Kara Walsh

Senior Vice President, Head of HR Middle Central&Eastern Europe SAP

Kara Walsh is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Middle Central and Eastern Europe, comprising of 29 Countries- DACH, CEE and CIS. In this role she is responsible for all HR solutions and services for all lines of business across the entire MEE region. As a member of the Human Resources Leadership Team (HRLT) Kara works in concert with her global HR colleagues to ensure SAP’s People Organizational Strategy and associated programs meet the needs of the region’s 9,000 approximate employees.

Kara joined SAP in 2006 as HR Director for Ireland a 1400 employee Market Unit. In 2010 Kara was promoted to VP of our EMEA Consulting Services Area with responsibility for 5400 employees across the EMEA Region. In 2011 Kara moved to Germany to take the Global Head of Consulting Services role with responsibility for 16,000 employees worldwide. In this role she lead and supported the business in executing on the Services Transformation which focused on the shift to our current offshoring and near-shore model. In 2013 Consulting Services was decentralized and moved into a Geographic model. Kara moved to her current role as Senior Vice President of Middle Central and Eastern Europe to focus on all lines of business in the Geography.

Kara has being involved in a number of Transformation programs including the current evolving of our Shared Services model towards Globalization of Delivery through centralized Shared Services.

Before going into HR 16 years ago, Kara held General Manager Positions in Tower Hamlets Healthcare Trust and Camden and Islington Healthcare Trust in the United Kingdom for 8 years.

Her HR career before SAP has being with APC-Schneider Electric and Ingersoll Rand where she was operationally responsible for large Manufacturing Operations in Ireland and EMEA. Additionally Kara has done extensive Consulting work through her own company Suile Eile HRM in both the public and private sector.

Kara has an MSc in HR Strategic Leadership, Bachelors in Personnel Management and a Diploma in Management Studies. She is a Chartered Qualified HR Professional (CIPD UK)

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