Foundation

Established in 2015, the Hasso Plattner Foundation promotes charitable causes to educate and inspire generations and bring about positive societal change in the areas of science, environmental conservation, and art. Our main office is in Potsdam, Germany, with additional offices in San Francisco, USA, and Cape Town, South Africa. 

OUR STORY

Hasso Plattner is one of the founders of SAP, an enterprise software company, and has been chairman of its supervisory board since 2003. He has always been aware that he has Germany’s largely free education system to thank for his success. It was therefore important to him to give something back to society, in particular in areas where young people are capable to innovate. This is not only in the interests of their individual advancement but also on behalf of our society as a whole, which needs to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital revolution. To this end, he founded the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering (HPI) in Potsdam in 1998, marking his first significant philanthropic contribution. While the initial land was provided by the State of Brandenburg, the construction of the institute’s buildings, as well as the purchase of plots and land, are funded by the Foundation.  

After signing the Giving Pledge (initiated by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffet), Hasso Plattner established the Hasso Plattner Foundation in 2015 to expand its initiatives under science and education and pursue new ones in other strategic focus areas. 

OUR STRUCTURE

The Foundation has two executive bodies: the Executive Board and the Foundation Council.

The Executive Board is responsible for executing the Foundation’s strategy and consists of two directors: Dr. Rouven Westphal and Dr. Stephanie Ullrich. The members of the Executive Board jointly manage the business of the Foundation. They develop the Foundation’s strategic orientation, coordinate it with the Foundation Council and ensure its implementation.

The Foundation Council supervises the Executive Board, approves new projects and decides on the strategy of the Foundation. It consists of the three family members Sabine Plattner, Dr. Kristina Plattner, and Stefanie Plattner, as well as two external members, Prof. Dr. -Ing. Dr. Sabine Kunst and John Flüh, Chairman of the Foundation Council.

The Foundation Council must be involved in decisions of fundamental importance. It maintains a regular dialogue with the Executive Board on the fulfilment and further development of the Foundation’s mission.

Both, the Executive Board and the Foundation Council, are advised by the founder, Prof. Dr. h.c. mult. Hasso Plattner. He is strategic advisor in all matters of business.