Neel Mehta
Stephen Kupcha, a former Navy SEAL and 16-year Defense Department veteran, has joined SAP‘s independent national security subsidiary SAP NS2 as executive director of its nonprofit organization and as a business development senior specialist.
He is the first person to hold the executive director title for NS2 Serves and most recently as senior manager of public relations and military/community outreach for the PGA TOUR, SAP NS2 said Wednesday.
In that role, he led the Birdies for the Brave initiative that aimed to help veterans transition back into civilian life.
“From personal experience, I’ve seen how hard it can be for veterans to begin a new career on the home front,” he said.
Kupcha’s military service also includes time as division officer of the Naval Special Warfare Advanced Tactical Communications Course, among others in SEAL teams.
He joins NS2 Serves as the organization gears up to launch a three-month information technology training and career placement program, which will start March 3 in Potomac, Md.
NS2 Serves is accepting applications through the close of business on Jan. 31 and graduates will obtain the “SAP Associate Consultant†certification
“We’re now recruiting and selecting our first class of trainees,” said Joe Kernan, chairman of the NS2 Serves board of directors.
“We will begin the competitive selection process in early February, and so we are endeavoring to expose the program to as many veterans as possible. Our hope is to run multiple courses annually and offer this great opportunity to deserving veterans in an enduring way.â€
Trainees also will have weekly discussions with a business mentor and, upon graduation, will receive placement assistance to work in the U.S. national security field or elsewhere in SAP’s U.S. reach.
