SAP to create 10,000 jobs in US, pending Trump tariff policies

Multinational software giant SAP SE (XETRA: SAP-DE) has called on the incoming Trump administration to rethink any punitive tariffs and tax policies as it sets out to create 10,000 new jobs in the U.S. over the next year.

The firm, which currently serves 25 industries across 190 countries, aims to significantly boost its business in the U.S. over the coming 13 months, chief executive Bill McDermott told CNBC's Squawk Box at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

However, he said that he was worried that added taxes and tariffs could be "problematic" for these goals.

"We obviously don't want to get into any difficulties on tariffs, we want to create jobs and create economic opportunity."

McDermott said the firm would be creating contingency plans should Trump's widely-touted punitive policies come into play, however he added that ultimately he did not believe they would cause any "real issues".

"It's hard to grow without using technology. [Trump] is obviously going to be pro-growth, pro-jobs, 'Make America Great Again'. I don't know how you could do that without tech, so I think it's going to be at the forefront of helping him with his agenda," noted McDermott.

He added that this is the generation to "unleash people", investing particularly in young recruits to drive forward business strategies.

One of SAP's main aims over the coming months and years will be automating the supply chain.

McDermott said this would be crucial alongside connecting with the consumer.

"It's okay to focus on the consumer as long as you optimize the supply chain. That's how companies grow and grow profitably."

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