Enterprise cloud application specialist Unit4 has announced the appointment of Simon Paris as its new chief executive officer, succeeding outgoing CEO Mike Ettling.
A seasoned tech industry leader with more than 25 years’ experience, Paris joins the business from Finastra, where he spearheaded the firm’s transformation and growth strategy as CEO. He has also previously held leadership positions at both Infor and SAP.
In an announcement, Paris said he will now look to build on Unit4’s market standing and create greater value for its customers.
“I am honored to step into the role of CEO at Unit4, a company with a remarkable legacy and an exciting future,” he commented. “Unit4 has established itself as a leader in people-centric ERP, and I am inspired by the innovation, passion, and dedication of its people.
“As we embark on this next chapter, I am committed to building on Unit4’s strengths, driving sustainable growth, and creating even greater value for our customers, partners and stakeholders. I look forward to working closely with the talented team and hope to meet as many as possible in my first few months.”
Paris will step into the hot seat being vacated by Mike Ettling at the end of January following an almost six-year stint in the role.
During his tenure, Unit4 said Ettling’s leadership has enabled the company to become a “true cloud-first business” with significant milestones in both product innovation and revenue growth.
The company’s recurring revenue now accounts for more than 80% of its total revenue, which Unit4 attributes to combination of sustainable organic growth, its cloud migration strategy, as well as its customer satisfaction scores.
“Mike has been an exceptional leader, and we are grateful for his tremendous contributions,” said Morgan Seigler, managing director at TA Associates, Unit4’s majority investor. “We believe Simon’s leadership, vision, and experience will ensure a natural transition and help drive Unit4’s continued success.”
Unit4 said Ettling and the company’s board have been carefully planning and collaborating on the leadership transition to ensure a “seamless handover and sustained momentum” as it looks to achieve its growth target.
“Over the past few years, we have transformed the company from good to great, establishing it as a global leader in SaaS ERP for service industries,” Ettling explained. “Simon has all the qualities needed to build on this foundation and lead us toward our ambitious goal of €1 billion in revenue.”
