Sage Group vs SAP: Founders, CEOs and History
Sage Group was founded in 1981 by David Goldman, Graham Wylie, Paul Muller and is led by Steve Hare. SAP was founded in 1972 by Dietmar Hopp, Hasso Plattner, Hans-Werner Hector and is led by Christian Klein.
Company facts
Sage Group
- Founded
- 1981
- Headquarters
- Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
- Current CEO
- Steve Hare
- Employees
- 12,000
SAP
- Founded
- 1972
- Headquarters
- Walldorf, Germany
- Current CEO
- Christian Klein
- Employees
- 112,019
Founders
Sage Group
David Goldman
David Goldman was the businessman behind Sage's founding in 1981. Looking for a computer program to speed up job estimating at his Newcastle print firm, he worked with Graham Wylie and Paul Muller, then turned the software into a product for other small busine…
Graham Wylie
Graham Wylie wrote much of Sage's early software while a student at Newcastle University and became one of the company's co-founders in 1981.
Paul Muller
Paul Muller co-founded Sage in 1981 with David Goldman and Graham Wylie, helping develop the original estimating and accounting software that the company commercialised for small businesses. Paul Muller was born in 1937 in Los Angeles.
SAP
Dietmar Hopp
Dietmar Hopp is one of SAP's five co-founders. After leaving IBM in 1972, he helped build the company's first real-time financial accounting software for chemical maker ICI. He served as co-CEO of SAP from 1988 to 1998 and later sat on the Supervisory Board.
Hasso Plattner
Hasso Plattner is the SAP co-founder most closely tied to its technology roadmap, from R/3 to the in-memory HANA database.
Hans-Werner Hector
Hans-Werner Hector is one of SAP's five co-founders. He worked on the company's early software and later served on its Executive Board. He co-founded the Hector Foundation, which funds science, medical research and education for gifted children in Germany.
Klaus Tschira
Klaus Tschira (1940-2015) was one of SAP's five co-founders and a long-serving member of its Executive Board and later its Supervisory Board.
Claus Wellenreuther
Wellenreuther co-founded SAP in 1972 alongside four colleagues. He specialized in financial accounting software and was instrumental in designing the foundational RF system, the predecessor to SAP R/1, before leaving the company in 1980 due to health reasons.…
CEOs and their tenures
Sage Group
- David Goldman1981–present
Co-Founder
Founding businessman behind Sage.
Source - Graham Wylie1981–2003
Co-Founder & Executive Architect
Technical co-founder of Sage.
Source - Paul Walker1994–2010
Chief Executive Officer
He expanded Sage through more than 100 acquisitions and it joined the FTSE 100 in 1999. Guy Berruyer succeeded him in 2010.
Source - Stephen Kelly2014–2018
Chief Executive Officer
He bought Intacct in 2017. He left in August 2018 and Steve Hare succeeded him.
Source - Steve Hare2018–present
Chief Executive Officer
Led Sage's shift to a focused cloud subscription business.
Source
SAP
- Bill McDermott2014–2019
Chief Executive Officer
Under McDermott SAP shifted toward cloud subscriptions and expanded through acquisitions including Concur (2014) and Qualtrics (2019). He left in 2019 to lead ServiceNow, and Jennifer Morgan and Christian Klein succeeded him.
Source - Jennifer Morgan2019–2020
Chief Executive Officer
She was the first female CEO of a DAX index company, playing a key role in SAP's cloud growth before departing in early 2020 as the company consolidated under a single CEO.
Source - Christian Klein2020–present
Chief Executive Officer
Under Klein, cloud revenue grew from ~$9.15 billion (EUR 8.1 billion) in 2020 to ~$23.7 billion (EUR 21.0 billion) in 2025, and SAP's strategy narrowed to cloud ERP, data and Business AI.
Source - Dominik Asam2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, his operational discipline significantly expanded free cash flow and operating margins as the company transitioned aggressively to cloud subscriptions.
Source
Timeline: Sage Group and SAP side by side
1972SAP
SAP is founded
Five former IBM employees founded SAP to build real-time standard business software.
1981Sage Group
Sage founded in Newcastle
David Goldman, Paul Muller and Graham Wylie founded Sage after building estimating software for a Newcastle print business.
1984Sage Group
Amstrad bundling drives adoption
Accounting software bundled with Amstrad PCW computers in the mid-1980s brought Sage to a mass UK small-business market.
1988SAP
SAP IPO
SAP listed on the German stock exchanges in 1988.
1989Sage Group
London Stock Exchange listing
Sage listed on the London Stock Exchange and began acquiring accounting software firms abroad.
1992SAP
SAP R/3 launches
R/3 brought client-server ERP to a broader global enterprise market.
1999Sage Group
FTSE 100 entry and Peachtree deal
Sage joined the FTSE 100 and bought US small-business accounting brand Peachtree, later sold as Sage 50 in the US.
2010SAP
Sybase Acquired
SAP bought the database company Sybase in 2010 for about $5.8 billion.
2014Sage Group
Stephen Kelly Becomes CEO
Stephen Kelly became chief executive of Sage in November 2014.
2014SAP
Acquired Concur Technologies
SAP acquired Concur Technologies for $8.3 billion. SAP bought Concur, the leading travel and expense management software provider, for about $8.3 billion to expand its cloud business and its network of business-spend services.
2015SAP
S/4HANA launches
S/4HANA became the foundation for SAP's next-generation ERP roadmap.
2017Sage Group
Intacct acquired for $850 million
Sage bought US cloud financial management company Intacct for $850 million, creating Sage Intacct.
2017Sage Group
Acquired Fairsail (Sage People)
The Sage Group acquired Fairsail (Sage People).
2018Sage Group
Steve Hare becomes CEO
CFO Steve Hare succeeded Stephen Kelly as CEO in November 2018 and focused Sage on cloud subscriptions.
2019Sage Group
Sage Pay Sold
Sage agreed in 2019 to sell its payments business Sage Pay to Elavon.
2019SAP
Jennifer Morgan becomes CEO
Jennifer Morgan became CEO of SAP in 2019. Chief executive of SAP from 2019 to 2020.
2019SAP
Acquired Qualtrics
SAP acquired Qualtrics for $8 billion. SAP bought experience management company Qualtrics for about $8 billion in early 2019, shortly before Qualtrics' planned IPO, to link customer and employee sentiment data with operational data.
2020SAP
Christian Klein becomes sole CEO
Christian Klein became sole chief executive of SAP SE in April 2020 after six months as co-CEO.
2023SAP
Joule announced
SAP introduced Joule as a generative AI assistant for enterprise applications.
2024Sage Group
Sage Copilot launched
Sage introduced Sage Copilot, a generative AI assistant built into its accounting products.
2025Sage Group
FY25 revenue reaches ~$3.32 billion (£2,513 million)
Underlying revenue rose 10% to ~$3.32 billion (£2,513 million), 97% recurring, with a 23.9% underlying operating margin.
2025SAP
Cloud revenue reaches ~$23.8B (EUR 21.023B)
SAP's 2025 results showed cloud revenue, backlog, and predictable revenue becoming central to the model.
2026Sage Group
Growth accelerates to 11%
Revenue rose 11% to ~$2.72 billion (£2,062 million) in the nine months to 30 June 2026; Jacqui Cartin became CFO in January.
2026SAP
Dremio and Prior Labs acquisitions close
SAP completed the Dremio and Prior Labs acquisitions in July 2026 to strengthen Business Data Cloud and AI on structured data.
Acquisitions
Sage Group
- AutoEntry (OCREX Limited)2019Undisclosed
- Intacct Corporation2017$850M
- Fairsail (Sage People)2017Undisclosed
SAP
- Dremio2026Undisclosed
- Prior Labs2026Undisclosed
- WalkMe2024$1.5B
- Qualtrics2019$8B
- Concur Technologies2014$8.3B
- Fieldglass2014Undisclosed
Questions about Sage Group vs SAP
Who is the CEO of The Sage Group plc and SAP SE?
The Sage Group plc is led by Steve Hare and SAP SE is led by Christian Klein. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was The Sage Group plc founded vs SAP SE?
SAP SE was founded in 1972 — 9 years before The Sage Group plc, which was founded in 1981. SAP SE's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger The Sage Group plc.
How many employees does The Sage Group plc have compared to SAP SE?
The Sage Group plc employs approximately 12,000 people, while SAP SE employs approximately 112,019. SAP SE has the larger workforce at 112,019 employees, compared to The Sage Group plc's 12,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are The Sage Group plc and SAP SE headquartered?
The Sage Group plc is headquartered in United Kingdom and SAP SE is headquartered in Germany. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded The Sage Group plc and SAP SE?
The Sage Group plc was founded by David Goldman, Graham Wylie, Paul Muller. SAP SE was founded by Dietmar Hopp, Hasso Plattner, Hans-Werner Hector, Klaus Tschira, Claus Wellenreuther.
Which company has a longer operating history — The Sage Group plc or SAP SE?
SAP SE has been operating for approximately 54 years, making it the more established of the two companies. The Sage Group plc has been in operation for around 45 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Sage Group vs SAP overview