Leo Apotheker was born in Aachen, Germany, on September 18, 1953. He received the bachelor's degree in the field of economy and the international relations in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Leo speaks in five languages fluently: English, Dutch, French, German and Hebrew. In 2007 it was awarded awards of the Honourable legion in acknowledgement of its leading qualities and a contribution to economy of France.
Apoteker was the founder and the chief operating officer in ECsoft BV - one of the largest European venture startups - from 1992 to 1994. He also held executive positions in ABP Partners, McCormack & Dodge Europe, S.W.I.F.T. and Altex GmbH.
He started the career in the company in 1988. Mister Apotheker was the CEO and the founder of SAP in France and Belgium. From 1999 to 2002 Leo headed the EMEA direction (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), and before the Southwest region of Europe. Before passing to the main leading positions of SAP, Leo Apotheker held a post of the Deputy Chief executive officer of the company and also within 5 years a post of the President of global division on work with clients. Some time he was also responsible for activity of SAP in North America.
As the member of Executive council of SAP from 2002 to 2010 he directed development of all activities of the company. It managed sales, service maintenance and field operations worldwide for 5 years and more than twice increased a client portfolio of the company; transformed business of SAP in North America and also carried out more than ten acquisitions, including merger of Business Objects - the first large acquisition in the history of SAP company (about $7 billion). Mr. Apoteker in February, 2010 resigned from a post of the head of SAP against the background of 28 percent sales reduction of the German software maker.
In October, 2010 it is appointed to a position of the chief executive of Hewlett-Packard company.
Apoteker is also the vice-chairman of the supervisory board of Schneider Electric SA and also the board member of GT Nexus and PlaNet Finance non-profit organization.
Reaction to appointment of HP as the chief executive
The CEO of Oracle Larry Ellison showed discontent that HP appointed the CEO the former head of SAP Leo Apotheker. As Ellison when Apotheker headed SAP claims, one of "subsidiaries" of the German company stole the programs created by Oracle and illegally used them in the activity. Besides, the head of Oracle in letters to the editorial offices of the largest business newspapers noticed that Apotheker "was dismissed from SAP for the fact that badly managed the company".
"I just have no words. HP had many good internal candidates … instead they took the person who was dismissed recently for the fact that SAP so badly managed" — Mr. Ellison in the letter sent to The Wall Street Journal said.
Larry Ellison explained the reason of the dislike for Leo Apotheker in the letter to other business newspaper, Financial Times. In 2005 SAP purchased service company TomorrowNow which recognized later that it made illegal copies of the applications created by Oracle. As it appears from the claim submitted earlier by Oracle to SAP, the Board of Directors of SAP knew that TomorrowNow regularly stole programs of the American company up to October, 2008. By this moment Leo Apotheker already half a year directed the German producer of software. In the claim which consideration will begin in November Oracle requires to compensate it the caused damages which she assessed at 1 billion dollars of SAP, in turn, recognized copyright violation, however insists that the damage caused to the competitor is calculated by only tens of millions of dollars.
"SAP already publicly was recognized and took the financial responsibility for systematic theft of intellectual property of Oracle throughout a long time frame. The most part of this industrial espionage and theft of intellectual property took place when Leo was the CEO of SAP" — Larry Ellison wrote. "The Board of Directors of HP had to be aware of all these facts, despite it, they appointed Leo the CEO of HP" — he is distressed. In completion of all Mr. Ellison urged all Board of Directors of the American company to resign and "stop madness". HP does not comment on public attacks of the head of Oracle in the address in any way. It is remarkable that when HP and Oracle settled the claim submitted by HP concerning Mark Hurd's employment in September, Larry Ellison said that two companies "will continue to build and expand partnership which is more than 25 years old".
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