Meet Our Esteemed Judges!
Our distinguished judges bring a unique blend of SAP leadership and external thought leadership to the table. With a collective passion for innovation, this panel is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating your innovative achievements!
Business Innovator
Live customers transforming their supply chain, processes, or business networks using SAP solutions in the cloud – including those utilizing Artificial Intelligence - to future-proof their business and innovate and grow without limits.
James Marland
Global Vice President, SAP Intelligent Spend & Business Network at SAP
James is a skilled communicator who simplifies complex concepts through captivating stories and sketches, enabling others to grasp and promote the advantages of embracing digital transformation with Business Networks. With prior experience at both SAP and Ariba, James possesses a distinct perspective that allows him to effectively bridge the gap between global companies and SAP Business Network. Through his use of storytelling, metaphors, and sketches, he brings clarity to abstract ideas, empowering individuals to craft their own narratives.
Lauren Husum
Head of Solution Marketing for GROW with SAP
Lauren leads the midsize segment's value proposition. Formerly Chief of Staff for Marketing & Solutions, she advised on strategic planning, operations, and growth. Lauren, who is focused on scaling business priorities, ensures world-class operations for success. Joining SAP in May 2021 after a decade at Microsoft, she held various product marketing roles. A University of Washington graduate in Business Administration, specializing in marketing, Lauren is an optimistic advocate for women in business. She dedicates time to coaching young adults in their careers, passionate about building their resumes and expertise.
Mary Sibley
Regional Vice President, SAP S/4HANA Center of Excellence at SAP
Mary leads the North America SAP S/4HANA Center of Excellence responsible for collaboratively working with customers to discover the value of SAP’s new digital core and learn how to most effectively migrate to this next generation solution. Mary has over 40 years of business experience spanning a wide range of industries and roles including: - Global Dean of internal Sales enablement for SAP AG - SAP North America Presales Solution Vice President - Consulting Manager at Price Waterhouse Coopers - Controller and Corporate Officer at Schlumberger Systems Inc.
Maura Hameroff
SVP, ERP Product Marketing at SAP
Maura is a seasoned technology market professional, with 20 years in the industry. She has led projects in product marketing, business development, mergers and acquisitions, partner marketing, go-to-market, and sales strategy. She is passionate about building great products, translating value propositions into customer experiences, and crafting narratives that tell an impactful story. She is a committed advocate across multiple industries including commercial software, cloud services, mobile and hardware products.
Maura presently leads the SAP Solution Marketing for ERP, Finance, and Digital Supply Chain. She joined SAP as Senior Vice President in February 2022 after 15 years at Microsoft.
Mindy Davis
VP of Global Marketing for SAP Digital Supply Chain at SAP
With a passion for building exceptional teams and launching innovative products, Mindy leads SAP's marketing strategy for their supply chain solutions. Her expertise in marketing and business development has made her a strategic thought leader in the industry. Mindy holds a B.S. in Marketing from Miami University and an MBA in Marketing from Georgia State University. She was recognized as one of the top 10 influential leaders in supply chain by CIO Look Magazine in 2022 and has hosted a popular LinkedIn Live series for Women in Supply Chain. Connect with Mindy on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Nynke Popma
VP / Head of Solution Marketing S/4HANA at SAP
Nynke boasts nearly 25 years of dynamic Marketing leadership in the tech industry. Currently spearheading Global Solution Marketing for RISE at SAP, she oversees a comprehensive suite of cloud solutions and services, enabling SAP ERP migration and empowering clients to thrive in the Cloud. Previously, Nynke led SAP Field Marketing EMEA North, driving digital transformation, introducing Agile methodologies, and establishing valued leadership programs. With experience in senior marketing at esteemed global IT firms, including Oracle, IDS Scheer/Software AG, PeopleSoft, Cognos, and Dell, Nynke is renowned for her adept management of transformative digitalization, data-driven marketing, and ability to yield tangible business results.
Richard Downs
Global Vice President, SAP Business Network at SAP
Richard Downs leads the global Solution Management practice for the SAP Business Network, ensuring SAP solutions are addressing market needs and meeting customer expectations. With over 25 years of sales, marketing and strategy experience, Mr. Downs is a leading global expert and industry speaker on Finance Automation, Business Networks and B2B Marketplaces. Mr. Downs joined SAP following SAP’s acquisition of Ariba in 2013 where he led the Ariba Network European Pre-Sales team. He holds a 1st class Honours degree in Computing in Business and was previously owner operator of a successful chain of bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
Richard Howells
Vice President - Solution Management for ERP, Finance and Digital Supply Chain at SAP
Richard Howells has been working in the supply chain management and manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, industry 4.0, digitization and sustainability.
Experience Wizard
Live customers achieving business transformation using SAP solutions in the cloud – including those utilizing Artificial Intelligence - to develop delightful customer or employee experiences.
Lara Albert
Global Vice President of Product Marketing for SAP SuccessFactors at SAP
Lara has more than 20 years of experience in tech, building world-class brands, launching breakthrough products, and creating global marketing strategies grounded in strong value propositions and effective storytelling to accelerate business growth. Currently at SAP, she leads product marketing for SAP SuccessFactors and is responsible for the go-to-market strategy and execution for the SAP SuccessFactors suite, which includes talent management, core HR and payroll, HR analytics and planning, and employee experience management solutions; cloud platform tools and technology; and initiatives such as DEI&B. Prior to her career at SAP, Lara was head of Marketing for a martech start-up and held leadership positions in product marketing at VeriSign, AOL, and Kraft Foods. Lara has a master’s in business administration from Vanderbilt University.
Patricia Krall
Global Vice President Go-To-Market Industries at SAP
Patricia Krall is an inspiring and passionate business leader with extensive experience in a range of industries including Fashion, Retail, Consumer Products and Financial Services. Prior to joining SAP AG she worked for more than 10 years at Swarovski AG. Patricia has experience leading businesses both within multinational corporations but also startups. Her expertise is in customer experience, strategy, marketing, and digital transformation. Over the last few years she has been contributing on a number of thought leadership topics including digital transformation and artificial Intelligence. She holds a master’s degree in international management from Harvard University, USA, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
Seema Kesselring
Global VP of Product Strategy in Customer Experience
Seema is passionate about innovation & adoption of SAP Customer Experience product portfolio to help customers succeed in the digitally transformative projects leveraging intelligent technologies. She has played key roles in product and engineering, sales go to market, sales operations, Innovative business solutions and successfully lead various strategic initiatives with customers and within SAP. Seema is also an adjunct professor and teaches in the Villanova School of Business at Villanova University. She earned her MBA from Villanova University and a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Sciences.
Industry Leader
Live customers that have modernized their businesses - and even their industries - by taking advantage of new business models, approaches, or networks or by addressing their biggest challenges (including meeting increasing customer expectations) while providing transparency, resiliency, and sustainability across supply chains. They are using a range of SAP applications and technologies - such as AI, machine learning or analytics - in original ways that create new business models, connect with their customers, innovate their end-to-end business processes in a unique or dramatic way, or drive industry convergence by changing the way their industry has traditionally conducted business.
Audrey McNichols
GVP, Industries and CX Portfolio Marketing at SAP
Audrey McNichols is a veteran marketing leader experienced in connecting brands and customers via roles in corporate and product marketing, business operations and marketing technology. She currently leads the Industries and CX Portfolio Marketing team at SAP where she is responsible for creating compelling market narratives and driving demand and adoption for SAP’s Industry Solutions and Customer Experience portfolios. Before joining SAP Audrey held client strategy positions at Direct Media, Clarion Marketing and Communications (DMB&B), Brann Worldwide and Wunderman Thompson (now VML) as well as her own boutique agency, Connect2 Communications.
Chandra Gnanasambandam
Senior Partner with McKinsey & Company, Inc.
Chandra co-leads McKinsey’s Global Software and Technology practice. Chandra advises CEO’s and management teams of several of the world’s largest software, hardware, cloud and IT services companies and multiple fast growing cloud software companies. Chandra also advises a handful of the world’s Fortune 100 companies (outside Tech) on their digital agendas. Chandra was also the co-founder of Fuel, McKinsey’s practice that works with Startups and the investor ecosystem. Functionally, he brings deep expertise in product management and engineering. Chandra held several operating roles at BEA Systems and Sun Microsystems and has graduate engineering degrees from Georgia Tech and University of Saskatchewan.
Sven Denecken
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing and Solutions Officer for Industries & CX at SAP
With extensive experience in customer and partner collaboration, Sven is responsible for driving product marketing and solution management across SAP's Industry and CX solutions. He has held various roles within SAP, including ERP product management and head of Product Success and COO for SAP S/4HANA Cloud. Sven works closely with customers, partners, influencers, and SAP experts to deliver effective outcomes for industry customers in their digital transformation journey.
Partner Paragon
Partners that have developed a next-generation application intended to be sold to customers and deployed by at least one customer. The application should be using at least one cloud technology from SAP Business Technology and licensed via the SAP Build or Tech adoption program.
Fabian Padilla-Crisol
Senior VP, Strategic Partnerships Programs at SAP
Fabian oversees the go-to-market, performance, and support of SAP’s strategic partnerships programs. Most recently, Fabian led SAP’s overall market performance in Hong Kong and Macau and supported enterprise customer journeys to the cloud and growth opportunities through innovation. Fabian has two decades of strategic, executive, and product development experience at SAP and held various roles in solution development, project implementation, sales management, and strategic counselling. He has led teams across Asia Pacific, Japan, EMEA, and Americas spearheading successful transformation programs, and new business ecosystems.
Steve White
Program Vice President for the WW Channels and Alliances research team at IDC
Steve manages a group of channels and alliances analysts with extended teams in EMEA & APeJ. His team focuses on research around changing partner ecosystem dynamics, following trends and best practices to allow benchmarking. They also run 'Leadership Councils' where industry channels and alliances leaders discuss the latest research, trends, and drive the future research agenda. Prior to joining IDC, Steve spent over seven years at Microsoft both in the United Kingdom and Canada, and has over 20 years’ experience with leading technology vendors.
Services Supernova
Live customers that have successfully adopted SAP Cloud solutions – including those utilizing Artificial Intelligence - to meet or exceed business goals, optimize IT resources, increase user enablement, and improve productivity or learning with the help of SAP Cloud Success Services.
Augusta Spinelli
EVP and Global Head of SAP Adoption Services CenterCustomer Success at SAP
Augusta leads the SAP Adoption Services Center, a global unit of ~12,000 highly qualified professionals that delivers business value to SAP customers and the entire SAP ecosystem by fueling the engine of innovation with industry content, automation, and cutting-edge technology, including transforming to Cloud. Over the last 25 years, Augusta has extended her reach and leadership profile across different expert and management roles, spanning both Services sales and delivery across numerous countries and cultures. She holds a master’s degree in Industrial Technology and Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and is currently based in Dubai.
Chad Crook
Chief Innovation Officer, Cloud Success Services at SAP
Chad is a results-driven professional with a strong focus on enhancing customer experience. With a passion for driving business outcomes, he leads the Advanced Layer of our customer experience, overseeing Preferred Success and Training and Adoption brand offerings. With 15 years of combined experience in commercial and operational executive leadership roles, Chad has served as Senior VP of Success Centers, Head of Customer Engagement for Procurement, and COO of Customer Value Organization. When not working, Chad enjoys spending time with his wife Jenny and their playful pup Leonidas, and has a keen interest in family, health, wellness, and travel.
Simone Engelhardt
Senior Vice President and Head of Customer Engagement Support at SAP's Cloud Success Services
With over 35 years of experience at SAP, Simone has held various leadership roles. She began her career as a software developer and played a crucial role in the development of SAP's System R/3 for enterprise logistics. She has also served as an Executive Board Assistant to top executives at SAP. In her current role, Simone is responsible for improving customer health, satisfaction, and success in the cloud. She has also contributed to the Run Simpler Initiative and implemented a Continuous Improvement System within IT.
Sustainability Hero
Live customers with stories highlighting the use of SAP cloud solutions that demonstrate their contribution to building an inclusive economy, shaping a sustainable future, creating positive social or environmental impact, making the world run better and improving people’s lives.
Jonas Dennler
Chief Marketing and Solutions Officer for Sustainability at SAP
Jonas began his career in 2009 as the global environment manager at SAP. He oversaw corporate CO2 accounting, implemented a global environmental management system, and spearheaded initiatives such as the Green Cloud, e-mobility, and internal carbon pricing. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Swiss Climate Foundation and the investment committee of the Livelihoods Fund. Currently, Jonas leads SAP's global Go to Market for sustainability solutions and services, following various roles in the regional Customer Advisory team. He holds a degree in Environmental Physics from ETH Zurich and an Executive MBA in Business Engineering from HSG St. Gallen.
Transformation Titan
Live customers that have implemented at least one of SAP's Business Technology Platform products to solve business problems and accelerate innovation.
Georg Fischer
Chief Product Manager for SAP BTP at SAP
Georg is a dynamic business professional, known for successfully executing global projects and programs, and driving products to market. He has cultivated his skills in managing diverse, distributed teams through his years as a global team leader. At present, he holds the role of Chief Product Manager for SAP BTP, fostering close relationships with SAP customers and partners. A passionate advocate for innovation and change, Georg leverages his over a decade of experience in Business Model Innovation and Design Thinking. Alongside his professional commitments, he is a regular lecturer at esteemed universities such as Heidelberg, Mannheim, and Paris.
Iver van de Zand
CTO for the SAP Business Technology Platform for EMEA & heads EMEA North Customer Advisory and CoE teams for BTP
Iver has over 30 years experience in software technology and is highly passionate on data driven digital transformations. Iver is the author of multiple books on Data & Analytics and tends to share his knowledge through social channels extensively. He holds half a million followers on LinkedIn.
Milja Gillespie
Member of the Senior Management Team for SAP Business Technology Platform, Global Customer Success Organization at SAP
Milja Gillespie is a strategist and she works hand in hand with executive leaders across all regions and roles to drive the adoption of SAP BTP globally. Milja is passionate about bringing people together to serve customers and ensure their ultimate success. Over more than 20 years at SAP, Milja has held many leadership roles including Sales Operations, Chief of Staff, Go-To-Market Strategy, Product Marketing expert, and Thought Leader.
Timo Elliott
Global Innovation Evangelist for SAP
Timo works closely with leading-edge organizations around the world on their digital transformation initiatives. Over the last 30 years with the company, he has given presentations to business and IT leaders in over 60 different countries, talking about SAP's strategy and future trends, illustrated with real-world examples of customer innovation. He has worked in the UK, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and California, and currently lives in Paris, France. He has a degree in Econometrics and holds a patent in the area of mobile analytics.