Early Life
Hasso Plattner was born in Berlin, Germany, on January 21, 1944. He spent his early years in Bavaria, later studying communications engineering at the University of Karlsruhe, where he earned a master's degree.
Rise to Success
Plattner's career began at IBM in 1968. In 1972, he co-founded SAP (Systems, Applications & Products in Data Processing) with four colleagues after recognizing an opportunity for real-time data processing software, which led to creating the market for real-time business software. SAP went public in 1988. Plattner served as co-CEO of SAP until 2003. From 2003 to May 2024, he was the chairman of the SAP supervisory board. Under his guidance, SAP became one of Germany's most valuable companies.
Key Business Strategies
Plattner's leadership was instrumental in SAP's global expansion, transforming it from a single-product company into a world leader in enterprise applications. He focused on identifying technological trends, driving innovation, and fostering a collaborative environment within the company. His vision included pioneering in-memory data management, which led to the HANA database technology.
Philanthropy
Hasso Plattner and his wife, Sabine, are active philanthropists. They have pledged to give most of their wealth to charity through the Giving Pledge. Their initiatives include supporting health and education projects through the Plattner Foundation, and contributing to HIV/AIDS programs in South Africa. He founded the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering in Potsdam, Germany, which focuses on IT systems engineering education and research.
