in the pipeline as successor for S/4 Hana being relevant at latest in some years.

SAP is a follower, not a leader. Remote teams worked so well that company met goals, stock goes up, announce RTO, lay people off, talk about AI.

Wash, rinse, repeat. All these notes from leaders at different companies look like templates generated by AI.

@4jqu+1r2PzbL2

Well for starters, we got rid of 12,000 employees in just two years ( you know some other companies would have taken maybe 5 or more years to accomplish the same feat), we reneged on "our corporate pledge" of Work from Home after it was promised in writing this would be our new policy and we have driven the employee morale to new depths where there is zero trust in anything we are told.

Do you know of anybody else who is capable of doing all of this in just a few years?

The company has completely changed from what it once was.

OK, Clear that Hasso has been behind all of the Executive and Supervisory Board appointments since he has been Chairman ( or really since the beginning of the company), no argument here.

For sure there have been many accomplishments which SAP has successfully delivered on and the growth of the company since it's beginning has been phenomenal.

But since CK joined the Executive Board in 2018, can anybody tell what successes has SAP under both Hasso and CK since this time really accomplished? What has been the "real big win" that makes everyone look forward to more of the same ??? Nothing is coming to my mind.

Did you ever think the issue could be Rejen was openly shooting his mouth off about "it's Indias time" it one thing that this bis SAPs plan, but to sing it from the mountain top is not that smart.

@2bxz+1r2PzbL2

Spot on Post. Totally agree that all roads lead to Hasso regarding our leadership positions and our product strategy. Without question he will retain a complete control over the company with or without the title of Chairman.

This is great news for our Executive Board that their sponsor remains fully in place. Like they say, CK and the others are "snug as a bug in a rug" and all are laughing all the way to the bank.

At least the supervisory board is consistent… they also canned Le’o Apotheker on Super Bowl Sunday in the US.

In Pekka Ala-Pietilä, Hasso has found a reliable subordinate who will fulfill the continued vision of Hasso.

He went straight for someone with whom he has a very long relationship as Pekka Ala-Pietilä was a member of the SAP Supervisory Board from 2002 - 2021 - almost 20 years. Need more be said??

Let's be honest here, SAP mandates that no member of the Supervisory Board may be over the age of 75. Hasso is now 80 and has been dancing around this retirement mandate for the last 5 years. The reality is that he has absolutely no intent of actually stepping out but must give up the title but yet still wants to run the company.

I guess he never told Renjen this was going to be the setup and Pekka Ala-Pietilä has already figured this out and for his 2 year term he is fine with this arrangement.

The message is ......Expect more of the same old, same old......

Interesting article about the change in leadership: https://www.cio.com/article/1306972/sap-has-a-new-succession-plan.html

Of course they had a hard time finding a replacement - who would want to be chairman if Hasso is pulling all of the strings?

I have serious doubt on the executive leadership and Hasso. His prime is gone. He wants to run the company like its 1980-1990s without realising that all the new kids in town post 2010 companies are way more agile, decisive, innovative and bold in their decision making. For example: Even the local German customers have moved from SAP to other competitors like Workday for HCM solutions.

SAP reminds me of Nokia, Blackberry, Kodak and IBM who were once market leaders but now are in the dust.

The issue is Hasso and his need to retain a high degree if influence and control over SAP. I saw another post on here about how appreciative someone was of Hasso’s perceived intervention with the Renjen issue, and commitment to the retention of the culture of SAP as a eurocentric and employee-friendly company. Whilst this may be true, it could lead to even larger issues and layoffs when the old codger departs this world and SAP needs modernize and catch up in a hurry. It could even happen even sooner if yet another activist investor smells blood in the water and the scent of oodles of cash in the air around Walldorf.

Have to agree, Occam's Razor points to Hasso as the puppetmaster.

It is ludicrous  that an individual is selected to be Chairman of the Board of a Fortune 500 company and there was never a discussion "on what is the role of the Chairman"  !!  You have got to be kidding !!

At this point, I have no doubts that this all the work of Hasso.  Even the worst recruiting/selection committee would have ironed out such an absolutely fundamental issue before even having a second conversation, which then tells me that there really wasn't any professional search firm involved in looking for a new Chairman - was only Hasso.    And I am sure that our new Chairman was also singularly selected by Hasso.

Until we get to the point when Hasso is no longer involved with the affairs of SAP, we will continue to just get people who are willing to be controlled b Hasso to be our so called leaders.  

When we say "The Best run SAP"    we know that   "SAP is not run by the Best."

No question that CK ( and other on the Exec Board like Juergen) are all in place because Hasso can manipulate these folks on topics he is interested in... He wanted these people in these positions and knows well enough that he could not do this with more experienced leaders.

We have a three ring circus for sure running this operation.