"Enterprise software is dead. There will never again be a billion dollar software company" - Ray Lane, former President, Oracle Corporation.
There's no doubt about it - the enterprise software industry is undergoing a steady transformation. New initiatives such as software-as-a-service, open source and offshoring are changing the business dynamics in profound ways. In this world of change, it is imperative that CEOs, aspiring entrepreneurs and deal makers pay heed to these developments and understand ways to predict and exploit future technology and business trends to be successful.
Shai Agassi is eminently qualified to provide a few pointers about the direction of the software industry. A serial entrepreneur, he was the youngest member of SAP's board at age 34. At SAP Shai pioneered the Netweaver platform and E-SOA initiatives, in addition to driving several key acquisitions that reinforced SAP's clear leadership in software applications. In addition he has received notable recognition including "most influential businessman of the year" (Time Magazine 2003), and being named as one of CNN's "global influentials."
Join the Wharton Club of Northern California and Harvard Business School Association of Northern California for one of our biggest co-hosted events of the year, and hear Shai Agassi share the wisdom of his rich experiences over the past decade and a half. Whether you're a software industry professional, venture capitalist or MBA student, this presentation is sure to irreversibly influence your business perspective and career decisions.
This event is expected to sell out soon, so book your place early!
Register Online
Date: Thursday, November 16th, 5:30-6:15pm. Check-in; reception with plenty of appetizers; and informal networking. 6:15-7:15pm. Presentation and Discussion followed by Q&A.
Location: SAP Labs, 3410 Hillview Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304
Registration: $20 per person for WCNC Members and members of affiliate clubs, and their accompanied guests. $40 per person for non-member alumni and other guests. $10 additional for tickets purchased after 6pm 11/13. The WCNC's standard cancellation policy applies for this event.
About Shai Agassi
Shai Agassi is responsible for the global development efforts for all SAP products and SAP’s portfolio of industry-specific solutions. These products include the mySAP Business Suite family of business applications, the world’s leading enterprise application suite (including such applications as enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and supply chain management); the SAP NetWeaver platform, the first fully integrated service-oriented infrastructure platform; the SAP xApps family of composite applications, the world’s first set of packaged composite applications; and the SAP Business One application, a leading global smallbusiness application suite.
Before his appointment to the SAP Executive Board, Agassi was CEO of SAP Portals and later of the combined company SAP Markets and SAP Portals, which previously operated as a fully owned subsidiary of SAP AG. The subsidiaries were integrated into SAP AG in April 2002, at which point Agassi was appointed to the SAP Executive Board.
Agassi, a software entrepreneur, founded TopTier Software (originally called Quicksoft Development) in Israel in 1992 and later moved the company’s headquarters to California. Agassi served the company in various capacities, including chairman, chief technology officer, and then CEO. He was directly involved in all critical phases of the company’s development, through its growth from its base in Israel, moving its headquarters to California, all the way through two acquisitions, first by Vanenburg Ventures and finally by SAP. Agassi managed the strategic plan, technical direction, and major OEM relationships with the likes of Baan, SAP, and Microsoft. TopTier was a leading enterprise portal vendor when SAP acquired the company in April 2001.
In addition to TopTier Software, Agassi co-founded several other companies, together with his father, Reuven Agassi, including Quicksoft Ltd., a leading multimedia software localization and distribution company in the Israeli market; TopManage, a developer of small-business software that was acquired by SAP in April 2002 and became SAP Business One, the small-business offering by SAP; and Quicksoft Media, a multimedia production company that ceased operations in 1995.
Agassi graduated with honors from Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, where he received a bachelor’s degree in computer science. He is based in SAP Labs in Palo Alto, Calif.
