Unit4 announces Simon Paris as new CEO

Unit4 has announced the appointment of Simon Paris as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), following the tenure of Mike Ettling who is due to step down at the end of January.

Simon Paris brings over 25 years of experience in the technology sector, having previously served in leadership roles at Infor and SAP. Most recently, he held the position of CEO at Finastra, where he was instrumental in the company's growth and strategic transformation, establishing it as a prominent player in the fintech industry.

Unit4 has highlighted that the transition from Mike Ettling to Simon Paris has been carefully planned to ensure continuity and build on the strategy that has propelled Unit4 through significant growth phases. This change aims to maintain the company's trajectory as a major provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) ERP solutions for various service industries such as professional services, the public sector, and higher education.

During his six-year leadership, Mike Ettling guided Unit4 through a notable period of transformation and growth. The company evolved into a Cloud-first business model, significantly increasing its recurring revenue, which now constitutes 80 percent of the total revenue. This success was attributed to organic growth, an effective cloud migration strategy, and high customer satisfaction scores.

Morgan Seigler, Managing Director at TA Associates, Unit4's majority investor, praised Mike Ettling's impact and expressed confidence in Simon Paris's ability to lead the company forward. "Mike has been an exceptional leader, and we are grateful for his tremendous contributions. We believe Simon's leadership, vision, and experience will ensure a natural transition and help drive Unit4's continued success," stated Seigler.

Reflecting on Simon Paris's appointment, Mike Ettling commented: "Simon is an outstanding leader with a proven track record and someone I have had the privilege of working with successfully in the past. He brings a unique ability to inspire teams, and the vision to guide Unit4 through its next phase of growth. 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. Simon has all the qualities needed to build on this foundation and lead us toward our ambitious goal of €1 billion in revenue. I am immensely proud of what we've achieved together during my tenure and grateful to the incredible team members across the organization who have embraced our values and driven success for our customers. The future is full of opportunity, and I am excited for the business as it enters this exciting new chapter."

Simon Paris expressed his enthusiasm about joining Unit4, stating: "I am honored to step into the role of CEO at Unit4, a company with a remarkable legacy and an exciting future. 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."