Léo Apotheker, a German business executive, briefly served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hewlett-Packard (HP) from November 2010 to September 201Prior to his tenure at HP, Apotheker was the co-CEO of SAP, a leading software company. However, his time at HP was marked by strategic missteps that resulted in significant losses for the company.
Early Life and Education
Apotheker was born on September 18, 1953, in Aachen, Germany. His parents were Polish Jews who had fled to the Soviet-Chinese border during World War II. After the war, they settled in Aachen before moving to Antwerp, Belgium, where Apotheker grew up.
At the age of 18, Apotheker moved to Israel to study economics at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Early Career and SAP: 1988-2010
Before joining SAP in 1988, Apotheker held various financial and operations positions at European companies. At SAP, he quickly rose through the ranks and became the CEO and founder of SAP France and SAP Belgium in 199He went on to hold several leadership positions within the company, including president of SAP's South West Europe region and president of SAP EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) sales region.
In 2002, Apotheker joined the SAP AG executive board and served as the President of Global Field Operations. He was appointed deputy CEO in 2007 and promoted to co-CEO in April 200His appointment as CEO of SAP was notable as he became the second Jewish executive to lead a large German company with a pre-war history.
Hewlett packard keyboard layout: features, benefits, and customizationDuring his time at SAP, Apotheker played a crucial role in implementing significant changes within the company. He also emphasized SAP's commitment to sustainability and articulated his vision for the IT industry.
CEO of Hewlett-Packard: 2010-2011
In September 2010, Apotheker was elected as the CEO and President of Hewlett-Packard, succeeding Cathie Lesjak, who had been serving as the interim CEO. However, his tenure at HP was fraught with challenges and strategic missteps that led to significant losses for the company.
Under Apotheker's leadership, HP's stock dropped by approximately 40%. In August 2011, HP announced a series of abrupt strategic decisions, including discontinuing its webOS device business, planning to divest its personal computer division, and acquiring British software firm Autonomy for a significant premium. These decisions caused further decline in HP's stock.
Following the decline in HP's stock and mounting criticism of his leadership, Apotheker was replaced as CEO in September 2011 by Meg Whitman, a fellow board member and former CEO of eBay.
Life After HP
After leaving HP, Apotheker returned to Paris and explored investment opportunities in mature and distressed companies. He served as an independent director on the boards of several companies, including Steria, Schneider Electric SA, GT Nexus, and KMD.
Revolutionizing digital connectivity: hewlett packard data centerIn 2014, Apotheker joined UNIT4, a Dutch software provider, as the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board. He also became the Non-Executive Chairman of the Advisory Board for Signavio GmbH, a German software provider, in 201
In 2021, Apotheker joined Appway as the first independent board member. Most recently, in May 2022, he was appointed as the chair of the board of directors for Eudonet Group.
Léo Apotheker's tenure as the CEO of Hewlett-Packard was marked by significant challenges and strategic missteps that resulted in substantial losses for the company. However, his previous experience at SAP and subsequent roles in various companies demonstrate his continued involvement in the technology and software industry.