Managing Director - Africa at SAP

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• We are seeking a new general manager MD for SAP Africa. This position is responsible for the overall performance of the Market Unit which includes East, West, and South Africa.  The role is to drive the strategic planning and execution in the Market Unit, ensure all the prerequisites for operational excellence, and contribute to the regional business planning process. This role is critical for the organization and therefore we are looking for a senior person with proven General Management capability acquired in the High-Tech industry and in a multicultural environment.

The role reports into the Senior Vice President for SAP Middle East, Africa – South.

EXPECTATIONS AND TASKS

• Maximise the opportunity: The MD will take overall P&L responsibility for the market unit’s performance.  He/she will also drive the strategic planning process for the market unit in alignment with the overall EMEA South strategy.
• Ensure discipline and operational excellence:  He/she will help design and then implement the execution of the defined go-to-market strategy each year, and so this requires a structured, disciplined approach with solid and scalable management and metrics.
• He/she will also be responsible for ensuring that there is an “A-caliber” team with strong potential at management levels in the Market Unit.
• Lead all areas of the business in the Market Unit in a matrix set-up :  The MD is not only responsible for the sales function and teams.
• He/she is responsible for the effective operation of all functions across the region and their interface with the EMEA and global organisations.  This will involve strong leadership and direction and require proven experience of fostering a collaborative environment across multiple business disciplines.
   

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

Drive for execution:

• Achieve results by taking initiative, setting challenging goals and holding people accountable.
• Simplify complexity to ensure clear focus on execution.
• Set ambitious targets, pursuing them with speed and determination.
• Set clear priorities that align with the strategic direction of SAP.
• Hold people accountable for delivering quality results (consequence management).
• Delegate responsibility with clear expectations for the work.
• Monitor progress of others and redirects efforts as necessary to ensure execution.
   

Team collaboration:

• Build an engaged, productive team, sharing knowledge and collaborating internally across roles, departments, and locations as well as externally with partners and customers.
• Ensure the team commitment to common objectives.
• Collaborate inside SAP across roles, departments, and locations.
• Work productively and collaboratively with customers and external partners.
• Identify and leverage the diverse strengths of team members.
• Promote the sharing of knowledge and experiences with others; avoids reinventing the wheel.
• Celebrate team successes.

Talent development:

• Provide constructive performance feedback and coaches people in the development of their skills for current or future roles; works quickly to resolve performance issues.
• Coaches people in the development of their skills.
• Encourages people to take on challenging opportunities that expand their capabilities.
• Provides open, constructive feedback to team members on their performance.
• Deals constructively with performance problems, resolving them without delay.
• Is accessible to provide guidance and support as needed.
• Willingly shares talent, encouraging strong performers to take on new roles outside own team or business unit.
   

Motivation and engagement:

• Energise and inspire people through empowerment, recognition and passion.
• Energise people by explaining the broader purpose of their work and how it relates to SAP.
• Recognise and reward people for successful performance.
• Empower people with responsibility to make decisions and take action.
• Inspire others with own passion for the work and SAP.
• Motivate each individual to perform their best, understanding what drives him/her.
   

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Extensive experience in large, multi-national software/technology organisations – developing and executing large scale business plans and programs.  It is not mandatory that the successful candidate is currently running an application software business.
• Long experience in managing a considerable amount of people, especially in a matrix organisation.
• Familiarity and knowledge of the market including SAP customers and partners.
• Experience in transformation of a substantial business, through significant expansion or turnaround.
• Strong customer orientation and focus, large scale sales leadership experience
   
• Minimum of 10-15 years of experience in sales leadership roles, with a proven track record of driving revenue growth and profitability within a highly competitive environment.
• Strong commercial acumen, with a keen eye for identifying and capitalizing on emerging business opportunities, mitigating risks, and negotiating complex contracts to achieve optimal outcomes.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire a high-performing sales team to achieve challenging targets and exceed customer expectations.
•  Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain productive relationships with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders.
•  In-depth knowledge of application sales, market trends, regulations, and best practices, with a strong focus on continuous improvement and innovation.
   

English: Expert 

• Local Language: Expert 

Education 

• Bachelor equivalent: no 
• Master equivalent: yes