Amadeus, a leading travel technology partner and transaction processor, has named Hervé Couturier, a former SAP executive vice president, as executive vice president of development. Couturier, who has 25 years of international software development experience from previous roles at SAP, IBM and Business Objects, will head up Amadeus’ software development organization. At the same time, Jean-Paul Hamon is now set to retire after more than two decades as head of development at Amadeus.

“Hervé has a strong understanding of software development, including product strategy, planning and delivery, coupled with an incredibly successful track record in integrating new businesses and managing the expansion of complex solution portfolios,” said Luis Maroto, president and CEO of Amadeus. “At the same time I would also like to place on record my sincere gratitude and thanks to Jean-Paul for the fantastic role he has performed for the past two decades as head of development at Amadeus. Jean-Paul oversaw many ‘firsts’ at Amadeus globally and he has made an instrumental contribution to our current standing in the world. We wish him a long and happy retirement.”

In 2011 Amadeus was the number one R&D investor in Europe for computer services and travel and tourism sectors, according to the European Commission. The 2011 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, an annual report published by the EC, examined the largest 1,000 European companies investing in R&D during 2010 and ranked them according to the total amount invested. In 2011, Amadeus invested in excess of 340 million euros representing around 12.7 percent of consolidated revenues.