Christian Klein

Christian Klein is a German business executive and the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Board of SAP SE, one of the world’s largest and most influential enterprise software companies. In his role, Klein is responsible for setting the strategic direction, overseeing global operations, and driving innovation at the company, which helps organizations around the globe manage critical business functions such as finance, supply chain, human resources, and analytics.

Klein’s journey at SAP is notable for its longevity and upward progression. He began his career at SAP in 1999 as a student and, over more than two decades, held an array of leadership roles across financial, operational, and product domains. Early in his career he served as Chief Financial Officer of SAP SuccessFactors and as SAP’s Chief Controlling Officer before being appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2016. In October 2019, Klein was named Co‑CEO and, following his partner’s departure in April 2020, became sole CEO of SAP.

Under Klein’s leadership, SAP has accelerated its transformation into a cloud‑first and AI‑driven enterprise software provider, emphasizing innovation and customer value in a highly competitive technology landscape. He has overseen significant growth in cloud services and enterprise offerings, helping position SAP as a leader in digital transformation for businesses worldwide.

Educated in International Business Administration at the University of Cooperative Education in Mannheim, Germany, Klein combines deep institutional knowledge with strategic vision. His tenure as CEO reflects a blend of operational discipline and forward‑looking leadership aimed at helping SAP navigate the evolving demands of global business and technology.