Steve Daddazio’s journey through four SAP business areas well-prepared him to hit the ground running when he stepped into the role of Office of the President for U.S. Sales in January this year.
Steve: It was seven years ago, in 2006, and it has been an interesting ride ever since! I actually grew up right down the street from the building, and I watched the Newtown Square office being built since I drove past it on my way to school. Plus, my dad used to work on the property, at the old ARCO Chemical, as did many people in the area. [NA News note: Before SAP, the offices were home to ARCO Chemical company. The original building was completed in 1999.]
I guess you could say SAP has almost always been in my life. Even prior to joining the company, I worked for two SAP customers: QVC and Apple Vacations (which, interestingly, is directly across the street from us in Newtown Square). I kept an eye on the company and always wanted to be a part of it. The biggest driver for me to move over to SAP was the opportunity to grow.
Angela: What projects are you currently working on that you are excited about?
Steve: <laughs> It isn’t a project, frankly, it’s my job! I support Greg McStravick and joke that I have the opportunity and the challenge to manage his office and really help drive the U.S. business forward. It’s an exciting shift because I’ve worked with Greg in a number of regional roles and this is the first broad, national role for both of us, in a sense.
What’s interesting with being out in the field – interacting with customers, partners and employees – is we can see how it all works together. In seven years, I’ve worked in four different areas: Finance & Accounting, Marketing, Inside Sales, and Operations. This new role is my opportunity to see the full spectrum of how those areas come together and how important each one is to the others.
Angela: Tell us one thing people generally don’t know about you.
Steve: My wife, Gina, and I are very active in the national Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society. My wife is incredible in so many ways – she’s always happy and smiling. But five years ago, on our one-year wedding anniversary, Gina was diagnosed with MS. She always says, “I have MS but I won’t let it define me.” It’s amazing to see her drive and how she’s using her diagnosis in a positive way.
MS has helped both of us get out into the community and do a lot of things to raise awareness. In fact, the local chapter holds an annual fundraising event just about 100 yards away from the SAP NSQ office. It’s called “The MS Muck-fest” and it is an obstacle course covered in mud. We love being part of it every year!
Angela: Describe your perfect day.
Steve: Flat out: spending time with my family. I have an amazing wife, a three-year-old son, Domenic, who’s absolutely incredible and a one-year-old daughter, Joella, who drives me insane in a good way! I do a lot of traveling for work, so spending time with them is part of any perfect day.
The other part of my perfect day is the rest of my family, who are all from Italy. They own two restaurants, not far from Newtown Square that are local pizzerias and have been in business for almost 40 years. Anytime Gina and I get a chance, we go there with the kids. Pretty much anyone who works there is a family member, so we visit, eat lots of good food that’s not good for us and have a blast.
So, the perfect day? Have a good quarter inside SAP, leave the office, pick up the wife and kids and go to the pizzeria.Angela: If you could have dinner with anyone (living or not), who would it be and why?
Steve: This is an easy one, Michael Jordan. Not because I’m a huge basketball fan or a North Carolina fan, but more so because he’s a man who knew exactly what he needed to do to be successful in his career. I can’t remember if it was in a book, or if I was listening to him in a radio interview, but I remember him commenting that his philosophy was: Perfection is expected. Excellence is tolerable.
It would be amazing to know about his daily routine, his work ethic, and what inspired him. I would want to learn how he kept that competitive spirit and stayed committed to the game – his own game – every single day over a long period of time.
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