Chris Freddy

Seasoned Solution Advisor and Architect with 20+ years of experience in Software Development and Integrations, bridging legacy and cloud technologies. Founder of a successful tech startup later acquired by a major IT vendor. Expert in SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) integration, custom application development, and data pipeline design.

Recognized speaker at SAP conferences covering topics such as non-Embedded (native) AI platforms that integrate across multiple vendor applications solving for scenarios that are not addressed by embedded AI technologies like Joule; and SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) and the role it plays in integration and software development.

Solution Advisor and Architect - Sanlam (2018 to 2024) Africa's largest non-banking financial services company

• Led dual-track digital transformation as Solution Architect and Data Engineer.
• Developed AI solutions to streamline HR processes across multiple vendor applications.
• Created enterprise data pipelines architecture that aggregate data from diverse HR sources into a cloud-based data lake (Snowflake) enabling predictive HR analytics.
• Architected employee survey solution integrating Microsoft Power Platform with SAP SuccessFactors.
• Integrated SAP applications and technologies like SAP SuccessFactors, S/4HANA, ECC6 and BTP with both cloud-based and on-premise applications including Identity Access Management and various multi-vendor solutions.
• Integrated SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) with on-premise networking and application platform to create a secure and trusted hybrid platform for single sign-on (SSO) and secure data transfers.
• Architecture and design, and development lead for the employee mobile app based on SAPUI5 and Cloud Foundry in SAP BTP.

Solution Advisor and Architect - Illovo Sugar Africa (2023-2024) Africa's largest sugar producer

• Spearheaded digital transformation from 20 year old legacy systems to SAP S4/HANA and SuccessFactors – application and integration architectures involving Kronos time management and Payspace payroll applications.
• Designed end-state architectures for group-wide rollout across six African countries.

Head of Software Development - EOH (2014-2016) Following acquisition of Karobar Software

• Managed 50+ ABAP developers and established the integration competency.
• Led software development for large public sector SAP implementations.
• Provided strategic pre-sales consultation for complex enterprise solutions

Founder & Owner - Karobar Software (2008-2014)

• Built a successful SAP development company from the ground up.
• Delivered complex custom solutions across diverse industries and SAP implementations.
• Secured partnerships with major enterprises including Media24 (Naspers), Engen Petroleum, and British American Tobacco.

SAP Certified Technical Consultant

Bachelor of Technology (BTech) in Electronics Engineering