About Karl Michael Popp

I am member of the Corporate Development, Strategy and New Growth Team in the Office of the CEO at SAP SE in Germany. In my 30 year career at large and small software companies, i have worked on over 50 strategic partnerships and over thirty-six acquisitions and successful merger integrations as well as a few divestitures, including SAP´s largest divestiture of the financial services business to create SAP Fioneer.

I am a speaker, author of many books and scholarly articles as well as advisor on software and platform business models, software ecosystems and merger automation and i run enticing workshops and trainings on software ecosystems and merger integration.

My blog is in the top ten of Best M&A Blogs and Websites To Follow in 2024 (feedspot.com)

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Workshop at Platform Economy Summit BERLIN

Workshop at European Workshop on Merger Integration FRANKFURT

Training in New York City

Thought leadership

Thought leadership is about thoughts, right? Read my thoughts in my blog. Click on red topics on this page for more details.

Mergers and Acquisitions: Merger Automation and digital M&A processes, due diligence of tech companies and merger integration. Besides being an author of books (German and English) and articles on this topic and i created merger integration due diligence. I am driving several thought leadership initiatives e.g. in two German M&A associations and in circles of M&A leads of the largest German companies and I am member of the program comittee of the European workshop on merger integration. In 2023, my team was awarded the M&A Award for the best M&A Playbook by the German M&A association. READ MY NEW BOOK about M&A strategy ORDER AT AMAZON ORDER IN GERMANY

Software Ecosystems: Creation and successful execution of partnership strategies, partnering models and platform business models. Besides being an author of books and articles and working on the program committee on several workshops on the software business, I am in the program committee of the European workshop on software ecosystems, the prime workshop where professionals and academics discuss recent advances in software ecosystems and platform strategies.

Software Business Models: Successful business models for software vendors, such as open source business models and the corresponding revenue models, in the cloud, on mobile devices or for the internet of things. I published a highly referenced article in IEEE Software on Software business models and i am the co-editor of a special edition of IEEE Software on "Managing Software Platforms and Ecosystems" together with Michael Cusumano from MIT and with Slinger Jansen from Utrecht University. In 2018, i ran three sessions at the First European Platform Economy Summit, supported by MIT Initiative on the digital economy, London Business School, Acatech and the World Economic Forum.

Business network

I run one of the largest network of executives and thought leaders globally within the two topics “mergers and acquisitions” and “software business” with over 11.000 contacts on LinkedIn. I consistently rank in social selling

in the top 1% in my industry
in the top 1% regarding network
and i have a social selling index of 80 (and more) on LinkedIn.

Expertise

Mergers and Acquisitions in the software industry. Holistic analysis of acquisition opportunities and setting the framework for successful execution of post merger integration (14 years, Experience of over 35 successful mergers and acquisitions in the software industry incl. merger integrations in the US, Canada, Germany, Norway, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Vietnam and the UK). Analysis, planning and separation of product and services related topics for SAP´s largest divestiture including creating a joint venture, SAP Fioneer. See my merger automation book on amazon and my merger due diligence book on amazon as well as my book on merger automation.

Business Models in the software industry ranging from open source business models and open source best practices to commercial, from on premise to the cloud, from mobile to IOT. From theory to creation to successful execution of business models. (25 years) see my books on amazon and my key article in IEEE Software issue on the software business (IEEE Software) as well as the latest content on aggregator business models.

Partner relationships, partner ecosystems and platform business models in the software industry. Planning, creation, successful execution of OEM and resell relationships. (20 years, 50 partnerships) see my book on amazon.

Presenter at major conferences, workshops and companies. I regularly deliver motivating presentations about the software business, software ecosystems, business networks and mergers and acquisitions in the software business. See my presentation page for more.

These are the books and journals i recommend: