SAP Achieves Commitment to Increase Women in Leadership Positions

SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced that it has reached its 2017 goal to have one in four management positions at the company filled by women.

The public board-level commitment, made in 2011, raised the total of female leaders from a little over 18 percent to 25 percent during the past six years. SAP’s board is continuing its pledge to increase women in leadership by one percent every year, with goals of 28 percent in 2020 and 30 percent in 2022.

Gender diversity is historically reported as underrepresented in the technology industry, but studies have shown that greater gender diversity positively impacts the bottom line. McKinsey & Co. reports that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. SAP continues to strive to be an employer of choice for women in technology, and an industry leader for diversity and inclusion.

This announcement is the latest example of SAP’s efforts to promote a culture of gender diversity. During the past year, SAP:

• Received an industry-first global gender equality certification: In September 2016, SAP was the first multinational technology company to achieve the EDGE Certification, the premier standard and methodology for evaluating a corporate commitment to gender equality, launched at the World Economic Forum. SAP was also the first tech company in the United States to achieve EDGE Certification in January 2016.
• Participated in the inaugural White House Tech Inclusion Pledge: SAP participated in a pledge to fuel American innovation and economic growth by increasing the diversity of the United States technology workforce. SAP also signed the Paradigm for Parity Pledge targeted at increasing women in executive roles.
• Diversified its Executive Board: In Q2 2017, SAP added two female executives to the Executive Board — Jennifer Morgan, president Americas and Asia Pacific Japan (APJ), and Adaire Fox-Martin, president, EMEA and Greater China, Global Customer Operations. SAP is not hiring and promoting women because they are women; it is doing so because they are the best candidates for the job.

“It is often said that what gets measured gets done,” stated Aniela Unguresan, co-founder, EDGE Certified Foundation. “We applaud SAP for recognizing that diversity and inclusion bring immense potential to lead teams in the technology industry. It has been a great pleasure to work with SAP. Thank you!”

SAP’s commitment to gender diversity extends beyond its employee base. Through its Business Beyond Bias initiative, SAP employs its unparalleled business process expertise combined with industry-leading machine learning technology to detect and prevent unconscious bias across the workplace.