Having relocated from India with his family, Darshanjeet has spent nearly a year at Telia as Head of Finance Control, Group Reporting, and Treasury Solutions. He chose Lithuania over traditional tech hubs for the chance to lead the creation of an in-house SAP operating model from the ground up, while also seeking a high quality of life and better educational opportunities for his child within the EU’s academic ecosystem.
As a leading enterprise resource planning system, SAP systems run the core of most large organizations, connecting finance, supply chains, procurement, and customer operations into a single integrated platform. But many of these environments were built years ago and are now being redesigned to support real-time data, cloud technologies, and artificial intelligence.
This modernization wave is creating a significant talent gap. Across Europe, the shortage of SAP specialists is estimated at up to 100,000 professionals. SAP roles also take considerably longer to fill than other IT positions, with companies struggling to find experienced talent — particularly for senior and architectural roles.
The pressure is intensified by timing. A large share of SAP customers are currently planning or executing their migration to newer platforms, specifically SAP S/4HANA, all ahead of the same deadline. Support for older SAP systems will end in December 2027, meaning every organisation that has not yet upgraded to the newer SAP platform faces growing compliance requirements and operational risks.
The consequences are already visible. Industry analysts estimate that unfilled SAP roles and stalled transformation projects account for around $162 billion in lost revenue worldwide. As a result, companies are realizing that hiring alone will not solve the challenge and are rethinking how they work — specifically, how much of their SAP expertise must be brought in-house to ensure stability.
“As 2027 approaches, the winners will be those who have secured the talent to bridge legacy systems and new technologies. In Lithuania, we’ve found the ideal ecosystem for this architectural expertise, where senior experts like Darshanjeet are given the ownership to lead critical migrations and shape our technological future across the entire Nordic region,” says Vilma Mačiūnaitė-Uckevičienė, Head of Corporate Technologies and Services at Telia IT.
In Lithuania, the distance between work and decisions got shorter
Darshanjeet started his career in India, where many global companies build and run their IT systems. With a background in computer science and an MBA focused on SAP, he began in finance-related SAP roles and later worked across several industries.
What drew him to SAP was the ability to see the bigger picture. “You can see how the whole business works. Everything is connected,” he says. Yet in many large, globally distributed organisations, work can become highly specialised. “You focus on one part,” he explains. “You do your job well, but you don’t always see what happens next.”
That perspective shifted when he moved to Lithuania and joined the company’s SAP team in Vilnius — a team that supports the entire organisation across the Nordic region. Here, the scale remained large, but the structure was different: specialists work closer to decision-makers, own broader parts of the landscape, and see the impact of their work end-to-end. “The turning point was when my ideas started shaping decisions,” he says. “You see the results of your work. That makes a big difference.”
Reclaiming control of core systems
A parallel shift is unfolding across Europe. Geopolitical tensions and rising cybersecurity risks are prompting organisations to strengthen control over their most critical digital environments. What was once primarily a cost-driven decision has become a question of resilience and strategic ownership.
According to the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), disruptive cyberattacks targeting European infrastructure have increased sharply, with the number of such incidents doubling between late 2023 and early 2024. As threats escalate, companies are reassessing how much of their core technology they need to manage internally.
This shift is visible throughout the industry — and the company is part of it. The business is expanding its SAP capabilities in Lithuania, establishing an internal competence centre that supports the entire group across the Nordic region. The team is currently looking to hire 19 experienced specialists in key domains, including SAP ABAP, SAP Basis, SAP Integrations, and SAP Security. “By bringing these SAP competencies in-house, we can move faster, rely less on external partners, and stay in control. This is also part of ensuring national security,” says V. Mačiūnaitė-Uckevičienė.
Why Vilnius is emerging as a strategic SAP hub
Lithuania offers a combination that is increasingly important for companies modernizing their core systems: advanced digital infrastructure and deep integration with Nordic markets. According to Lithuania’s Business Services Report 2025, the sector now employs over 27,200 specialists, with a significant 36% dedicated to technology roles. This growth is fueled by a highly international environment where global expertise is not just welcomed but integrated into the core of the business services industry.
Vilnius, in particular, has solidified its reputation as one of Northern Europe’s fastest-growing tech hubs. The city’s appeal lies in its unique balance: a sophisticated international ecosystem paired with short decision-making chains and a high quality of life. For professionals coming from abroad, the transition is seamless — English is the primary language in tech teams, and international specialists already constitute a vital and growing portion of the city’s workforce.
As Europe’s SAP talent shortage continues to intensify, this environment creates a rare opportunity for experts to step out of narrow roles and into business-critical leadership. Lithuania offers the perfect mix of scale, trust, and technical maturity — a place where SAP professionals can not only manage systems but meaningfully shape how modern organizations operate.