Kronberg/Taunus - 18 January 2021

Avanade, the leading digital innovator on the Microsoft ecosystem, has appointed Stefan Smolka as its new General Manager (GM) for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, effective 10 January 2022. Smolka joins Avanade after more than 16 years at Accenture, where he most recently led Accenture’s Microsoft Business Group. After more than seven years, Robert Gögele, the existing GM of Avanade Deutschland GmbH and GM of the DACH region, is moving to a new Global role at Avanade focused on helping industry clients thrive in the face of constant change.

In his new role, Smolka will be responsible for Avanade’s business strategy in the DACH region and driving forward the company’s strategic alliance with its parent companies, Accenture and Microsoft.

“I firmly believe that technology is the enabler of solutions for our future. That is why I am excited to become a member of the Avanade family: It's a unique opportunity to work with very smart people and the best teams designing and building solutions for our future. The fact that these are based on Microsoft technologies and solutions makes it all the better," says Smolka. "Since its launch, Avanade has become the leading service provider for the Microsoft ecosystem. We will continue to expand this competence and in the next few years we will in particular drive forward the cloud business as well as the industry competence. Security aspects will play an increasingly important role in this. And we will help our clients to get even more out of their data - for new business models and even more sustainability."

During his time at Accenture, Smolka held a number of leadership positions and roles, including Market Growth Lead & COO SAP Business Group DACH and Head of Sales & Operations Resources Industries DACH. As Head of Accenture’s Microsoft Business Group in Germany, Austria and Switzerland regions, Smolka was most recently responsible for defining and implementing the strategy for the region.

Meanwhile, Gögele will take on a new role, reporting to Avanade’s Chief Growth Officer, Craig Gorsline, focused on developing Avanade’s Industry X offering, which will help clients unlock new revenue streams through new technologies like IoT, analytics, AI, mixed reality, and digital twins.

"I wish Stefan all the best. He takes over a passionate and committed team with great clients. This combined with the existing excellent customer relationships, he has every opportunity to continue writing the Avanade success story," says Robert Gögele, Avanade’s existing GM for Germany and the DACH region. "I myself am very much looking forward to my new role at Avanade, where I can increasingly shape new business globally."