ServiceNow’s amended employment contract with CEO Bill McDermott extends his time with the company into the next decade, but also provides possible next steps for the journeyman corporate leader, including the co-CEO role, a position he held at SAP in the years prior to joining the ITSM juggernaut.

In the employee agreement published in an SEC filing last week, the company said it would keep McDermott on the payroll until at least Dec. 31, 2030, but outlined three roles apart from CEO that McDermott could perform.

“[H]e will serve in the role of CEO, co-CEO, Executive Chairman or Non-Executive Chairman, at the discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors,” ServiceNow stated in the filing.

McDermott’s initial employment agreement with ServiceNow, signed Oct. 22, 2019, made no mention of McDermott serving out his then five-year deal in any other role at the company besides CEO.

In a statement to The Register, ServiceNow said no changes have been made to leadership.

“The recent amendment to Bill’s employment agreement simply extends his leadership service with us through at least 2030. It currently places no emphasis on, nor does it represent a decision by our Board to adopt, any other leadership structure,” the company stated.

However, the language in the amended agreement does open the door to changes at the top, and it has outlined how McDermott would be paid should he get shifted into a role besides CEO.

“[I]n Mr. McDermott’s role as CEO or co-CEO, his total compensation will be commensurate with the performance of the Company against its compensation peer group and, should he move into the role of Executive Chairman, his compensation will be commensurate with the level of responsibilities he is performing in the role,” ServiceNow wrote in the filing.

Any changes to his job would need to be approved by ServiceNow’s board of directors “with the mutual understanding of Mr. McDermott,” who chairs the board.

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If ServiceNow did shift to bunk beds in the corner office, it would join the likes of Oracle, which in September announced Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia would lead the company; Comcast which also announced a co-CEO structure in September when it named Michael Cavanagh to join Brian Roberts as co-CEO; and Netflix which has Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters as buck stoppers.

It wouldn’t be McDermott’s first time sharing the crown.

McDermott was the co-CEO of SAP between 2010 and 2014, then eventually won the top job and was flying solo as CEO when ServiceNow wooed him away in 2019. ®