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Klaus KleinfeldGerman entrepreneur
Country:
 Germany |
Content:
- Biography of Klaus Kleinfeld
- Early Career
- Success at Siemens
- Board Positions and Controversy
- Personal Life
Biography of Klaus Kleinfeld
Klaus Kleinfeld was born in 1957 in Bremen, Germany. He obtained an MBA degree from the University of Göttingen, Germany in 1982.
Early Career
Kleinfeld began his career in a consulting company in Germany. He then worked in the strategic product manufacturing division of CIBA-GEIGY pharmaceutical company in Basel, Switzerland. In 1987, he joined Siemens where he initially worked in corporate sales and marketing, and later moved to corporate planning and strategy.
In 1992, Kleinfeld earned a PhD in Economics from the University of Würzburg, Germany, with a focus on strategic management. He then founded and led the Siemens Management Consulting Group (SMC), a management consulting firm tasked with revitalizing and modernizing the business of the conglomerate.
Success at Siemens
The success of SMC, which greatly aided Siemens, became instrumental in Kleinfeld's career. He was appointed as an Executive Vice President and joined the board of directors of Siemens AG Medical Engineering Group. He also managed a significant portion of Siemens' business related to X-ray and fluoroscopy, amounting to nearly a billion dollars.
Under Kleinfeld's leadership, the sale of medical equipment brought Siemens a 21 percent profit in 2001, despite accounting for only 9 percent of total sales. In 2001, Kleinfeld relocated to New York and became the Chief Operating Officer of Siemens' regional division in the United States. From 2002 to 2003, he served as the President of the division. During his tenure, the previously loss-making American division turned into a profitable unit, generating $810 million in profits in 2002 and $500 million in 2003.
Board Positions and Controversy
Kleinfeld's success at Siemens earned him several prestigious board positions. In 2002, he joined the board of directors of the CDC Foundation, and in 2003, he became a member of the board of directors of Alcoa Inc., an aluminum conglomerate. In 2005, he joined the board of directors of pharmaceutical company Bayer AG and the financial corporation Citigroup. He also served on the boards of the New York Metropolitan Opera and Turner Corporation.
In January 2004, Kleinfeld joined the management board of Siemens AG, overseeing the information and communication business groups, as well as the regional representations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). He also led the corporate strategy department of Siemens.
On January 27, 2005, Kleinfeld was appointed as the CEO and President of Siemens. Within five months, he shut down the mobile phone division, which was causing losses for the company. However, in 2005, a corruption case related to Siemens emerged in Switzerland. Alongside the official investigation, the corporation initiated an internal inquiry. On November 20, 2006, investigators and tax inspectors searched Kleinfeld's office among others. Kleinfeld, according to the Munich prosecutor, was involved in the case as a witness rather than a suspect.
Personal Life
Kleinfeld has a passion for sports, including marathon running, skiing, and tennis. He is also interested in the arts. He is married and has two daughters.
