Unit4 has a new CEO, as Mike Ettling hands over the reins to Simon Paris as its newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Mike Ettling, a regular voice on ERP Today, led Unit4 for almost six years, guiding the ERP player through significant growth, a transition to recurring revenue and establishing it as a major global player in Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software.
Leading Unit4’s Cloud ERP transition is Simon Paris, a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, including leadership positions with Infor and SAP. He most recently served as CEO at Finastra, a global provider of financial services software applications, where he led its transformation and growth strategy to become one of the largest FinTech companies in the world.
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Under Ettling’s leadership, Unit4 has undergone a transformation into a Cloud-first business, achieving significant milestones in both product innovation and revenue growth. Recurring revenue now accounts for 80 percent of total revenue. This success is fueled by sustained organic growth, a robust cloud migration strategy, and industry-leading customer satisfaction scores with mid-market organizations. Via its specialized, industry-focused applications, Unit4 aims to empower customers to effectively manage their people, projects, and operations with exceptional efficiency and reliability.
Commenting on the Paris appointment, Ettling said: “Simon is an outstanding leader with a proven track record and someone I have had the privilege of working with successfully in the past. He brings a unique ability to inspire teams, and the vision to guide Unit4 through its next phase of growth. Over the past few years, we have transformed the company from good to great, establishing it as a global leader in SaaS ERP for service industries. Simon has all the qualities needed to build on this foundation and lead us toward our ambitious goal of €1 billion in revenue. I am immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together during my tenure and grateful to the incredible team members across the organization who have embraced our values and driven success for our customers. The future is full of opportunity, and I am excited for the business as it enters this exciting new chapter.”
Commenting on his appointment, Paris said: “I am honored to step into the role of CEO at Unit4, a company with a remarkable legacy and an exciting future. Unit4 has established itself as a leader in people-centric ERP, and I am inspired by the innovation, passion, and dedication of its people. As we embark on this next chapter, I am committed to building on Unit4’s strengths, driving sustainable growth, and creating even greater value for our customers, partners and stakeholders. I look forward to working closely with the talented team and hope to meet as many as possible in my first few months.”
What this means for ERP Insiders
Unit4’s appointment of Simon Paris as its new CEO highlights the company’s continued commitment to driving innovation and growth in the Cloud ERP space, a journey that Unit4 has been navigating in recent years. This transition reflects the broader industry trend of moving from on-premise systems to cloud-first solutions; for example, recent Wellesley research report The CIO’s 2024 Transformation Report Card shows 65 percent of leaders assert that they will run the SAP S/4HANA system on the cloud.
Key Highlights:
Cloud-First Transformation:
- Unit4 has evolved into a Cloud-first business, with recurring revenue now accounting for 80% of total revenue.
- This transformation is supported by a robust cloud migration strategy and industry-leading customer satisfaction scores.
Empowering Customers:
- Through specialized, industry-focused applications, Unit4 enables mid-market organizations to efficiently manage people, projects, and operations.
Future Growth:
- With a strong foundation as a SaaS ERP leader, Unit4 looks poised to drive sustainable growth and deliver exceptional value to its customers, partners, and stakeholders.
The leadership change at Unit4 signals the evolution of a new phase in its journey, aligning with the ongoing evolution of ERP solutions to meet the demands of modern businesses.
