Indian American Punit Renjen in Line to Become SAP Supervisory Board Chairman

The supervisory board of SAP has proposed former Deloitte Global CEO Punit Renjen as designated supervisory board chairman of SAP, the Germany-based software company announced on Feb. 22. 

SAP’s board nominated the 61-year-old Indian American to stand for election as a new member of SAP’s supervisory board at its annual general meeting on May 11. If approved, he would be the first non-German and also the first Indian to chair the company. 

He succeeds co-founder Hasso Plattner, whose term will expire in May 2024 after two decades. Plattner, 79, co-founded SAP in 1972 – together with Dietmar Hopp, Claus Wellenreuther, Klaus Tschira, and Hans-Werner Hector – and has served as chairman since 2003. “With extensive experience as a highly successful CEO of one of the world’s largest consulting firms, Punit brings valuable insights and expertise to the board,” Plattner said in a statement.

SAP says Renjen has “an impeccable track record” and is “highly qualified to join the supervisory board,” and “would be an excellent candidate to eventually take the chair at a time when SAP is undergoing the most fundamental strategic transformation in its 50-year history.”

He is the latest addition to the list of Indian-origin executives leading global tech firms. Recently, YouTube appointed Indian American Neal Mohan to replace Susan Wojcicki as the CEO of YouTube.

Renjen served as Deloitte Global CEO from 2015 until his retirement on December 31, 2022. In that role, he developed and executed a strategy that resulted in Deloitte revenues growing from $35 billion to more than $59 billion in just seven years.

See Also

Choice Hotels Promotes Indian American Sireesha Kunduri to Chief of Product Engineering

“I am very pleased to be considered for a role at SAP – an iconic company with a key role in the global economy,” Renjen said in a statement. “At a time when the company is successfully transforming into an enterprise application leader in the cloud and delivering on Hasso Plattner’s original vision of helping the world run better and improving people’s lives, I could not be more excited at the opportunity to help shape the future of a company that has unmatched relevance for global business. I am looking forward to working with talented colleagues around the world to ensure the company continues to help its customers solve their most pressing problem.”

He is a member of the Leadership Council of the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the International Business Council. In 2022, he was recognized by the Economic Times as the “Global Indian of the Year” and by the Carnegie Corporation of America as a “Great Immigrant. Great American”. In 2021, he was awarded the Oregon History Medal. 

Previously, he served as chairman of United Way Worldwide. Born and raised in India, he moved to the United States on a Rotary Foundation Scholarship to attend Willamette University and graduated with a master’s degree in management with honors. In 2019, Willamette awarded him an honorary doctorate. After he retired from Deloitte, he received the honorary title of Deloitte Global CEO Emeritus. He and his family live in Oregon.