SAP today announced that the firm’s deputy CEO Léo Apotheker will assume co-responsibility for the business software firm, alongside CEO Henning Kagermann.

The move is seen as confirmation that Apotheker, who joined the company in 1988 and has held a number of key exec positions, will take full control of SAP when Kagermann vacates the spot next year.

SAP co-founder and supervisory board chairman Hasso Plattner all but confirmed the likely transition.

He said in a statement: "Henning Kagermann requested that the supervisory board appoint Leo Apotheker as co-CEO in order to prepare him as successor in the best possible way during the remainder of Henning's tenure."

The SAP board today gave the green light to that request.

Kagermann’s contract with the firm is set to come to an end in 2009, paving the way for Apotheker – who took on the deputy CEO role last year – as SAP’s potential new boss. ®

Related stories

EMC and SAP plan a romp in the clouds (16 February 2008)
Is Oracle really the next Microsoft? (24 January 2008)
SAP dodges bullet in Q4 (15 January 2008)
Oracle slaps SAP in the chops (20 December 2007)
SAP curbs its enthusiasm with iPhone (5 December 2007)
Stock market breaks out mistletoe for Microsoft-SAP (4 December 2007)