Hans-Werner Hector is a German businessman, the self-made billionaire co-founder of SAP SE, the world's largest ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software company. Born in Kaiserslautern, Germany, in 1940, his career is rooted in elite science: he studied mathematics at the University of Saarland.

Hector worked at IBM in Mannheim, where he and his colleagues (including Dietmar Hopp) recognized the immense potential of commercial standard software for managerial processes. In 1972, they left IBM to establish SAP (Systemanalyse und Programmentwicklung). His career is defined by this pivotal founding role and his subsequent dedication to massive scientific and cultural philanthropy.

Hans-Werner Hector's strategic genius was his focus on developing the U.S. business after SAP's IPO in 1988, a massive step that secured the company's global dominance. He later left the operating business in the mid-1990s, selling a large part of his SAP shares in 1996 (transferring some to a Jersey Islands trust), a move that caused controversy with co-founder Dietmar Hopp over potential threats to founding control.

His post-SAP life is entirely dedicated to philanthropy: he and his wife, Josephine Hector, founded the H.W. & J. Hector Stiftung (Foundation), committing their vast fortune to funding the natural sciences, medical research (cancer and AIDS), and art/historic preservation. His structural contributions include a €50 million donation to renovate the Kunsthalle Mannheim museum and investing €200 million in the Hector Science Fund to support the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He holds an honorary professorship of mathematics.

Hans-Werner Hector's social impact is massive and structural, tied to SAP's role in revolutionizing enterprise management globally. His profound philanthropic commitment is to advancing scientific research and education in Germany, providing structural funding for cancer/AIDS research and technology institutions.

His structural contribution is tied to his belief in the need for understanding and communication in science (supporting his foundation's focus on science communication).

Hans-Werner Hector maintains the professional, intellectual style of a scientist-executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic is one of serious, intellectual authority, reflecting his Ph.D. background and his commitment to mathematics and science.

Residing in Germany, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to scientific patronage, art preservation, and the long-term, structural funding of high-impact research.