SoftwareOne Holding AG (SIX: SWON) today announced that the Board of Directors has named Raphael Erb as sole CEO effective 1 August 2026. Co-CEO Melissa Mulholland has decided to leave the company as the integration of SoftwareOne and Crayon is now substantially complete. The company has made further good progress and continues to see strong business momentum since the first-quarter 2026 trading update. SoftwareOne’s strategy and 2030 financial ambitions remain unchanged.
As the Crayon integration is substantially complete, the Board of Directors, together with the Co-CEOs, have determined that SoftwareOne's next phase of development is best supported by a sole CEO leadership structure. This timing is underpinned by further good progress and strong business momentum since the first-quarter 2026 trading update.
Since assuming the role of Co-CEO in July 2025, Raphael Erb has been responsible for the company's commercial operations, services business and marketplace, working closely with Co-CEO Melissa Mulholland who has managed strategy development, customer platforms and global functions, among others. Going forward, Raphael Erb will lead all aspects of the business as sole CEO. Before the Crayon acquisition, he had already served as CEO of SoftwareOne since November 2024, having joined the company in 1999.
Till Spillmann, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said: “The Co-CEO model was designed to ensure continuity through the integration of SoftwareOne and Crayon. With that mandate nearing completion, a sole CEO structure is the right next step to sustain focus and accelerate execution. Raphael Erb, with his deep understanding of our customers, core operations and commercial business, is ideally positioned to lead SoftwareOne in this next chapter.”
“On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank both Raphael and Melissa Mulholland for their significant contribution to the successful combination of SoftwareOne and Crayon,” Till Spillmann added. “Melissa led Crayon through a period of strong international expansion, and following the acquisition by SoftwareOne, she was instrumental in shaping the strategic direction of the combined company and strengthening its position in the market. We are grateful for her leadership and wish her every success in the future.”
Melissa Mulholland, Co-CEO of SoftwareOne, said: “I am proud of what we have achieved together over the past year. The combination of SoftwareOne and Crayon has created a stronger company with a compelling future, and I am grateful to our employees, customers and partners for their support throughout this journey. The time is now right to transition to a sole CEO structure. I am confident that the company is very well positioned for its next chapter and wish Raphael and the entire SoftwareOne team continued success.”
Raphael Erb, Co-CEO and designated CEO of SoftwareOne, said: “The past year has demonstrated the strength of our combined business, and now it’s about building on that momentum. I want to thank Melissa for her partnership and for everything she contributed to bringing our two companies together. I am honoured by the trust placed in me and excited to lead SoftwareOne into its next stage of growth, together with our talented teams around the world. We remain fully committed to our strategy, our customers and partners, and delivering long-term value for all stakeholders.”
SoftwareOne’s strategy and 2030 financial ambitions remain unchanged. The company will announce its results for the first half of 2026 on 26 August 2026.
SoftwareOne is a global software and cloud solutions provider and distributor. With a presence in over 70 countries and a team of about 13,000 professionals, we combine global scale and local expertise to help partners and customers optimize costs, source and procure, accelerate growth, and navigate complex IT environments with confidence. Leveraging deep capabilities in cloud, software, and data and AI, the company empowers organizations to modernize, innovate, and unlock the full value of their technology investments. Headquartered in Switzerland, SoftwareOne is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and Euronext Oslo Børs under the ticker symbol SWON.
