Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In 2020, SAP CEO Christian Klein decided to shift the 50-year-old German software giant entirely to the cloud. The immediate result? The stock price dropped 20% in a single day. Fast-forward to today: SAP is one of the most valuable companies in Europe. In this episode of Bold Names, Klein joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins to discuss navigating that tumult, the cultural overhaul required to modernize the company, and why Europe needs to focus on applied AI to compete with the U.S. and China.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview
00:59 Christian Klein's Bold Move as CEO
02:04 Transition to Cloud and Overcoming Challenges
04:16 The Importance of Customer Satisfaction and Change Management
06:26 SAP's AI Strategy and Future Prospects
16:16 Internal Use of AI at SAP
18:46 Challenges and Opportunities for European Tech
22:44 Conclusion and Credits
WSJ’s Bold Names brings you conversations with the leaders of the bold-named companies featured in the pages of The Wall Street Journal. Hosts Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims speak to CEOs and business leaders in interviews that challenge conventional wisdom and take you inside the decisions being made in the C-suite and beyond.
Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com
#Tech #Business #WSJ
In 2020, SAP CEO Christian Klein decided to shift the 50-year-old German software giant entirely to the cloud. The immediate result? The stock price dropped 20% in a single day. Fast-forward to today: SAP is one of the most valuable companies in Europe. In this episode of Bold Names, Klein joins WSJ’s Tim Higgins to discuss navigating that tumult, the cultural overhaul required to modernize the company, and why Europe needs to focus on applied AI to compete with the U.S. and China.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview
00:59 Christian Klein's Bold Move as CEO
02:04 Transition to Cloud and Overcoming Challenges
04:16 The Importance of Customer Satisfaction and Change Management
06:26 SAP's AI Strategy and Future Prospects
16:16 Internal Use of AI at SAP
18:46 Challenges and Opportunities for European Tech
22:44 Conclusion and Credits
WSJ’s Bold Names brings you conversations with the leaders of the bold-named companies featured in the pages of The Wall Street Journal. Hosts Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims speak to CEOs and business leaders in interviews that challenge conventional wisdom and take you inside the decisions being made in the C-suite and beyond.
Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com
#Tech #Business #WSJ
