William R. McDermott
President & CEO of
SAP America, Inc.
Managing Director, North American Field Operations
Overview | Video | Biography |
William "Bill" R. McDermott is the Chief Executive Officer and President for SAP America, Inc. In this position, McDermott is responsible for all of SAP's business activities in the United States and Canada and managing the region's more than 4,000 employees. SAP is the recognized leader in providing collaborative e-business solutions for all types of industries and for every major market. Headquartered in Walldorf, Germany, SAP is the world's largest inter-enterprise software company, and the world's third-largest independent software supplier overall.
Prior to joining SAP, McDermott served as the Executive Vice President, Worldwide Sales Operations, of Siebel Systems, where he led global sales and field operations, an organization responsible for supporting customers in 37 countries. During his tenure, he established a clear vision to build the most professional, customer-focused and consistently high-performing sales organization in the information technology industry.
McDermott also served as President of Gartner, Inc. At Gartner, he led the company's core operations, including its research, consulting, measurement, software, executive programs, events, and interactive businesses, as well as its worldwide sales and client service organizations.
Prior to joining Gartner, McDermott spent 17 years at Xerox Corporation, where he held progressively responsible sales, marketing, and executive management positions, eventually becoming the company's youngest Corporate Officer. He also served on the Board of Directors for two company subsidiaries.
McDermott is an active community leader and advocate for social responsibility in business. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Welfare To Work Partnership, a Washington-based organization that promotes career opportunities for former Welfare recipients.
McDermott received a Masters of Business Administration degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and completed the Executive Development Program at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.