Gerhard Oswald is chief operating officer of SAP AG and a member of the Executive Board.

Under his leadership, the COO board area focuses on services that enable process excellence across SAP, management of the global network of SAP Labs, and SAP Global IT. SAP Global IT is the organization that provides the company's IT infrastructure. At the same time, the board area serves as the customer's advocate. It ensures feedback is continuously and effectively facilitated between SAP's customers and all areas of the company's product development organization. This board area actively safeguards the installed base of SAP systems across the globe through the SAP Support organization.

Oswald joined SAP in 1981. He was instrumental in developing the sales support network for the SAP R/2 software, responsible in particular for quality control. He then assumed responsibility for quality control in the development of the SAP R/3 software. From 1987 to 1993, Oswald was a member of the project management team responsible for conceiving, developing, and delivering SAP R/3. Following the completion of this project in 1993, Oswald was appointed to the SAP Extended Management Board.

In 1994, he assumed responsibility for the SAP R/3 Services division, and was appointed as a member of the SAP Executive Board in 1996. SAP Active Global Support was founded under Oswald's leadership, heralding an era of continuous improvement of innovative support offerings which have demonstrated SAP's thought leadership in the industry.

Oswald began his IT career at Siemens AG, where he was an applications consultant for SAP R/2 business processes from 1977 to1980. He holds a degree in business administration from the University of Mainz, Germany.