Anaplan Names Laurent Martini Managing Director for EMEA

Why It Matters

The appointment gives Anaplan a seasoned growth leader to scale its planning‑as‑a‑service offering in a market where ERP‑adjacent vendors are racing to embed AI‑driven decision‑making across complex, multi‑country enterprises.

Key Takeaways

• Laurent Martini joins Anaplan as EMEA Managing Director
• Martini previously led EMEA sales at Splunk
• Focus on scaling planning software alongside ERP systems
• Appointment underscores competition with Snowflake in EMEA
• Customers like AB InBev, Bayer adopt Anaplan

Pulse Analysis

Anaplan’s positioning as a cloud‑based planning layer that sits alongside traditional ERP systems has resonated with large, data‑intensive enterprises seeking real‑time scenario analysis. By unifying financial, operational and supply‑chain data, the platform enables cross‑functional teams to model outcomes and make faster, more informed decisions. This capability is increasingly critical as organizations shift from siloed finance planning to integrated, enterprise‑wide forecasting that supports agile execution.

The selection of Laurent Martini underscores Anaplan’s strategic push to deepen market penetration in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Martini brings a proven track record of scaling enterprise software sales, most recently at Splunk, where he drove EMEA revenue growth through partner ecosystems and AI‑focused solutions. His arrival follows a similar leadership move at Snowflake, signaling a broader trend of vendors investing heavily in regional executives to orchestrate partner networks, standardize deployment models, and accelerate adoption of planning and analytics tools across diverse regulatory environments.

For ERP‑centric organizations, the move signals that planning is evolving from a finance‑only function to a core operational capability. Companies now demand near‑real‑time data flows between ERP, supply‑chain and planning platforms, pushing vendors like Anaplan to prioritize robust APIs, AI‑enhanced forecasting, and modular deployment. As more EMEA enterprises such as AB InBev, Bayer and Tata Steel integrate Anaplan into their S&OP processes, the industry can expect tighter ERP‑planning integration, faster decision cycles, and a heightened emphasis on AI‑driven insights that drive competitive advantage.