Jennifer Morgan, the former co-CEO of SAP and more recently global head of portfolio operations at Blackstone, has taken the reins as CEO of HR tech giant UKG. She succeeds Chris Todd, a UKG veteran and protegé of Executive Chairman Aron Ain.

Morgan is no stranger to the enterprise software industry. She brings corporate management expertise, as well as technology industry insights, thanks to her experience as a member of the Board of Directors at UKG.

Ain is confident Morgan’s unique blend of skills and experience will propel UKG further as it “enters the next level of rapid growth and scale”.

Read More: Is your transformation agenda radical enough?

Improving employee experiences at scale

In her 16 years at SAP and, subsequently, her three years at Blackstone, Morgan was at the frontlines of developing and executing on growth strategies.

Fortune, Forbes and Great Place to Work have all lauded Morgan for her exceptional leadership. At Blackstone, for example, she worked closely with the CEOs and leadership teams of portfolio companies in their growth acceleration and value creation processes.

It’s worth noting her former organisation Blackstone is also the largest minority shareholder at UKG. This gives her a deep understanding of what is at stake in the next phase of UKG's growth.

Morgan sees the HR tech company as a category creator “redefining what’s possible for improving employee experiences at scale”.

Read More: The new future – HR automation is driving innovation

With the new CEO on board, UKG is set to enhance its suite of solutions – with the vision of turning every company into a great place to work.

“I have long admired the company’s culture-first solutions, world-class team and conviction in people as the true drivers of companies’ success,” Morgan said.

“I see tremendous opportunity for UKG to continue to reshape how companies achieve their talent and culture objectives through HR, talent, payroll, and workforce management solutions that exceed customers’ current and future technology needs.”

Read More: Generative AI and its impact on HR

One of the ‘most powerful’ women in business and tech

Time and again, Morgan has been hailed as one of the most powerful women in business and technology. Her appointment at UKG is a breath of fresh air for the HR tech sector – where meaningful innovation comes from the diversity of ideas.

Morgan’s commitment to diversity and inclusion extends beyond the corporate sphere. She is a volunteer board member at the educational nonprofit NAF, which strives to give young talent early exposure to the business world. NAF aims to “prepare students of all backgrounds and capabilities for future success”.

News of Morgan taking the helm at UKG was welcomed across the social web.

As Madeline Laurano, founder of Aptitude Research, pointed out in her LinkedIn post: “Women make up nearly half of the global workforce, yet they are significantly underrepresented in executive positions in HR tech.”

Morgan’s appointment is thus a “testament to her exceptional skills and highlights the need for more women in leadership roles,” Laurano said.

For Morgan, she is ready to start “accelerating the company’s momentum” of growth and innovation.