Who is Matthias Medert, SAP’s New Sustainability Leader?
SAP provides solutions for 99 of the 100 largest companies in the world who generate 87% of total global commerce volume.
With such an overwhelming global influence, SAP is aiming to set an example of sustainability throughout both its business and solutions.
Daniel Schmid has been at the helm of SAP’s sustainability operations since 2009 but is now making way for a new leader, Matthias Medert.
Daniel says: “After more than 30 years at SAP and 10 years as Chief Sustainability Officer, I step forward to a new chapter as I have decided to take part in SAP’s early retirement programme.
“Starting at the beginning of next year, I’ll hand over my role to Matthias Medert as the new Global Head of Sustainability at SAP."
Meet Matthias Medert
Matthias joined SAP in 1998, starting his journey as a Product Manager.
In 2018 he took on the role of SVP Global Adoption Insights and License Compliance, and from November 2024 assumed the role of Global Head of Sustainability.
Daniel adds: “I’m more than confident that he’ll continue to achieve new milestones with our incredible team.
“It’ll be a journey full of meaningful experiences and I have faith he’ll build upon our success and lead the way forward.”
Matthias’ new role focuses on integrating sustainable practices throughout SAP and its value chain, ensuring the company’s commitment to mitigating sustainability risks and driving sustainable growth.
He believes that collaboration is key to driving impactful sustainability outcomes and aims to work with other sustainability leaders to develop positive change across industries.
Matthias’ focus areas at the start of his new role include focusing on SAP’s commitment to achieving net zero by 2030.
He will also ensure the company complies with the German Supply Chain Act, requiring German businesses with more than 1,000 employees to take steps to avoid human rights violations throughout supply chains.
Daniel Schmid’s sustainability legacy at SAP
Daniel joined SAP in 2001 as Vice President of SAP consulting when a start-up he worked for was acquired by the company.
In 2008, he became part of a board project to develop the company’s first strategic approach to sustainability.
In 2009 he became Head of Sustainability Operations, transitioning to Chief Sustainability Officer in 2014.
Throughout his career, Daniel has held the belief that “there’s either sustainable business or no business”.
Despite retiring from his role at SAP, he will remain in the sustainability field as Chairman of the Board at econsense, where he expects to continue collaborating with the company.
SAP’s sustainability initiatives
SAP is the world’s largest enterprise resourcing planning (ERP) software vendor and the largest Germany company by market capitalisation.
The company says that 97% of the greenest companies in the world use its solutions and it has the best ESG score in the industry.
In 2023, SAP reached carbon neutrality two years ahead of schedule and was able to recycle or reuse 93% of its discarded equipment.
SAP has committed to reaching net zero by 2030, an impressive feat considering the company was originally targeting 2050.
Its targets are aligned with preventing global warming above 1.5°C.
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