Software giant SAP has announced that Claas Kuehnemann will step into the role of acting MD for Africa while the company\u2019s investigation into its South Africa business is conducted.<\/p>\n
The German company put its South African management team on \u201cadministrative leave\u201d earlier this month after launching an investigation into apparent ties to the Gupta family in South Africa.<\/p>\n
It had earlier been, through a series of leaked emails, that SAP had paid a Gupta-linked company as much as R100 million in apparent kickbacks, for helping the software group secure contracts with Transnet.<\/p>\n
Kuehnemann, who has been with the company since 1992, will assume all managing director responsibilities across the company\u2019s Africa portfolio, totaling 51 countries.<\/p>\n
His track record with SAP dates back more than two decades from when he first started at the newly formed SAP subsidiary in South Africa, SAP said in a press statement.<\/p>\n
Kuehnemann has held various executive roles at SAP, including Senior Vice President of Professional Services overseeing SAP\u2019s consulting business in EMEA based in Paris, Managing Director Africa based in Johannesburg as well as Managing Director for the South-East Europe & Middle East region based out of Dubai.<\/p>\n
Peter David, regional CFO, SAP EMEA will support Kuehnemann as acting CFO, SAP Africa.<\/p>\n
The company also announced that it had appointed multinational law firm Baker McKenzie to lead the external investigation in concert with other global experts such as forensic firm FTI Consulting.<\/p>\n