In this powerful episode of Transformation Every Day, Alexander Greb sits down with renowned author, futurist, and business thinker Rishad Tobaccowala at SAP’s Newtown Square Experience Center. The conversation moves far beyond buzzwords—straight into the core questions shaping the future of work, leadership, and transformation.

Rishad shares provocative insights from his latest book, Rethinking Work, and draws from decades of experience helping organizations adapt to massive change. From the train ride in from Manhattan to his next event in Panama, this dialogue spans everything from organizational design to AI, hybrid work, talent strategy, and the hard truths leaders often avoid.

You’ll hear:

• Why companies don’t change—people do
• How AI is augmenting human intelligence, not replacing it
• The future of organizations where most talent might be outside the org chart
• What it takes to build trust, agility, and alignment in a fast-changing world
• And why the biggest risk is not moving too fast—but moving too slow while the world changes around you

Plus: insights into how Rishad uses AI as a thought partner (but not a ghostwriter), why most return-to-office mandates miss the point, and the one question every leader should ask themselves: “What is a good life?”

Whether you're a leader, a change agent, or simply rethinking your role in the new world of work—this episode will challenge and inspire you.

🔗 Mentioned in the episode:

• Rethinking Work (Book by Rishad Tobaccowala)
• rishad.substack.com — Rishad’s free weekly newsletter
• What Next? — Rishad’s podcast on the future of industries and careers
• Rishad on linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishadtobaccowala/
• Buy his books on amazon: https://www.amazon.de/stores/Rishad-Tobaccowala/author/B0821PV8PQ?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma

Guest:

• Bert Oliver Schulze - Head of Cloud ERP Product Success, Co-Innovation, and Engineering Adoption Programs - SAP SE

Hosts:

• Alexander Greb - Consulting Director - cbs corporate business solutions
• Johannes Langguth - Head of Business Transformation and Architecture - SAP SE

Episode 6: From Product Success to Clean Core – Rethinking ERP with Bert Schulze

In this episode of Transformation Every Day, we welcome one of the most experienced and insightful voices in the SAP cloud universe: Bert Schulze, Head of Cloud ERP Product Success, Co-Innovation, and Engineering Adoption Programs.

Bert sits down with Alexander Greb and Johannes Langguth to unpack what “product success” really means in today’s ERP world—and why it’s about more than just shipping features. From his front-row seat in SAP engineering and customer engagement, Bert shares fascinating stories from the early days of S/4HANA, including a live on-stage brownfield conversion (yes, really), and how clean core thinking is reshaping the way we approach transformation.

We also dive into:

• 🚀 Why transformation is a lifestyle, not a project
• 🧠 What AI is really changing in ERP—and why Bert jokingly says he has to “relearn everything”
• 🧱 The role of standardized processes vs. real differentiation
• 🧪 Why customers (and consultants) need to stop treating ERP like just another upgrade
• 🔄 How SaaS, clean core, and agentic AI are reshaping customer expectations

Along the way, expect great analogies (think subways, candy stores, and mixtapes), sharp observations, and Bert’s vision for a future where consulting is about guidance—not just migration.

Follow Bert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bert-oliver-schulze/

Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma

Guests:

• Andreas Welsch - SAP Alumni, Top 10 AI Advisor, Author of the bestselling "AI Leadership Handbook"

Host:

• Alexander Greb - Consulting Director - cbs corporate business solutions

n this episode, join Alexander Greb in an exceptional conversation with Andreas Welsch. They talk about:

- Why real AI leadership is about 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲
- How 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐈 is reshaping the business landscape
- Why it's not about "adding AI" — it's about 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠
-The biggest mistakes companies make when adopting AI
and The future skills everyone should start building today

Whether you're in tech, consulting, or leadership — this 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠 will change how you think about innovation, strategy, and what’s next. On this episode of Transformation Every Day.

All this and more, exclusively here on Transformation Every Day.

Follow Andreas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreasmwelsch/

Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma

Guests:

• Prof. Alexander Zeier - "The inventor of SAP HANA" formerly reporting to Hasso Plattner, CTO Accenture and Professor at MIT, now Chief Scientist and co-founder Novasoftware.AI
• Emma Qian - Formerly Google DeepMind and Meta AI, now CEO Novasoftware.AI

Host:

• Alexander Greb - Consulting Director - cbs corporate business solutions

In this episode, join Alexander Greb in an exceptional conversation with two outstanding tech visionaries: Professor Alexander Zeier, inventor of SAP HANA, and Emma Qian, co-founder of Nova AI and alumna of Google DeepMind and Meta AI.

In this episode, Alexander Zeier shares the gripping story behind SAP's most transformative innovation—SAP HANA—from its inception as Hasso Plattner’s visionary idea to becoming the backbone of modern SAP technology. Discover fascinating insights from the pioneering days, unexpected challenges, and groundbreaking decisions that shaped enterprise technology as we know it today.

Prof. Zeier has 30+ years of experience in SAP, is the co-inventor of SAP HANA, the „New Architecture“ powering S/4HANA, and served as Global CTO for SAP at Accenture over a decade to deliver many of the most complex S/4HANA Transformations, before he joined as a Co-Founder Nova AI.

Emma Qian then introduces us to Nova AI's revolutionary Agentic AI, designed to accelerate SAP optimization dramatically. Experience firsthand the astonishing power of this innovation, capable of condensing tasks that typically require years of consulting into mere minutes.

Explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping the role of SAP consultants and learn about the tremendous opportunities—and responsibilities—this brings for professionals and businesses alike.

All this and more, exclusively here on Transformation Every Day.

Follow Alexander Zeier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azeier/
Follow Emma Qian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eqian99/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nova-ai-software?trk=blended-typeahead

Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma

Guest:

• Whynde Kuehn - Bestselling Author, Global Leader in Strategy Execution + Business Architecture

Host:

• Alexander Greb - Consulting Director - cbs corporate business solutions

In this episode of the Transformation Every Day podcast, Alexander Greb and Whynde Kuhn explore the critical role of enterprise and business architecture in successful digital transformations. They dive into the architect’s essential function in guiding organizations through high-risk transitions and ensuring strategic alignment with technological capabilities.

Alexander emphasizes internal capacity building and maintaining a strategic balance with technology, advocating simplicity as fundamental to effective architecture. Windy contributes her expertise on business architecture, providing practical strategies that drive tangible value and concrete outcomes.

Together, they identify common architectural pitfalls, such as overly complex systems, misalignment between strategy and execution, and missed value-creation opportunities. The conversation highlights the necessity of adopting a value-driven, outcome-focused approach that genuinely supports organizational objectives, beyond mere technological implementation.

Listeners gain actionable insights into how architects can proactively manage change, navigate complexities, and foster internal capabilities for sustained transformation. This engaging dialogue offers practical guidance for leaders and architects seeking to simplify their processes, align strategic vision with practical execution, and ensure their architectural efforts produce measurable, impactful results.

Follow Whynde: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whynde-kuehn/
Website: https://strategyintoreality.com/

Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma

Guest:

• Paul Saunders - Head of S/4HANA Product Strategy - SAP

Hosts:

• Alexander Greb - Consulting Director - cbs corporate business solutions
• Johannes Langguth - Head of Business Transformation and Architecture - SAP

In this engaging episode, Paul Saunders shares his compelling journey from aspiring rock musician to influential leader in the SAP technology landscape. Drawing parallels between his early passions for music and computing, Paul highlights how technological advances have revolutionized music production, laying a foundation for his transition into the tech industry.

The conversation explores valuable insights into the critical role of customer feedback within the SAP ecosystem, addressing the complexities businesses encounter in process standardization and the growing focus on cash flow and profitability. Paul emphasizes the fundamental importance of data quality, trust, and ownership for successful AI and SAP implementations.

Furthermore, the episode delves into the accelerating adoption of cloud technology, emphasizing the necessity for organizations to undergo genuine operational transformations rather than simply migrating legacy processes. Paul underscores the importance of clearly articulating a company's unique value proposition to differentiate effectively in a competitive marketplace.

Follow Paul Saunders here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sapstrategysaunders/

Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Transformation Every Day podcast! We are Alexander Greb (Consulting Director @ cbs – Corporate Business Solutions) and Johannes Langguth (Head of Business Transformation & Architecture @ SAP). In this first episode, we share our personal journeys and outline the vision for our podcast. We emphasize the importance of authentic, insightful conversations around digital transformation, reflecting on our own extensive experiences in the industry. Together, we explore the rapidly evolving technology landscape, the strategic value of enterprise architecture, and the essential roles that SAP and ecosystem collaboration play in successful transformations. Throughout the discussion, we highlight the crucial intersection between theory and practice, encouraging organizations to embrace technology as a powerful driver of transformation, not merely efficiency. We also touch on the growing impacts of AI, mobile technologies, and the increasingly strategic relationship between business and IT.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to Transformation Every Day Podcast

02:46
The Need for Real Talk on Transformation

06:05
Understanding the Ecosystem of Transformation

08:51
Personal Journeys in Transformation

12:09
The Role of Technology in Transformation

15:03
Empowering Users Through Technology

18:08
The Academic Perspective on Transformation

23:01
Navigating Academic and Professional Paths

24:10
Experiences in University Life

26:23
The Disconnect Between Theory and Practice

27:32
The Evolution of Academic Approaches

29:27
The Role of Architecture in Business Strategy

30:34
Demystifying Architecture as a Strategic Domain

31:55
The Importance of Business-Driven Technology

34:11
The Impact of AI on Future Technologies

36:57
The Role of Mobile Technology in Daily Life

39:11
AI: Efficiency vs. Transformation

41:17
Behavioral Science in Business and IT Interaction

43:09
The Emancipation of Business from IT

44:47
Recommended Reading: Pivot to the Future

Follow Alexander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandergreb/
Follow Johannes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanneslangguth/

Thanks to Steven Spears for lending his voice for our podcast intro.
Theme music by Luis Álvarez a.k.a. Fourth Dogma