theceomagazine.com | 25and growth, and constantly strive to
outperform in a competitive global market.
“With our diverse partnerships, unified
capabilities, and leading digital business
platform, we are a leader in digital software
solutions,” explains Anneliese. “Digital
transformation is both an assistance and
a disruption in our industry – it’s at the
forefront of everyone’s mind. We make sure
we have the right talent on board and that
we are in the right place at the right time
within our key markets.”
Anneliese says that every day, her people
are driven by customer success and guided
by values including co-innovation, customer-
centricity, passion and relevance. “I’m very
impressed by what the team has achieved in
terms of success with clients not only across
the software side of the business but also in
terms of services and maintenance. Our
customer-centric strategy has generated
excellent feedback. I was working in the
Philippines when a client said, ‘I’ve never
seen a company transform as quickly as you
have. Whatever Software AG has done
differently in the past 12 months, it’s
something I’ve never experienced before.’
“Many leaders before me have strived for
growth as we are seeing it today in our Asia
division. Taking risks, acting entrepreneurial
while believing in the impossible without
fear is an incredible source of energy and
passion. Challenging your own boundaries
and experimenting is the most important
source of learning and growth,” says
Anneliese. “To be a successful software
company today, you need to be able to adapt
your business model to suit the changing
needs of your clients. I see change not as
a problem but as an opportunity. Rather than
selling our products generically, we have to
be much more flexible in understanding andidentifying the scope of the
requirements at hand. At the
core of many of the solutions
we jointly identify with our
clients are capabilities to
integrate everything with
anything, at any time, and in
real time. In combination with
the best people inside and
outside Software AG and the right mentality,
change turns into opportunity for true
innovation and transformation.
“Our clients understand that digital
transformation is pivotal to their survival, so
they need to invest in long-term, mutually
beneficial partnerships that will help them
succeed. We have done the same, and our
partnerships have played a major role in
our success over the past 18 months. Each
customer brings expertise from a different
industry, allowing us to innovate and diversify
our offerings,” says Anneliese.
“We plan to maintain our current upward
trajectory, and although we may not have
the answer to every question, we have an
extensive partner network that complements
us in providing the leading-edge solutions.
Our hard work has paid off. In Asia, we will
exceed our annual performance indicators;
and we were, as part of the APJ region this
year in Q3, awarded for not only great sales
performance but also for meeting a set of
long-term success criteria,” says Anneliese.
“I firmly believe that culture
defines who we are as an organisation, and
people define what this culture is by the
way they act or interact every day. Many
of our staff have a long tenure with the
company and are extremely knowledgeable.
Keeping them engaged, listening to what
they say and how they can make a difference,
gives all of us the opportunity to grow
and stay excited. Believing in what we
do has fuelled a strong and connected
team across Asia striving for the best.
This energy shines through the entire
company and to our clients. I enjoy the
challenge of bringing people together under
one belief, one theme and one strategy –
which is customer success. Their success is
how I measure my own.”One concept
Anneliese has
embraced
throughout
her career is a
statement by
Richard Branson:
“You don’t learn to
walk by following
rules. You learn
by doing, and by
falling over.”“ Digital transformation is both
an assistance and a disruption
in our industry – it’s at the
forefront of everyone’s mind.”
Interview | INSPIRE