CASE STUDY 03

SAP

Aligning Global Corporate Social Responsibility with Brand Purpose

Challenge
In 2012, SAP set out to demonstrate how its software could power big data transparency—not just for customers, but for its own operations. The company wanted to move beyond traditional reporting and show how sustainability metrics could be integrated into quarterly—and eventually real-time—performance tracking. The challenge was identifying material KPIs and structuring data in a way that would serve both internal decision-makers and external stakeholders.

Approach
As VP of Corporate Social Responsibility within Global Communications, I partnered with SAP’s sustainability and regional leadership to define the Social Sustainability narrative within SAP’s newly integrated reporting framework. I helped guide the selection of KPIs—identifying where Social Impact aligned with stakeholder expectations and the company’s long-term goals. I also worked with regional leaders across 11 theaters of operation to unify nascent Social Responsibility initiatives into a global strategy rooted in entrepreneurial literacy and socio-economic impact. This included shaping SAP’s response to Haiti with the Grameen Foundation and scaling efforts across SAP’s global foundations and partner programs. Together, we developed a menu of regionally adaptable programs that supported SAP’s broader brand values and purpose.

Outcome
While CSR was ultimately not included in SAP’s material issues for its Integrated Report, our work established the foundation for a social impact platform that complemented SAP’s business reporting. The 2012 report marked SAP’s first multimedia sustainability report—connecting data with human-centered storytelling. Today, SAP’s impact reporting remains fully digital, data-rich, and public-facing, with CSR efforts spotlighted through a dedicated platform for social investment.

This case highlights how aligning social impact with business identity—even when not "material"—can still drive meaningful visibility, internal cohesion, and external engagement.

Social Innovation as Brand and Business Value

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

SUSTAINABILITY HUB

SAP’s journey toward integrated sustainability reporting began with a bold experiment: to show how its own software could power a smarter, more transparent approach to environmental and social performance. By launching SAP’s first multimedia sustainability report in 2012, aligning material KPIs across departments, and streamlining 11 regional CSR programs into a single global strategy, we helped connect social impact to SAP’s core business value.

This foundational work—shaped through partnerships, mentorship, and early social ventures—helped catalyze a shift in how CSR was understood across SAP: not as separate philanthropy, but as a strategic asset. Today, SAP’s CSR and sustainability platforms reflect that evolution, with data-driven insights and globally aligned programs that build on the groundwork we helped create.

Key Outcomes:

  • First integrated sustainability report (2012): Helped establish SAP’s first multimedia sustainability report, aligning internal KPIs with stakeholder expectations and ESG standards.

  • Materiality-focused data framework: Collaborated with cross-functional leaders to define and prioritize material KPIs—laying the foundation for SAP’s data-driven, real-time reporting approach.

  • Public-facing impact tools: Supported SAP’s long-term transition to a fully searchable, digital sustainability reporting hub now used by investors, partners, and the public.

  • Aligned global CSR strategy: Unified 11 regional CSR efforts into one coordinated global approach—a strategic menu aligned with SAP’s brand value and core business strengths. Consolidated international foundations.

  • CSR program development: Guided early direction of SAP’s social venture programs, with a focus on entrepreneurial and financial literacy—particularly in post-crisis regions like Haiti and in collaboration with organizations like the Grameen Foundation.

  • Leadership mentorship with lasting impact: Mentored SAP’s current head of CSR, contributing to the strategic evolution of SAP’s CSR philosophy. Early collaborations, shared field experiences, and alignment with brand-led value creation helped inspire the company’s long-term focus on inclusive innovation and regionally relevant social impact.