Sapiens International Corporation N.V. (“Sapiens” or “the Company”) today announced a planned leadership transition that will see Paul Wheeler, a proven software executive and currently Sapiens Chief Financial Officer, take the helm as Chief Executive Officer. Mike Ettling, who has steered Sapiens as Executive Chairman and interim CEO, will continue as Executive Chairman of the Board and will support Wheeler as CEO Designate throughout the transition.
Over a 30-year career, Wheeler has led technology businesses across the globe, delivering significant growth, innovation and customer advocacy at scale. As a recognised leader and consistent value creator, he previously served as CFO at Operative and Trema, Senior Operating Partner at leading global technology investment firm Francisco Partners, Managing Director at ION Trading and Chief Operating Officer at Efront.
The appointment comes as Sapiens continues to accelerate its AI transformation, helping insurers unlock value by harnessing the power of autonomy. It follows a run of major milestones for the Company, including a significant minority investment from a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the launch of its Insurance Agentification programme, and the opening of its AI Customer Experience Lab at the new London headquarters in Holborn’s Space House.
The Clear Choice to Lead
Ettling has led Sapiens as interim CEO while also serving as Executive Chairman. Wheeler joined Sapiens as Chief Financial Officer in December 2025, together with Ettling, and the two have worked closely since then. Following an assessment of exceptional internal and external candidates, the Company has decided that Wheeler is uniquely positioned to lead Sapiens’ evolution.
Sapiens Executive Chairman and interim CEO Mike Ettling said, “I am delighted that Paul has agreed to step into the role of Chief Executive Officer. I have worked with Paul since the beginning of 2025, and as both a friend and a colleague, I can attest that he is the ideal person to take on the mantle of CEO. His commitment, depth of operational experience and warm manner are known to all of us who have worked with him already. His outstanding leadership background means he is the clear choice to lead Sapiens. I look forward to continuing to support him, and Sapiens, as Executive Chairman.”
“I am honoured by the Board’s confidence and by Mike’s continued partnership as we manage this transition together. Sapiens is entering an extraordinary period as an AI-native company powering the autonomous insurer of tomorrow. I look forward to building on the strong foundations that Mike and the team have put in place, and to seeing many of our customers at the Summit in October,” said Paul Wheeler, CEO Designate, Sapiens.
About Sapiens
Sapiens is a global leader of AI-centric, SaaS-based insurance software, delivering hyper-relevant experiences that are efficient, compliant, and innovative. With agile intelligence, Sapiens’ solutions turn real-time data and human insight into precise action at every moment, across every risk. The Sapiens platform includes agentic workflows accelerating every capability across policy, underwriting, claims, reinsurance, decisioning, finance and compliance. With more than 600 insurers in over 30 countries running on Sapiens, our deep industry expertise is the foundation of our long-term relationships, from initial implementation through to modernisation and market transformation. Sapiens is headquartered in London, serving customers in property and casualty, life, reinsurance, specialty, and workers’ compensation from offices across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East including Israel where the company was founded. For more information, please visit Sapiens.com, or follow us on LinkedIn.
