A Pathfinder Year

"2021 – what a year!"

This is probably what many of you are thinking as you look back. It was the second pandemic year, full of unpredictable developments and global challenges. It was a year that highlighted the need for flexibility, curiosity, innovation, courage, endurance, and solidarity. And it was also a year during which we learned a great deal and found surprising opportunities.

As I reflected on my own year, a common theme emerged which has accompanied me since my childhood: “Finding paths.” As the Chief People and Operating Officer at SAP I focus on shaping a diverse and innovative company culture that helps propel our transformation and advance our people strategy. In other words: Helping others find and explore their paths for their benefit as well as that of SAP and our customers.

Seen from this perspective, SAP was intuitive when it combined the role of the Chief Operating Officer and Chief People Officer: It sits at the intersection of people, processes, and technology and thus drives the simplicity and agility we need to enable creativity and innovation. This allows us to reinvent the way we work and operate as a business, through the lens of our people. We are going through a transformation that will make our customers more successful and bring them together in a network of intelligent, agile, and sustainable companies that have what it takes to solve this planet’s biggest challenges.

I have been part of this journey for almost a year, so it’s a good time to look back at the greatest moments I’ve experienced with you, my amazing colleagues. I deeply respect and admire your brilliant minds, your creativity and courage in handling all challenges, and your sense of care and compassion for customers and colleagues. Thank you all for welcoming me with such openness and for the engaging discussions we had during the many calls I had the pleasure to join. Because of the pandemic, almost all these meetings took place virtually and, like everyone else, I deeply missed the opportunity for in-person interaction. But the safety of our people, and of our families and communities, remains our number-one priority.?And while we all have had our ups and downs, I am proud of how we at SAP stood together, looked out for each other, and even found ways to have fun together virtually.

When I look back at 2021, I particularly enjoyed hosting our first SAP People Day, together with the Executive Board, which was completely focused on giving our people time to discuss their goals and development needs with their managers and in their teams. And I look forward to hosting another one in 2022.

I am also proud of the launch of Pledge to Flex, SAP’S global framework for the Future of Work. While some of its aspects have been a given for many colleagues for years, we turned the pandemic into an opportunity to rethink and reinvent the way we?live and work. We crafted a global setup that fits every role, style, and task, and makes a flexible and trust-based workplace the norm, not the exception. This includes the choice to work from home, in the office, or remotely, with flexible work schedules that fit business requirements. It also includes sustainable and healthy work environments, which offer the right spaces for various activities.?

To support our journey into the Future of Work our Operations teams e.g. delivered the digital workplace to our employees and launched our next-generation intranet. And to help more than just our employees build skills for the future, our new learning platform at learning.sap.com offers relevant and intuitive classes across our entire SAP ecosystem.

It’s incredible how fast this year has passed. We’re about to enter 2022, which will mark SAP’s 50th anniversary. It’s not only a moment to celebrate our heritage and thank our employees, customers, and partners for what we have achieved together, but also a time to get excited about what lies ahead and the impact we can make.?Our people are among the brightest and most passionate in the industry.?We have the technology, industry, and business-process expertise to help every company become an intelligent, sustainable enterprise. We can bring them all together in a business network of enterprises. And together this network has what it takes to determine the path to a more sustainable world.?

If this isn’t a path worth exploring, what is?

Every journey not only starts with a first step, but also with a moment to take a deep breath, rest, and recuperate. This is what I wish you all at the end of this turbulent, amazing, exhausting, and extraordinary year: Time to unwind, recharge, focus on yourself and your loved ones. And when it’s time to take the first step into the new year, let’s toast to peace, health, happiness, and to great opportunities and paths to explore.