This made the role much broader than a classic SAP leadership position. It was designed to connect business units, enterprise applications, IT and external vendors, synchronise strategy and implementation, and take responsibility for operations and lifecycle management of all relevant applications.
The role particularly included:
- leadership of SAP and non-SAP enterprise business solutions teams
- responsibility for business applications such as FI/CO, MM, SD, HCM and SuccessFactors
- interface between business units, enterprise applications, IT and external vendors
- contribution to enterprise architecture
- synchronisation and alignment between strategy and implementation
- project leadership for the implementation and rollout of SAP and enterprise applications
- vendor management, budget and capacity planning
- strategic and operational responsibility for operations and lifecycle management of all applications
The Real Challenge: Technical Depth Plus Change Capability
The client was not looking for a pure SAP specialist, but for a transformation leader with business understanding.
At the beginning, it was clear which technical expertise was required in the IT and SAP environment. During the profile refinement, however, it became apparent that this perspective alone would not be enough. The new leader not only had to understand technological trends, SAP architecture, enterprise applications and modern methods, but also had to be able to lead a team through change.
The organisation was strongly focused on SAP. At the same time, future requirements no longer matched a purely SAP-centric target picture. The new head therefore needed openness towards non-SAP enterprise applications and the ability to further develop existing ways of thinking and working.
A responsible executive described the requirement as follows:
“We were looking for someone who understands current technologies and knows how to motivate a team to implement change.”
Particularly demanding was the combination of technical competence and cultural impact. The role required experience in the SAP environment, but also modern thinking regarding methodological competence and agile organisational models such as Hermes, Scrum or SAFe. At the same time, the person had to be credible on the business side and able to communicate the need for change convincingly.
The target profile required:
- several years of experience as a sub-project manager, project manager, architect, stream lead or team leader in the SAP environment
- solid SAP experience, particularly in customising
- openness and interest in non-SAP enterprise applications
- modern understanding of methods and agile organisational models
- experience in project leadership, rollout and enterprise applications
- leadership capability in direct line management as well as matrix and project structures
- understanding of business units, IT, enterprise architecture and external vendors
- ability to credibly combine change management and technology
Why the Search Required Specific IT Expertise
The organisation needed a partner who understood digitalisation, technology and the candidate market.
The appointment could not be solved by the client’s existing resources and networks alone. The role required a broad skillset across technology, IT leadership and change management. At the same time, the relevant market had to be assessed realistically: Which candidates can meaningfully connect SAP and non-SAP? Who has sufficient leadership experience? And who can guide a national organisation through technological and cultural change?
For the client, it was therefore essential to work with a partner who not only understands IT and digitalisation topics in general, but can also assess the requirements precisely during the interview process. The goal was to make knowledge in leadership, change management and technology visible, rather than evaluating candidates only by career stages listed on a CV.
After the kick-off, the candidate profile was expanded and refined. In addition to technical SAP expertise, change capability, team motivation, digital perspective and connection to the business became more important. At the same time, expectations of the candidate market were adjusted so that the search could remain realistic while still being ambitious.
The profile refinement created clarity across three dimensions:
- Technology: SAP, non-SAP, enterprise applications, architecture, operations and lifecycle management
- Leadership: team leadership, matrix leadership, external partners, budget and capacity planning
- Transformation: change management, agile methods, digitalisation and cultural development
The Selection Process: From Market View to Final Shortlist
The search quickly led to relevant profiles because requirements and market reality were brought together.
Through close collaboration, a robust candidate base was built within a short period of time. The role was not positioned in the market as a classic SAP function, but as a business solutions mandate with a digital transformation mission. This was decisive in approaching candidates who brought both technological depth and the willingness and leadership potential to drive change.
The search focused on profiles able to think about business applications holistically: SAP as the core system, non-SAP solutions as complementary best-of-class building blocks, enterprise architecture as the connecting framework and business units as key stakeholders.
In the end, two top candidates were brought into the final selection. The decisive factor was not the number of profiles, but the quality of fit: both finalists brought relevant competence dimensions to help shape the technological and organisational development of the application landscape.
The selection process particularly assessed:
- depth of SAP and enterprise applications experience
- openness towards non-SAP solutions
- understanding of strategy implementation along enterprise architecture
- ability to lead direct and indirect teams
- interaction with business units and external vendors
- change management competence
- ability to develop an SAP-focused team towards new requirements
Result: Appointment and Follow-Up Mandate for IT Transformation
The successful search became the basis for the further development of the IT team.
The position was successfully appointed within under 4 months. The shortlist was presented after just 4 weeks; 2 candidates reached the final interview round. For the client, the appointment meant gaining a qualified leader who combines SAP expertise, enterprise applications understanding and change capability.
The benefit went beyond this single appointment. The client subsequently commissioned the further development of the entire IT team along the digitalisation strategy. This made the search for the Head of Business Solutions a starting point for the organisation’s broader technical and cultural transformation.
Concrete client benefits:
- successful appointment of a central business solutions leadership role
- refinement of the target profile from pure SAP expertise towards enterprise applications and change
- realistic adjustment of requirements to the candidate market
- access to qualified IT and digitalisation candidates
- improved assessment of leadership, change management and technology competence
- appointment of a leader for SAP, non-SAP and digital transformation
- basis for the further development of the IT team along the digitalisation strategy
- strengthening of the interface between business, IT, enterprise applications and external partners
Key KPIs:
- 4 weeks from mandate start to shortlist presentation
- 2 candidates in the final interview round
- Under 4 months mandate duration
What This Mandate Shows
Digital transformation only succeeds when technology, leadership and change capability come together.
- SAP competence alone is not enough when enterprise applications need to be developed strategically.
- Leadership roles at the interface of business and IT require technological depth and translation capability.
- Change management is not an add-on in IT transformations, but part of the core profile.
- A realistic market assessment helps keep search profiles ambitious but appointable.
- The right leader can not only take over a function, but also enable the development of entire team structures.
- In digital transformation, the fit between technology understanding, business proximity and cultural impact is decisive.
