Interview with Shai Agassi of SAP

October 1, 2006 - 11:48 AM by

shai agassi
Watch an interview with Shai Agassi, President of the Product and Technology Group of SAP and one of its seven Executive Board members. CNN has called Shai “the diminutive Israeli wunderkind of German powerhouse SAP.”

Shai Agassi, a software entrepreneur, founded TopTier Software (originally called Quicksoft Development) in Israel in 1992 and later moved the company’s headquarters to California. He served the company in various capacities, including chairman, chief technology officer, and then CEO. Agassi was directly involved in all critical phases of TopTier Software’s development — through its growth from its base in Israel, its headquarters move to California — and two acquisitions, first by Vanenburg Ventures, and later by SAP. He managed the strategic plan, technical direction, and major OEM relationships with the likes of Baan, SAP, and Microsoft. TopTier was a leading enterprise portal vendor when SAP acquired the company in April 2001.

(Disclosure: My brother-in-law works for SAP and was one of the Israelis who moved with TopTier from Tel Aviv to Silicon Valley.)

Hat tip: Sagi

Tags: • Category: Business 

Comments

4 Comments on Interview with Shai Agassi of SAP

  1. David on Sun, Oct 1st 2006 4:38 PM

    2. Jewish success is nothing new or novel. Why get excited simply because someone is Israeli? I can list many names of Jewish people that put Israeli achievements in the shade.

  2. Sagi Rubin on Sun, Oct 1st 2006 10:57 PM

    3. Well David – I don’t really agree with you…
    Being Israeli is ALL the difference!
    Here in Israel, we live at a different pace… Not too long ago we were still drying swamps… We are located on the other side of the pond… and we can not claim to have the most supportive next door neighbours… and many other inhibitors which I won’t go into here…

    So when an Israeli (be he Jewish, Muslim, Christan, Hindi…) but Israeli – Reaches the top – we celebrate…

    Come to think of it – This celebration on its own is what makes us Israeli!

  3. David on Tue, Oct 3rd 2006 4:17 AM

    4. It appears that the man you celebrate as an achievement by an Israeli left Israel for Califonia a time ago.

    You celebrate someone because he is merely Israeli regardless? Israel really has changed if that is the case since I commenced my “walkabout” around the world twenty years ago!

  4. Sagi Rubin on Wed, Oct 4th 2006 6:47 PM

    5. True, Shai does live in the valley. As do many of Israel’s other success stories. We can’t ignore the fact that much of the business world is still run from outside of Israel. It is a “flat world”, as you know – And talent travels across boarders…
    Nonetheless, I’m sure (even though I don’t know Shai personally), that like many others – Shai knows he is first and foremost Israeli (as he mentions in the interview).

    I’m sure that whenever he can – he will help and support Israelies, Israeli companies, etc. Most Israelies that have become international success stories give back to the country – On many different levels.

    Moreover – it proves that we, our children (I have none yet ;) and our future can become international success stories… (Actually, we already are in many aspects)

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