Joe Kaeser
Joe Kaeser GCME (born Josef Käser; June 23, 1957) is a German manager and former CEO of Siemens AG, Berlin & Munich, a role he was in from August 1, 2013, until February 3, 2021.
Joe Kaeser | |
|---|---|
Kaeser in Moscow on 26 March 2014 | |
| Born | Josef Käser 23 June 1957 |
| Nationality | German |
| Citizenship | Germany |
| Occupation | Manager |
| Known for | Former CEO of Siemens AG |
Early life edit
Joe Kaeser was born in Arnbruck, in the Bavarian Forest in West Germany, on June 23, 1957.[1] He spent his early life in education throughout Germany. Following his studies in business administration at the Regensburg University of Applied Sciences, he joined Siemens in 1980.[2]
Career edit
Kaeser subsequently held various business administration management positions, including a term at the Siemens Components Operations in Malacca, Malaysia (1987–1988). In 1990 he was appointed vice president of business administration of the Opto Semiconductors Division. In 1994 Kaeser served first as executive vice president and chief financial officer, and later as CEO of the group's American subsidiary Siemens Components, located in Cupertino, California, as well as at Siemens Microelectronics, in neighboring San Jose.[2]
In 1999 Kaeser joined Corporate Finance where he was responsible for developing a company-wide performance controlling system. During this time he also shared oversight for preparing the company's stock market listing in New York and the worldwide conversion of its accounting system to US GAAP.[citation needed]
From April 2001 to September 2004, Kaeser was a member of the group executive committee of IC Mobile and served as its chief financial officer, where he was especially active in managing and restructuring its finance exposure from customer loans and working capital management.[2]
In his former function as chief strategy officer, Kaeser supported CEO Dr. Klaus Kleinfeld in the design and execution of the Fit4More transformation program, as well as the long-term orientation of the company's strategies on global megatrends.[2]
CEO of Siemens (2013–2021) edit
In July 2013 it was announced that Kaeser would replace Peter Löscher as the CEO of the Siemens AG.[3]
Since 2013, Kaeser has accompanied Chancellor Angela Merkel on a total of nine state visits abroad,[4] including to China (2014, 2016,[5] 2018)[6] India (2015),[7] Egypt (2017),[8] Tunisia (2017), Argentina (2017), Mexico (2017) and Saudi Arabia (2017).[9] He also travelled with Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel to the US and Mexico in 2017.
During the Hannover Messe in April 2016, Kaeser was among the 15 German CEOs who were invited to a private dinner with President Barack Obama.[10] He was also part of Merkel's delegation on the occasion of her first visit to President Donald Trump in March 2017.[11] At the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos, he attended a dinner of President Trump with a group of European CEOs.[12]
In January 2020 Kaeser along with the Siemens board of directors invited an environmental activist a role on its board as it made a decision with mining giant Adani.[13]
Russian visit during the 2014 Crimean crisis
Kaeser traveled to Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in April 2014 to re-affirm Siemens' commitment to Russian profits despite widespread international condemnation of Russian military intervention. The move was widely criticized in the Western World, including by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.[14] However Kaeser wasn't the only one who had a more pro-Russian mood at that time; many other prominent Germans like former chancellors Helmut Schmidt and Gehard Schroeder voiced their concern for more understanding of Russia's views, including some in Merkel's own party, like Peter Gauweiler or Armin Laschet, who all faced criticism in the German Press.[15] Later, former US Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski revealed that the former World Bank Chief Robert Zoellick aggressively pressured Kaeser due to his Russian visit. Zoellick reminded Kaeser that his company has more business in the United States than in Russia, and it would have negative consequences if he kept following the Russian path.[16]
Other activities edit
Corporate boards edit
- Siemens Energy AG, chairman of the supervisory board [17]
- Allianz Deutschland AG, Member of the supervisory board
- JPMorgan Chase, Member of the International Council (since 2015)[18]
- Daimler AG, Member of the supervisory board (since 2014)[19]
- NXP Semiconductors, Member of the board of directors (since 2010)[20]
Non-profit organizations edit
- Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA), Chairman (since 2019)[21]
- Federation of German Industries (BDI), Member of the Presidium (2017–2019)[22]
- European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), Member[23]
- Baden-Badener Unternehmer-Gespräche (BBUG), Member of the board of trustees[24]
- Deutscher Zukunftspreis, Member of the board of trustees[25]
- European School of Management and Technology (ESMT), Member of the board of trustees[26]
- Goethe Institute, Member of the Business and Industry Advisory Board[27]
- Technical University of Munich (TUM), Member of the board of trustees[28]
- Trilateral Commission, Member of the European Group[29]
- Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, Member of the Board[30]
Honours edit
- Grand Cross of the Order of Entrepreneurial Merit (Industrial Class), Portugal (13 May 2015)[31]
- 2017 – Prize for Understanding and Tolerance, awarded by the Jewish Museum Berlin[32]
References edit
- ^ . siemens.com Global Website. Archived from the original on 2019-12-28. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
- ^ a b c d "Joe Kaeser". EuropeanCEO.com. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "Siemens Names New CEO to End Leadership Turmoil". IndustryWeek. 2013-07-31. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
- ^ Christian Schlesiger (September 8, 2017), Siemens-Chef Kaeser am häufigsten bei Delegationsreisen dabei Wirtschaftswoche.
- ^ Stephan Scheuer and Thomas Sigmund (June 13, 2016), Merkel in China: In heikler Mission[permanent dead link] Handelsblatt.
- ^ René Pfister (May 24, 2018), Merkel in China Beim elften Besuch ist alles anders Spiegel Online.
- ^ Stefan Braun (October 5, 2015), Staatsbesuch in Indien: Die Krise fliegt mit Süddeutsche Zeitung.
- ^ Johannes Leithäuser (March 2, 2017), Merkel in Ägypten: Gesten und Inszenierungen Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
- ^ Merkel beim schwierigen Partner Deutsche Welle, April 30, 2017.
- ^ Hans von der Burchard (April 25, 2016), Politico Pro’s Morning Trade: Breaking bread with the president Politico Europe.
- ^ Georgina Prodhan (March 13, 2017), Captains of German industry to accompany Merkel on Trump trip Reuters.
- ^ Jennifer Jacobs (January 25, 2018), Here's Who's Having Dinner With Trump at Davos Bloomberg News.
- ^ "Siemens offers climate activist role on board as firm makes Adani mine decision". 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
- ^ "Siemens CEO Rebuked as German Business Defends Putin Partnership". Bloomburg.com. 30 March 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
- ^ "Krim-Krise: Was die Putin-Versteher in Deutschland antreibt". Die Welt. 2014-03-20. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
- ^ Atlantic Council (2014-04-29), Conversation with Zbigniew Brzezinski: The Eastern Edge of a Europe Whole and Free, archived from the original on 2021-12-22, retrieved 2017-12-28
- ^ Supervisory Board of Siemens Energy AG Siemens Energy AG.
- ^ 2015 Annual Report JPMorgan Chase.
- ^ Members of the Supervisory Board: Joe Kaeser Daimler AG.
- ^ Board of Directors NXP Semiconductors.
- ^ Dana Heide and Axel Höpner (October 8, 2018), Der Siemens-Chef soll den Asien-Pazifik-Ausschuss anführen Handelsblatt.
- ^ Presidium Federation of German Industries (BDI).
- ^ Members European Round Table of Industrialists.
- ^ Board of Trustees Baden-Badener Unternehmer-Gespräche (BBUG).
- ^ Board of Trustees Deutscher Zukunftspreis.
- ^ Board of Trustees European School of Management and Technology (ESMT).
- ^ Organization Goethe Institute.
- ^ Board of Trustees Technical University of Munich (TUM).
- ^ Membership 2019-08-19 at the Wayback Machine Trilateral Commission.
- ^ Board Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft.
- ^ "Cidadãos Estrangeiros Agraciados com Ordens Portuguesas". Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ Prize for Understanding and Tolerance Jewish Museum Berlin.
External links edit
- Media related to Joe Kaeser at Wikimedia Commons
- Shaping the Future. The Siemens Entrepreneurs 1847–2018. Ed. Siemens Historical Institute, Hamburg 2018, ISBN 978-3867-746243.
- Presidents and Chief Executive Officers of Siemens AG
- Intellectual sponsor and speaker at the 2016 Future of Leadership Initiative: Meaning@Work