In Germany, the most successful start-up history of the recent past is finally coming of age. Hasso Plattner was the last of the five founders to announce his departure from SAP.

Even though the 79-year-old self-made billionaire will not step down as chairman of the supervisory board until next year, it is clear that Europe's only world-class software company is entering a new management era.

The separation from the superfather is overdue, as the Walldorf-based Dax group sometimes seemed like the son, who at the age of 51 still lives with his parents under the roof.

Plattner's merits – even far beyond the Group – are undisputed, but his permanent presence has also set some limits. Without him, the relationship between the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board will become more professional. His successor is to be the Indian-born American Punit Renjen, which can be understood as a clear signal to the stock market and the most important single market, the USA.

CEO Christian Klein, whom Plattner once installed as the youngest DAX boss, must now prove more than ever that his plans for new business models in the world of cloud technology are working. Soon without the backing of Hasso Plattner.