Contents
On 15 May 2024, an era ended at the Annual General Meeting in Mannheim. Hasso Plattner left the Supervisory Board of SAP. He had founded the software company in 1972 with four colleagues. From 2003 to 2024 he chaired the Supervisory Board. His departure illustrates the Law of Legacy, with its strengths and its fractures.
From founder to overseer
Situation
Plattner, born on 21 January 1944 in Berlin, founded SAP with Dietmar Hopp, Claus Wellenreuther, Klaus Tschira and Hans-Werner Hector. Until May 2003 he was spokesman of the Executive Board, most recently together with Henning Kagermann. After that he moved to the head of the Supervisory Board.
Link to the law
The first step in leaving a legacy is withdrawing from day-to-day business. Those who hand over operational leadership let successors make their own decisions. The supervisory role offers guidance without steering yourself.
A succession plan fails
Situation
In February 2023, Punit Renjen was presented as the future chairman of the Supervisory Board. In May 2023 he joined the board. On 12 February 2024, SAP announced the separation. As the reason, the company cited differing ideas about the role of the future chairman.
Link to the law
Succession is not an administrative act, but a question of fit. The understanding of the role should be clarified before a name becomes public. At the same time, it is better to correct a mistake before the handover than after it.
The second attempt
Situation
On the same day, the Supervisory Board proposed Pekka Ala-Pietilä. The Finn was president of Nokia from 1999 to 2005 and sat on the SAP Supervisory Board from 2002 to 2021. Plattner stated that with this choice the Supervisory Board was in the best hands.
Link to the law
The handover came late: Plattner was 80 years old when he left. Those who build up several candidates early do not have to fall back on what proved itself in the past when it matters. A succession is stable when it has options.
A legacy in education
Situation
In 1998, Plattner founded the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam. According to Wikipedia, he pledged more than 200 million euros for its operation. In 2007 the School of Design Thinking was added, and in 2012 the open learning platform openHPI. Since April 2017, the institute has formed a joint faculty with the University of Potsdam.
Link to the law
The Law of Explosive Growth says: those who develop leaders multiply their impact. An institute trains people year after year whom the founder never leads personally. On a small scale, leaders can ask whom they are equipping today.
Wealth as a mandate
Situation
In 2005, Plattner funded a design institute at Stanford University with 35 million US dollars. In 2013 he joined the initiative “The Giving Pledge”. In 2015 the Hasso Plattner Foundation was created, which supports education, art and nature conservation.
Link to the law
Leaving a legacy covers more than succession in office. It is about the question of what your own means achieve after your active time. Institutions with a clear purpose carry a cause further than any individual.
Key takeaways
Key lessons
- Withdraw from day-to-day business step by step.
- Clarify the understanding of the role before you name a successor publicly.
- Build up several candidates for your succession early.
- Correct a wrong succession decision before it takes effect.
- Invest in people and institutions that keep having an effect without you.
Summary
Hasso Plattner shaped SAP for more than five decades. The search for his successor on the Supervisory Board was bumpy and only succeeded at the second attempt. His lasting legacy also lies in the Hasso Plattner Institute and in his foundation. Leaving a legacy needs early planning and more than one path.