JERUSALEM, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Israeli cloud-based

software provider Nice on Thursday tapped SAP

executive Scott Russell as its new chief executive,

replacing Barak Eilam who is stepping down at the end of the

year after a decade as CEO.

Russell, who will take up his new post on Jan. 1, 2025, has

for the last 14 years been chief revenue officer of the German

software firm and a member of its executive board.

Eilam, who has been at Nice for 25 years in all,

had said in May he would step down at year-end but would act as

a strategic consultant during the first half of 2025.

The CEO announcement coincided with Nice reporting a higher

than expected rise in second-quarter net profit. Diluted

earnings per share reached $2.64, excluding one-time items, up

from $2.13 a year earlier. Revenue rose 14% to $664.4 million.

Nice had been expected to earn an adjusted $2.58 per share

on revenue of $663.5 million, according to LSEG data.

It maintained a 2024 outlook for revenue of between $2.715

and $2.735 billion, up 15% at the midpoint, and raised its

adjusted 2024 EPS estimate to between $10.60 and $10.80 - up 22%

from 2023 - from $10.53-$10.73.