The chief executive of Irvine-based Sage Software Inc., one of the highest ranking female technology executives in the area, is set to leave the company next year.
Sage, the North America headquarters of Britain’s Sage Group PLC, is undergoing its third management shakeup in as many years.
Pascal Houillon, the chief executive of Sage’s France operations, will take over for Sue Swenson.
The company said Swenson, 62, is set to stay on until the middle of next year to help with the transition.
Swenson, a telecommunications industry veteran, was recruited to run Sage in 2008.
She was brought in to modernize the company’s sprawling operations, which are broken down into several large organizations all over the country.
Swenson cut jobs and helped consolidate Sage after the company digested some 20 acquisitions it’s made in the past 10 years.
In 2009, she put in new executives—creating new positions for some—and replaced old ones, including a technology chief, a finance chief and a vice president to oversee resellers.
In 2007, former Sage chief executive Ron Verni, who led the North American unit from Atlanta, and former chief financial officer Jim Eckstaedt were ousted by Sage’s British board.
Sage’s software streamlines tasks for companies, including accounting, purchasing, payroll processing and other day-to-day operations. Most of its software is sold through a network of local resellers that install the software and provide service.
The company has seen sales slump as scores of small business customers cut their technology spending in the wake of the downturn.
Earlier this month, Sage reported $858 million in North America sales for the 12 months through September, down 3% from a year earlier.
It reported earnings before interest, taxes and amortization of $190 million.
British parent Sage Group reported global sales of $2.2 billion for the same period, flat from a year ago.
Worldwide earnings before interest, taxes and amortization totaled $571 million.
Sage said it added some 123,000 customers in North America.
