Mark White P’13, CFO of Global Customer Operations at SAP and member of the LSB Board of Advisors, spoke about SAP and shared career advice with students on February 9.
White, who was serving as a Love School of Business Executive-in-Residence, also visited the business classes Customer Relationship Management and Process Systems Technology, and conducted mock interviews with students.
White has been with SAP for 10 years, and has held numerous positions within the company. In his current position White said he works to make everyone else at SAP successful and ensures sure they have the right tools, skill sets and opportunities needed to succeed.
SAP is the world’s third largest independent software company and has over 150,000 customers globally, including 90% of the Global 1000. SAP software is used to integrate and manage workflow, supply chain and sourcing processes.
The vision at SAP is to “Help the World Run Better.” White said SAP is instrumental in creating a global, connected, real-time marketplace and that “Apple could not have scaled to where it is without SAP.”
Part of SAP’s strategy is to “Run Better, Win Bigger.” According to White, in order to achieve this SAP must innovate, accelerate and simplify. SAP must innovate within applications, analytics, database and technology, mobile and cloud computing. SAP can accelerate through increasing customer success, capitalizing on fast growth areas and partnering with others for market expansion. In order to simplify, SAP must be more efficient and do what they currently do better.
White works to improve employee engagement and remarked it is “really important we empower people to make decisions because they are the next leaders in the company.” Currently, 92% of SAP employees believe strongly in SAP’s products and services.
White also shared advice for both getting a job and for once you are employed. He said a resume should show achievement, growth and passion.
“Show what you are all about and what makes you unique; add value,” said White. You need to explain how you can make a difference and show recruiters that it would “be a mistake not to hire you.” He advised that everyone should have communication skills and show an interest in the industry, as well as complete research about the recruiting company. You should have at least three reasons why you want to join the company.
Once employed, you should seek out a mentor and continually volunteer to get new experiences and opportunities. You should continue to build a network, both internally and externally. You should be positive, team-oriented, goal-oriented, and dependable.
White also shared his opinion on the economic forecast, which hasn’t changed since November 2009. He believes there will be a better job market in 2012 and that consumer confidence is the key indicator of the economy. Some of his recommendations to help improve the economy include action from Congress and improvement in the housing market and construction.
During the Q&A session, White was asked what the most captivating things are on resumes. White answered that activities on campus are important, as well as a relevant internship or work experience. For SAP, White said he is “looking for future leaders.”
When asked about his experience in college, White said he constantly talked with his professors about research and major trends in the industry.
“Every moment you have with a person is a teaching moment,” said White.
By Rachel Vierling ‘12