Executive Committee
The Executive Committee oversees the sound running of all Sage operations and it comprises ten senior leaders from across the Sage Group plc, including the Chief Executive, Group Finance Director and the four CEOs from our regional businesses. The other members are the Group Chief Technology Officer, the Company Secretary, the Director of Group HR & Communications and the Director of Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions.
The role of the committee is to assist the Chief Executive in the performance of his duties, including:
- the development and implementation of strategy, operational plans, policies, procedures and budgets;
- the monitoring of operating and financial performance;
- the assessment and control of risk;
- the prioritisation and allocation of resources;
- monitoring competitive forces in each area of operation.
The committee is also responsible for the consideration of all other matters not specifically reserved for consideration by the Board and approved by the Chief Executive.
Paul Walker, Chief Executive
Paul joined Sage as company accountant in 1984 having previously trained as a chartered accountant with Arthur Young. He was appointed Finance Director in 1987 and became Chief Executive in 1994. In May 2002, Paul was appointed to the Board of Diageo plc as a non-executive director.
Paul Harrison, Group Finance Director
A chartered accountant, Paul moved from Price Waterhouse where he was a senior manager responsible for the provision of audit and advisory services to larger private and public companies, to become Group Financial Controller of Sage in 1997. He joined the Board as Group Finance Director in April 2000. He is also a non-executive Director of Hays plc.
Michael Robinson, Company Secretary
Michael Robinson was born and educated in the North East of England before leaving to study law at Oxford University. After qualifying as a solicitor, Michael spent 15 years at one of the largest law firms in the UK. In 2002 he joined The Sage Group plc as Group Legal Director and Company Secretary.
Guy Berruyer, Regional CEO, Mainland Europe & Asia
Guy was a director of Bull and Claris before joining Intuit as Country Manager and then European Director. He joined Sage in 1997 to run its French business and was appointed to the Board in January 2000. As well as Mainland Europe, Guy is also responsible for our operations in Asia.
Paul Stobart, Regional CEO, UK & Ireland
After qualifying as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse, Paul spent five years in corporate finance with Hill Samuel before joining Interbrand, an international marketing services consultancy, in 1988. He joined Sage in 1996 as Business Development Director becoming Managing Director of UK and Ireland in June 2003. In July 2003, Paul was appointed to the Board of Capital & Regional plc as a non-executive director.
Sue Swenson, President & CEO, North America
Ms Swenson has more than 20 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry. At Pacific Telesis (Pacific Bell and PacTel Cellular) she held a variety of functional and general management positions. She served as President and COO of PacTel Cellular, President & CEO of Cellular One, followed by positions of President & COO of Leap Wireless International and COO of T-Mobile USA (Deutsche Telekom). Most recently she was COO of New Motion, Inc.(now Atrinsic, Inc), one of the fastest growing digital media entertainment companies. Ms Swenson currently serves as a non-executive director on the Boards of Wells Fargo Bank and mBlox.
Ivan Epstein, Regional CEO, South Africa & Australia
After spending five years at Price Waterhouse Ivan co-founded Softline. In 1997 Softline was listed on the JSE. With operations in South Africa, Australia, the USA and Canada Softline was delisted in 2003 and sold into the Sage Group plc. Ivan continued as CEO of the Southern Hemisphere of the Sage Group which includes Softline and Sage Australia. Ivan was recognised for his entrepreneurial attributes and contribution in South Africa ,and in 1999/2000 was the recipient of “South Africa’s Best Entrepreneur Award” awarded by Ernst & Young, and continues to serve as a panel judge.
Klaus Michael Vogelberg, Chief Technology Officer
Klaus-Michael Vogelberg was R&D Director and partner of the German KHK Software group, acquired by Sage in 1997. In 2000 he joined the Group team to assist Sage operating companies and the board on software architecture and technology strategy. Between 2004 and 2007 Klaus-Michael acted as R&D Director for Sage UK and Ireland, before taking up his current post of Group Chief Technology Officer. Klaus-Michael is based in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Karen Geary, Group Director of HR and Corporate Communications.
Karen has more than 20 years of international HR experience across a variety of industries where she has helped organisations through periods of large scale change and integration. Her early career was spent at Monsanto Inc. and Electrocomponents Group. She spent six years at Stena Line, the Swedish transport and leisure operator, ultimately as HR Director. She has been in her current role at the Sage Group plc for four years, following five years as HR Director for Sage in the UK. Mrs Geary currently serves on the Advisory Board at Durham University Business School.
David Clayton, Group Strategy and Mergers and Acquisitions Director
After a career in senior executive roles at a number of international technology companies, David joined BZW in 1995 where, after its merger with CSFB in 1997, he was Managing Director and Head of European Technology Research until 2004. He previously joined the Sage Board in June 2004 as a Non -Executive Director before taking up his current executive role in October 2007.