Business Objects Australia chief quits

[Steve Bennett]

Business Objects Australia chief quits

Fran Foo | October 16, 2008

BUSINESS Objects Australia is set to lose managing director Rob Wells next month.

SAP Australia head Tim Ebbeck continues to hire workers while its subsidiary, Business Objects, shrinks its workforce


Mr Wells resigned on his own volition, Business Objects employees were told this week, and will leave the company on November 28.

SAP Australia confirmed his departure today and said his replacement hasn't been found.

Mr Wells joined the company in 2005 after about eight years with PeopleSoft - now part of Oracle - where he managed the North Asia portfolio.

Prior to his stint with PeopleSoft he was Sequent Computer Systems Australia managing director. He began his career with Unisys in Britain.

SAP acquired Business Objects one year ago and has moved to make changes in the business intelligence software company's executive ranks and trim its workforce.

SAP began shifting technical support roles in Australia to China and India resulting in numerous people losing their jobs. In mid-September three people from Business Objects' Canberra office were made redundant.

Business Objects started the year with around 130 employees in Australia but it is unclear how many people remain. SAP is integrating back office functions as well as sales workforce to avoid duplication.

SAP has yet to decide if Business Objects' premises in North Sydney would house its sales people, or be home to a research and development centre called Living Labs.

The labs would showcase SAP's latest technologies, including conceptual solutions, and complement the company's R&D centre in Brisbane.

Meanwhile, at a regional level, SAP appointed Michael Morini to run Business Objects Asia-Pacific and Japan on September 1.

Mr Morini, a senior executive with Outlooksoft, also owned by SAP, is based in Singapore.

Last year, SAP acquired the privately held Outlooksoft, a provider of web-based planning, budgeting, forecasting and consolidation software.

Mr Morini replaced Australian IT industry veteran Keith Budge who left soon after the merger was completed. Mr Wells was managing the Asia-Pacific portfolio during the transition process.

However SAP has said that it would hire where required and the global financial crisis would not dent its performance locally.

"Our headcount in Australia currently sits at more than 500 and we had 95 new hires in our first half to the end of June. We continue to hire and our outlook hasn't changed," local SAP chief Tim Ebbeck said in late September.

Mr Wells' impending departure leaves another hole in the top echelons of Australia's technology companies.

CA Australia is looking for a replacement after the departure of Tony Armfield, while the top job at Novell is still open after Rob Mills left in the second quarter this year.

Unisys and BMC Software Australia, however, have found new head honchos in David Barnes and Gary Mitchell, respectively.