SAP Names Morten Karas to Lead RISE with SAP in the Nordics and Baltics as Jens Bager Retires

Nordic & Baltic Head of RISE with SAP, Jens Bager, is retiring at the end of January 2026, after a twenty-year stint, during which he spearheaded the region’s shift toward cloud-based ERP solutions. He will be succeeded by Morten Karas, SAP Denmark confirmed.

With this appointment the company aims to ensure operational continuity as it focuses on advancing AI-driven business transformations for its Baltic and Nordic clients.

Bager has been a foundational figure in SAP’s Nordic cloud journey, and served in his current position as Nordic & Baltic Head of RISE with SAP since 2022. In this role, he played a central role in accelerating cloud ERP adoption and driving transformation programs for customers across the region. His broader SAP career spans leadership roles across SuccessFactors, cloud solutions, the SME portfolio, and partner ecosystem development.

Helle Dochedahl , CEO of SAP Nordics and Baltics, said, “Jens Bager has had a huge impact on SAP in the Nordics and Baltics – not just through his business results, but also as a leader and culture bearer. He has helped move our customers – and our organization – into the cloud era. I would like to thank Jens for his dedication, leadership and great contributions over 20 years.”

RISE with SAP moves deeper into execution with Karas

Morten Karas, who joined SAP in 2016, has played a vital role in developing the RISE with SAP platform since its inception. He steps into the role with experience across SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, Digital Core Cloud, cloud ERP, and RISE with SAP-related strategic sales and business development roles across EMEA.

In his new position, Karas will be responsible for continuing to scale RISE with SAP adoption while supporting Nordic and Baltic customers as they modernize their ERP landscapes and prepare for increased use of cloud-based innovation.

“RISE with SAP is not just a technological shift – it is a platform and a methodology that, with new innovation and built-in AI, helps our customers transform their business. I look forward to building on the strong foundation that Jens and the team have created, and to continuing to help Nordic and Baltic companies modernize their core business and create real business value through SAP Business Suite and cloud ERP,” Karas said.

Dochedahl described the transition as both a recognition of Bager’s long-standing contribution and a strategic move to support the next phase of cloud adoption in the region. She emphasized that Karas brings deep familiarity with SAP’s technology stack, customer needs, and transformation agenda.

More broadly, the appointment fits into a pattern of recent regional leadership transitions at SAP as the company aligns senior roles more closely with cloud execution and customer delivery. In recent months, SAP named David Robinson as President of SAP North America and appointed Dirk Hausermann as CEO of SAP Germany, signaling a wider generational shift toward leaders with deep experience in cloud ERP, customer success, and large-scale transformation programs.

What This Means for SAPinsiders

Leadership continuity in a strategic cloud program. This leadership change highlights SAP’s focus on continuity within RISE with SAP, which has become a central pillar of SAP’s cloud ERP strategy. As customers move from evaluation to execution, leadership stability matters, particularly for complex, multi-year ERP transformation programs.

Sustaining cloud ERP momentum in the Nordics and Baltics. The Nordic and Baltic markets have been among the more mature regions in terms of cloud readiness, but many organizations are now facing concrete timelines tied to SAP ECC maintenance deadlines and modernization roadmaps. RISE with SAP remains a key vehicle for customers navigating this shift, and Karas’ appointment signals SAP’s intent to maintain momentum rather than reset direction.

Operational experience aligned to customer execution. Karas’ background across SAP’s cloud infrastructure and Digital Core initiatives suggests a practical, execution-focused approach to RISE with SAP engagements. For SAPinsiders, this points to continued emphasis on operational readiness, partner coordination, and architectural decision-making rather than purely commercial positioning. This also reinforces a sense of continuity in how SAP engages across the Nordics and Baltics during a critical phase of ERP modernization.