SAP announced Wednesday that deputy CEO Leo Apokether has been promoted to co-CEO and will serve along with CEO Henning Kagermann, a move that positions Apokether as Kagermann’s likely successor atop the enterprise software giant.
“Henning Kagermann requested that the supervisory board appoint Leo Apotheker as co-CEO in order to prepare him as successor in the best possible way during the remainder of Henning’s tenure,” Hasso Plattner, SAP co-founder and supervisory board chairman said in a statement. “The supervisory board today followed his request.”
Apokether ascended to the deputy CEO slot last year following the departure of Shai Agassi, a young and rising star at SAP who had been viewed as a possible successor for the top job. But when Kagermann’s contract was extended to 2009, Agassi decided not to wait, SAP said at the time. Agassi is now involved in alternative energy.
Apotheker joined SAP in 1988, and has since served in a variety of executive roles.
