 He was appointed deputy CEO in 2007; and promoted to co-CEO of the company in April 2008 to ensure a smooth handover from his predecessor, Henning Kagermann, when the latter's contract with the company expired.The succession plan was communicated in the business media early in 2008, including "Forbes" magazine.The transition received praise as an example of SAP's corporate culture, "a seemingly contradictory mix of internal consensus and competition".