Sexual harassment probe opened against SAP CTO Jurgen Muller, here's what the company said

German prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into SAP SE's Chief Technology Officer, Jurgen Muller. The move comes after the company's announcement that he will step down at the end of the month due to "inappropriate" behaviour. In an emailed statement to Bloomberg, prosecutors confirmed the formal investigation is related to an allegation of sexual harassment. The report states that the inquiry was initiated after Muller allegedly made improper advances toward a female employee.
What the company said
Last week, SAP issued a statement in which Muller said that he would leave the company following an incident at a company event. However, the company didn’t specify the details about what exactly happened at the event.
“I want to address an incident at a past company event where my behaviour was inappropriate. I regret being inconsiderate and sincerely apologize to everyone affected. I recognize my behaviour at that moment did not reflect our values at SAP. I take full responsibility and believe stepping down is best for the company. I wish the team continued success,” Mueller said in the statement
In a separate statement to Bloomberg, SAP said it will fully cooperate with the investigation.
Muller, who led SAP's "business technology platform," joined the company in 2013 and became CTO in 2019. His contract was extended in April until the end of 2027 as he was responsible for preparing the company for more cloud computing customers.
Muller's departure is the latest in a series of departures from the company’s management board. In August, chief marketing officer Julia White and chief revenue officer Scott Russell left SAP. These changes came after CEO Christian Klein started a restructuring program earlier this year to improve the company, reduce costs, and be more competitive in AI development.
The company has plans to cut or retrain between 9,000 and 10,000 employees this year, which is about 10% of its workforce.
As per a previous Bloomberg report, this is not the first time there have been concerns with the culture at SAP. Current and former employees have complained about bullying, harassment, and heavy drinking at company events. These problems have made it difficult for women to get promoted to executive positions.