Thank you, SAP

Today I stepped down after ten years leading one of the world’s great companies, SAP.

To begin recounting all the learnings today would be premature, as so often in our lives we can only truly appreciate our experiences with the benefit of time.

If you pressed me to share a few things rushing through my mind today, here they are:

We should always be very careful about the logos we put on our business cards or in our e-mail signatures. The places we choose to work say something about us – as professionals and as people. In SAP, I was blessed to lead a strong, proud and honorable company. When you think about things like sustainability, inclusion and mental health, we stood for progress before progress became popular. I’ll always cherish the experience at SAP, and always be a fierce champion for the people.

We chose to activate a move to the company’s next generation precisely because the company is so strong. Maybe that’s the other learning – know when it’s time for change, and never be afraid of what change can bring. My successors are two of the finest leaders in the world. I’ve proudly watched them develop and grow over the years. Now they’ll have their moment to leave their mark, just as I was privileged to do.

Finally, always believe in yourself. Your dreams for your own career are yours – never let anyone take them away.

We can all be perfectly humble, hungry and determined to leave footsteps for others to follow.

If people say I was true to these ideals in my 17 years at SAP, I consider what we did together a success.

I’ll always carry the friendships with me for the rest of my career, which is all I can hope for you on your own journey.