MANNHEIM (dpa-AFX) - A turning point at SAP: Hasso Plattner, the last co-founder, retired from the software group at the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday. The 80-year-old said that much had been achieved together. SAP had developed into the most valuable German company and a world-class group. This fills him with great pride. He will continue to provide advice and support. Plattner had been Chairman of the Supervisory Board since 2003. He will be succeeded by former Nokia manager Pekka Ala-Pietilä, the company announced.

Plattner founded SAP in 1972 together with Dietmar Hopp, Claus Wellenreuther, Klaus Tschira and Hans-Werner Hector. SAP CEO Christian Klein once again paid tribute to the achievements of the 80-year-old. "SAP is the only world-class digital company in Europe." He is a great visionary and has reinvented the company time and again. The world and Germany could do with more "Hasso".

There had been turbulence surrounding the appointment of the head of the Supervisory Board because Europe's largest software group had unexpectedly rescheduled Plattner's successor. Punit Renjen was actually supposed to take up the post. It was announced in February: The Group and the former head of the consulting firm Deloitte had decided to part ways by mutual agreement. The reason given by SAP was a difference of opinion regarding the future role of the Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Plattner now said at the Annual General Meeting that this was the right decision.

With the Finn Ala-Pietilä, an old acquaintance returned to the Walldorf-based company. The former President of Nokia was already a member of the SAP Supervisory Board from 2002 to 2021. When he was introduced, Ala-Pietilä said that work on the Supervisory Board is teamwork. Nobody can keep the world running on their own. Plattner and his wife hold over six percent of the shares in the software company./ols/DP/men