One year after anointing Leo Apotheker its CEO heir-apparent, SAP AG today solidified that position by naming him co-CEO, joining incumbent CEO Henning Kagermann as the company's top executives.
SAP also announced several other executive changes, including the appointment of three new members to the executive board. One of the new board members is Bill McDermott, current CEO and president of SAP Americas. In addition, McDermott will take over responsibility for all of SAP's sales regions worldwide.
In a prepared statement, SAP called Apotheker's ascension to the co-CEO role part of an attempt to engineer a "smooth management transition at the top of the company." SAP has said Kagermann's contract is scheduled to expire in May 2009. Kagermann became sole CEO of SAP in 2003 after a five-year run as co-CEO with his predecessor and current Supervisory Board Chairman Hasso Plattner.
As co-CEO, Apotheker will focus on sales and issues that will impact SAP beyond 2009, while Kagermann will continue to concentrate on strategy and day-to-day activities, an SAP spokesperson said.