Podcast

377: SAP Ariba on the Importance of Being a Purpose-Driven Company

SAP Ariba is rethinking how work gets done in this new digital economy. It is more critical than ever that your company adapts and continuously improves to make it easier to do business with. There should be no exceptions in how you manage your supply chain, supplier relationships, transactions, and suppliers.

Alex Atzberger told me how they are attempting to unify the entire procurement process so that companies can spend more time focusing on what matters most. This includes ensuring that they are operating ethically and sustainably, eliminating any areas of risk that might impact their business and ability to connect with customers.

They’ve also created a tool called SAP Ariba Supplier Risk that’s specifically designed to help companies monitor for any areas of risk in their supply chains. I felt compelled to find out if this approach really can transform the world of procurement and the importance of being a purpose-driven company so I invited Alex Atzberger, president at SAP Ariba onto the podcast.

Importance of Being a Purpose-Driven Company

Customers today have more choices than ever and are increasingly choosing the partner with those companies that share in the same mission and values as they do. Alex is committed to not only leading SAP Ariba with purpose but also helping its customers lead purpose-driven companies as well.
87% of global consumers believe business should place ‘equal weight’ on society’s interests and their own business goals. (Edelman Good Purpose Survey, 2012)
94% of CEOs say that their company is ‘increasingly held responsible not only for our own actions but also for the actions of others in our value chain’. (Corporate Philanthropy CEO Conference 2010)
Meaningful brands outperform the stock market by 120 percent.

Alex Atzberger is responsible for the strategy, operations, go-to-market, ecosystem, and product and innovation functions of the world’s largest business commerce network.

Prior to this role, Alex was chief of staff to SAP CEO Bill McDermott. In that capacity, he handled all operations of the CEO office and carried responsibility for the governance of the SAP Executive Board. Alex also successfully led SAP’s markets strategy, competitive and market intelligence, and global pricing organization to help shape the Company’s 2015 strategy.

Previously, Alex served as the head of Fast Growth Markets where he led the orchestration of all investments and overall strategy to grow SAP’s business in fast-growing countries and regions such as China, Russia, and the Middle East. He also managed SAP’s China Growth Plan and Strategy. In 2013, Alex was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum for his exceptional leadership in helping grow SAP’s business in these markets.

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