SAS rises to No. 7 on Europe’s Great Place to Work® list

CARY, NC  (May 26, 2010)  –  SAS continues to achieve higher placement on the list of the 50 Best Large Workplaces in Europe, as announced by the Great Place to Work® Institute Europe. The leader in business analytics software and services came in at No. 7, two places above last year. More than 1,300 companies, representing 1.6 million European employees, vied for inclusion in the list.

SAS’ placement is based on the rankings for Belgium, Sweden and Norway, where SAS ranked No. 1 on each individual country’s list and, the Netherlands, where SAS ranked No. 2.

The list was announced in the May 20 edition of The Work Style Magazine. SAS has risen 23 places on the list in the past two years.

“It is truly motivating to receive third-party validation of SAS’ employee-centric leadership philosophy,” said Mikael Hagström, Executive Vice President of SAS Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. “We’ve always viewed commitment, ownership and empowerment as hand-in-hand with performance, work-life balance, lifelong learning and innovation. There is no doubt in my mind that our staff performs better in this environment, and that our customers receive significantly better service as a result.”

The list is based on 17 national Best Workplaces studies carried out in Europe. Participants in all countries are evaluated with the same methodology, and the European list is created using the same criteria as national lists.

SAS partner, Accenture (Finland and Sweden), also made the Top 10, coming in just behind SAS at No. 8.

“Being ninth last year, it is clear that we are moving in the right direction!” said Gunter Cools, Human Resources Director for EMEA. “This is a great achievement and a confirmation of our employee-oriented leadership.”

Country managers from Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway were pleased that their countries’ results led to the higher ranking on the European list.

“We continually improve by having the right people in the right places, making sure everyone can reach their goals, “ said Sweden Country Manager Liselotte Jansson. “This creates a positive cycle. A good atmosphere contributes to good results; good results make work more enjoyable, which in turn create a good atmosphere and satisfaction, and so on. Being No. 1 in Sweden for the fourth consecutive year proves that we are on the right track”

“Being named as a Great Place to Work is a major milestone for our organization,” said SAS Netherlands Country Manager Karel Kinders. “It energizes us internally, but resonates in the Dutch market as well,” he said.

SAS Norway Country Manager Nils Stangnes said SAS staff members value the company’s openness and transparency. “We have a fundamental conviction that the involvement of the staff creates commitment, loyalty and a good working environment,” he said. “Our faith in each individual co-worker differs from many other businesses, which this award confirms.”

Patrick Van Deven, Country Manager of SAS Belgium and Luxembourg, said the Belgian office's No. 1 ranking earlier this year resulted in much positive recognition from peers in the industry, customers and partners. 

“The ranking, combined with an analyst report showing that SAS enjoys the largest market share in Belgium at 25 percent, also helps attract and retain top talent and opens doors for new business opportunities,” Van Deven said. “The current feeling in the office is that we are in the leader seat, and there is some pressure on our shoulders now to act as leaders, deserve our position, and continue to earn this recognition for the years to come.”

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