January 1st 2014 will see the succession plan laid out by SciSys play out as Klaus Heidrich, currently COO, steps into the chief executive role, replacing David Jones. This move has been envisaged since October 2011 when Heidrich was appointed as executive director and the long-term succession plan was laid out. It follows the SciSys strategy of promoting from within. Jones will remain as executive director.
The smooth transition and Heidrich’s knowledge of the company and its markets will be important because SciSys is experiencing mixed fortunes. When reporting half-year results in September 2013 chairman Mike Love said its markets remain “stubbornly challenging” (see here). As a provider of bespoke software and services in an environment favoring standardised, off-the-shelf solutions, particularly among its public sector customer base, SciSys may need to concentrate more on the private sector.