Mission statement

“Our mission is to help companies of all sizes and industries run better. Our vision is to help the world run better.”

Company history

In 1972, five former IBM employees founded SAP Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung (System Analysis and Program Development) to provide a standard application software for real-time data processing. Headquartered in Weinheim, Germany, the company soon opened another office near Mannheim. SAP’s first customer in the early 1970s included the German branch of Imperial Chemical Industries in Östringen. In the following years, SAP came up with pioneering innovations such as the first financial accounting system RF, enabling companies to handle their invoice verification, purchasing and inventory management. In 1976 already, SAP and its 25 employees generated revenues of DM 3.8 million. Due to the great success in Germany, SAP decided to start serving international customers and moved its headquarter to Walldorf, Germany. The company furthermore started to diversify its product portfolio by developing new systems such as the RV, a custom development for sales and distribution. By 1982, SAP completed projects for over 250 companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, all of them working with SAP software. In order to meet the increasing demand, SAP had to hire additional employees, totaling 163 in 1984. By 1985, the first international office was opened in Switzerland and began to support the company’s international efforts, followed by offices in Austria, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, and the United States. Although SAP has been primarily focusing on the development and supply of systems and programmes, it recognized the need to establish SAP Consulting in order to support new customers with the use of the newly developed programmes. In 1988, SAP transformed from a private limited-liability company into the publicly traded SAP AG with its IPO in October 1988 at a share price of DM 750. One year later SAP was already named “Company of the Year” by the prestigious Manager Magazin. By 1989, SAP operated offices in 15 countries, counting more than 1,400 employees generating DM 370 million. Through continuous investments in research and development, as well as the acquisition of the German software company Steeb and the software firm CAS helped to foster SAP’s strong market position. Historical events such as the reunification of East and West Germany, as well as the fall of the Iron Curtain brings new business to SAP through expanding in other regions. By 1992, SAP generates close to 50% of its revenues outside of Germany, revenues totaling DM 831 million. In 1993, SAP started its cooperation with Microsoft, followed by the opening of a subsidiary in Silicon Valley. SAP now counts Coca-Cola, Burger King, Daimler-Benz, General Motors and Deutsche Post among its customers and is the world's leading provider of e-business software solutions that integrate processes within and among companies by the year 2000.

Key people

 Bill McDermott, Co-CEO

Bill McDermott serves as Co-CEO of SAP AG alongside Jim Hagemann Snabe since February 2010 and is responsible for corporate development and innovation, strategic business activities, consulting, governance, sales, as well as communications and marketing. Although SAP is headquartered in Walldorf, Germany, McDermott is based at the company's North American headquarters location in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

 Jim Hagemann Snabe, Co-CEO

Jim Hagemann Snabe joined SAP AG in 1990 and serves as the company’s Co-CEO alongside Bill McDermott since February 2010. At this, he has a special focus on strategy and innovation and is also responsible for portfolio strategy, operations, as well as IT and processes across SAP.

 Dr. Werner Brandt, CFO

Dr. Werner Brandt serves as Chief Financial Officer of SAP AG since 2001 and is responsible for all related corporate finance activities, as well as for administration of the company. Brandt was furthermore appointed interim chief Human Resources Officer and Labor Relations Director in July 2011.