Swenson Departure Comes Earlier than Expected at Sage

In a note to Sage North America partners, the company confirmed that president and chief executive Sue Swenson will officially depart on March 31, earlier than the originally expected time frame of mid-2011, allowing Pascal Houillon to assume the role.

In December, after less than three years at the helm, Swenson announced her retirement and planned a several-month transition that was to include her replacement by Houillon, who had served as president of Sage France (see Sage North America CEO Swenson to Retire).

On January 1, Houillon stepped into the role of head of the Sage Business Solutions division, which Swenson had run since the departure of Jodi Uecker-Rust in October. Since arriving in the U.S., Houillon has traveled on a country-wide tour, meeting with analysts and partners to discuss their views on the company, and share some of his own.

Sage’s vice president of channel management, Tom Miller, issued some parting words to channel partners in a note, recognizing that her tenure experienced “one of the most difficult economic periods in recent memory” and expressed gratitude for her service, while looking forward to Houillon assuming her duties.

Miller said Houillon is “well-placed to lead Sage North America into the next chapter” and was “personally excited about both the short and long-term opportunities.”

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