As digital transformation continues to reshape industries, Inetum, a European leader in digital services, is stepping boldly into the future of enterprise reinvention by strengthening its strategic alliance with SAP. With visionary new leaders like Kathy Quashie, EVP and CEO of Inetum Growing Markets and Fiamma Ferrero, SVP of Global SAP Practice, at the helm, Inetum is combining its strong European heritage with global scale to drive agile, AI-powered business outcomes for its clients.
Strategic Alignment with SAP
Inetum’s relationship with SAP—spanning more than two decades—has become one of the cornerstones of its growth strategy. With more than 2,700 SAP consultants across 19 countries, the company specializes in public and private cloud implementations, S/4HANA transformations, and AI-infused solutions. But this alignment goes beyond technology — it reflects a shared philosophy.
“SAP is Europe’s leading tech company and a natural strategic fit for Inetum,” said Kathy Quashie, EVP and CEO of Inetum Growing Markets. “We share a customer-first, innovation-driven approach. Our goal is to help clients navigate transformation in a pragmatic and sustainable way.” With the appointment of Fiamma Ferrero, SVP of Global SAP Practice, Inetum will continue to maintain its leadership position to drive SAP transformation and growth.
Ferrero joined Inetum in January 2025 from SAP France, bringing with her a unique mix of engineering expertise, executive leadership, and entrepreneurial drive. She’s now focused on building a globally consistent SAP practice that balances cutting-edge innovation with operational excellence.
Bringing AI to Life
A core pillar of Inetum’s strategy is weaving AI into business processes—not as a trend, but as a true performance accelerator. Through its FabLab innovation centers and collaborations with top universities and research institutions, Inetum has developed AI agents and use cases based on SAP technologies, that integrate seamlessly with SAP’s Business Technology Platform (BTP) and SAP Business AI.
“We create business-relevant AI solutions that are ready to use and can be adapted regardless of a company’s cloud maturity,” explained Ferrero. “Our agents improve productivity by automating tasks traditionally performed by SAP users—while still preserving human control where it matters.”
This approach, which Ferrero describes as “augmented autonomy,” ensures AI recommendations are always subject to human oversight—especially in sensitive areas like HR, where data accuracy and ethical responsibility are critical.
Data Strategy and Trust
Ferrero underscored a crucial truth: without clean, reliable data, even the most advanced AI falls short. That’s why Inetum partners closely with clients to ensure strong data hygiene from the outset—minimizing the risk of the classic “garbage in, garbage out” scenario.
Just as important is data governance. “With data sovereignty and privacy laws like GDPR, customers need confidence in how and where their data is processed,” Ferrero said. To meet those expectations, Inetum builds on SAP’s rigorous compliance framework, layering in its own internal safeguards and certifications.
“We believe in a risk-based, impact-oriented approach—prioritizing critical points rather than overregulating innovation,” she added. This balance allows clients to innovate boldly, without compromising trust or compliance.
Pragmatic Cloud Transformation
While many organizations feel the pressure to modernize their legacy ERP systems, Ferrero emphasized that cloud transformation isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. “We see two types of customers: those managing complex, fragmented SAP landscapes, and those looking to modernize but unsure about the business case,” she explained.
Inetum meets both groups with a blend of technical expertise and real-world understanding. “We live the same realities—we are running our own hybrid SAP landscape,” Ferrero noted. “That makes us a credible partner to clients, especially in the midmarket where transformation must be fast, cost-effective, and low risk.”
By embracing RISE with SAP internally and deploying public cloud solutions across its multi-location offices, Inetum leads by example—fully committed to, as Ferrero puts it, “drinking its own champagne.”
TCO, Speed, and the Human Factor
Inetum leverages its presence in 19 countries to optimize competencies at the best skill-cost ratio. While many system integrators compete on offshore scale, Inetum sets itself apart by focusing on speed and simplicity. “We aim for lean projects—under 18 months—without excessive customization,” Ferrero said. “Reducing time and complexity, not just unit cost, is the smarter path to lower total cost of ownership.”
But Ferrero is quick to point out that technology alone doesn’t drive results. “Changing the tool without changing how people work doesn’t create impact,” she said. “Real transformation happens when processes evolve.”
“Real transformation happens when processes evolve.”
—Fiamma Ferrero, SVP, Global SAP Practice Inetum
By prioritizing fast, focused implementations and user adoption, Inetum helps clients unlock the true value of ERP modernization—where outcomes, not just upgrades, take center stage.
A Human-Scale Alternative
Quashie, who leads Inetum Growing Markets including UK and Ireland, views the company’s mid-sized model and rightsizing delivery strategy as a strategic advantage. “We’re big enough to serve multinational clients, but agile enough to act fast and prioritize their interests,” she said. “We don’t force-fit offshore resources to extend projects—we design what’s right for the customer. At Inetum, we call it global practices, local sales.”
With experience at Vodafone, British Telecoms and Capita, Quashie brings a sharp focus on customer intimacy, market leadership and local vertical sector expertise. The extension of our SAP partnership into digitally advanced markets like the UK and Ireland, she sees a clear opportunity to disrupt the dominance of larger system integrators.
“The focus is shifting from big-bang projects to iterative human centered transformations efforts that evolve with the business.”
—Kathy Quashie, EVP and CEO, Inetum Growing Markets
“This partnership allows us to continue delivering transformative change and digital impact, reinforcing our commitment to our clients. In these regions, businesses are focused on innovative solutions, HR and Finance transformation, powered by data management, which are vital to their growth. This collaboration also enables us to leverage our nearshore and offshore capabilities. With growing markets, including UKI, being one of the largest AI markets globally, our work with SAP offers a significant opportunity to support clients on their digital journey and Agentic AI readiness.” Her pitch? A value proposition built on trust, flexibility, and real, measurable outcomes.
Looking Forward
Inetum’s SAP momentum is backed by recognition, including the 2025 SAP EMEA Partner Excellence Awards for Cloud Delivery and Human Capital Management. With over 100 SAP S/4HANA implementations in just five years, the company has proven both its scale and expertise.
But for Ferrero, the focus is firmly on the future. “We’re not just following SAP’s roadmap—we’re helping shape it,” she said. “And we’re making sure our customers are ready when the future arrives.”
What this means for ERP Insiders
AI integration is shifting from hype to utility. The market is moving beyond experimentation with AI—enterprises are demanding AI applications that deliver real business outcomes. Organizations are increasingly embedding AI into ERP and business process platforms to drive automation, improve decision-making, and maintain competitive advantage. Inetum’s AI initiatives reflect this development, focusing on business-relevant use cases that preserve human oversight and compliance.
Cloud transformation must balance speed with strategy. While cloud adoption remains a priority, companies are recognizing the need for pragmatic modernization over wholesale migrations. The shift toward hybrid and multi-cloud environments is accelerating, especially in regulated and midmarket sectors where transformation must be secure, cost-effective, and tailored to complex legacy systems. About three-quarters of organizations have implemented hybrid cloud models, combining both public and private cloud solutions, and by 2027, it’s anticipated that 90% of organizations will have adopted a hybrid cloud approach, reflecting the growing importance of flexible cloud strategies. Hybrid cloud infrastructure has seen significant growth in recent years, with projections indicating continued expansion. As of 2024, 94% of companies globally had integrated cloud computing into their operations. The hybrid cloud market is projected to reach $480.2 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 17.4% from 2024 to 2033. Worldwide spending on public cloud services reached $805 billion in 2024 and is expected to double by 2028. Bottom line is there is clearly an increasing reliance on hybrid cloud infrastructures, driven by the need for scalable, flexible, and efficient IT solutions.
Digital success hinges on people and process, not just platforms. ERP modernization alone doesn’t guarantee results—value creation increasingly depends on change management, process redesign, and user adoption. As organizations invest in platforms like SAP S/4HANA, they are also prioritizing faster time-to-value, simplified deployments, and training. As Quashie aptly summarized, “The focus is shifting from “big-bang” projects to iterative, human-centered transformation efforts that evolve with the business.” Change management is not a soft skill — it’s a success multiplier. Digital transformation is not just about technology; it’s about changing how people work. Organizations that treat change as a core discipline outperform those that don’t—on adoption, speed, cost-efficiency, and long-term value. This is what Inetum’s mission is all about – to help our customers transform potential into performance.
