SAP Adds North America to Cardenuto’s Remit as Predecessor Quits

SAP AG (SAP) named Rodolpho Cardenuto president of a combined Americas region, promoting an executive who led record Brazilian sales as the largest maker of business- management software seeks to bolster growth in North America.

Cardenuto, who previously oversaw business in Latin America and the Caribbean region, will add North America to his portfolio and relocate to the global sales headquarters in Pennsylvania, SAP said today in an e-mailed statement. Geraldine McBride, previous North America chief, left the company after less than a year in a move unrelated to performance, spokesman Daniel Reinhardt said by phone.

Cardenuto will be the third North American leader for Walldorf, Germany-based SAP in the last nine months. McBride’s predecessor Robert Courteau left last year after 15 months in the job after North American software sales fell in the three months through March.

The Americas region accounted for about 40 percent of SAP’s sales in the third quarter. The sales organization’s structure will ensure that sales and service units are based in the same geography to more effectively address customer needs, Reinhardt said.

“Cardenuto joined SAP in 2008 and is a proven leader who has consistently led his region, including key markets like Brazil and Mexico, to record growth,” SAP said.

Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be joined with eastern European and former Soviet markets into a new Middle & Eastern Europe division headed by Michael Kleinemeier, who had led efforts in the three countries. The diminished region of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa will continue to be headed by Franck Cohen, while Steve Watts will remain president of the Asia-Pacific and Japan markets.

To contact the reporter on this story: Cornelius Rahn in Berlin at crahn2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong at kwong11@bloomberg.net