39 Facts About Klaus Kleinfeld

Klaus Kleinfeld served as CEO of Munich, Germany-based Siemens AG from January 2005 until July 2007.

Previously, Klaus Kleinfeld transformed Siemens Management Consulting into an effective partner for the global businesses.

Klaus Kleinfeld contributed significantly to the profitable turnaround of Siemens' regional business in the US.

In June 2007, Klaus Kleinfeld left Siemens, citing uncertainty about his future with the company after divisions among Siemens board members concerning the extension of his contract became public.

Klaus Kleinfeld started his career in 1982 by joining a marketing consulting firm.

Klaus-Christian Kleinfeld was born on 6 November 1957 in Bremen, Germany.

In 1982, Klaus Kleinfeld began his career as a marketing consultant.

In 1987, Klaus Kleinfeld joined Munich-based Siemens AG, a global engineering and technology services firm based in the US and Germany.

In January 2001, Klaus Kleinfeld was promoted to chief operating officer of Siemens USA.

The recession in the US had adversely impacted profits and Klaus Kleinfeld conceived a radical strategy to improve the performance of Siemens' operating companies.

Klaus Kleinfeld sought to fix, sell or close operations of recently acquired companies and create new cross-selling opportunities.

From January 2005 to June 2007, Klaus Kleinfeld served as CEO of Siemens USA.

In January 2004, Klaus Kleinfeld was appointed to Siemens' corporate executive committee.

Also in 2004, Klaus Kleinfeld was appointed vice president of Siemens AG.

In 2004, Klaus Kleinfeld advocated for a customer- and shareholder-focused corporate culture, pressuring German unions to loosen labor rules and extend the German work week from 35 to 40 hours, with no additional pay.

Klaus Kleinfeld said that German workers "have to adjust and understand what the world is like" to remain competitive.

Once the investigation became public, Klaus Kleinfeld hired outside legal and auditing experts to conduct an independent investigation and revamp the company's internal accounting and control practices and eliminate potential improper practices.

The independent investigation later found that the company paid hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes, which were legal in Germany until 1999, but that there were "no indications of personal misconduct or that Klaus Kleinfeld had any knowledge of events" related to the scandal.

In June 2007, Klaus Kleinfeld left Siemens, citing uncertainty about his future with the company after divisions among Siemens board members concerning the extension of his contract became public.

In 2003, Klaus Kleinfeld joined Alcoa's board of directors, receiving $2.3 million in shares on his first day.

In 2012, Klaus Kleinfeld began closing a number of costly, outdated smelting facilities.

Klaus Kleinfeld led diversification of the company with the additions of lightweight multi-materials technology, engineering and manufacturing, and directed the acquisition of three companies to position Alcoa to the aerospace business.

Klaus Kleinfeld implemented a strategy to reduce the company's reliance on commodities, overseeing its rise to become a global leader in lightweight metals, and increasing its reputation for manufacturing innovation.

Klaus Kleinfeld remained as Arconic's chairman and CEO following the split.

Klaus Kleinfeld initially proposed to serve as chairman of the upstream company during the transition phase, but the proposal was declined; Kleinfeld was not affiliated with the new company.

Elliott publicly called for the firing of Klaus Kleinfeld, citing the company's lackluster stock performance, missed profit forecasts, and inefficient spending.

On 17 April 2017, Klaus Kleinfeld resigned as chairman and CEO by mutual agreement with the board of Arconic, after sending an unauthorized letter to Elliott.

Klaus Kleinfeld founded together with Partners the SPAC "Constellation" which was listed on the NYSE in 2021.

Klaus Kleinfeld founded his own investment company "K2 Elevation" which invests in and develops international enterprises in the technology and biotech segment.

Klaus Kleinfeld is a member of the Bilderberg Group Steering Committee, the Brookings Institution Board of Trustees, the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum, the Board of the World Economic Forum USA, and the Metropolitan Opera Advisory Board.

In 2009, Klaus Kleinfeld was named chairman of the board of the US-Russia Business Council, which promotes trade and investment between the US and Russia.

In 2013, Klaus Kleinfeld joined the US-China Business Council Board of Directors and is a member of the Chinese Premier's Global CEO Advisory Council.

Previously, Klaus Kleinfeld served on the supervisory board of Bayer AG from 2005 to 2014, was a director of Citigroup Inc from 2005 to 2007, and served as a member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG from 2004 to 2007.

Mr Klaus Kleinfeld served on the Board of Directors of Morgan Stanley and Hewlett Packard Enterprise until April 2017.

Klaus Kleinfeld is a member of the supervisory boards of NEOM, Konux and Ferolabs.

Klaus Kleinfeld is Honorary Senator of the Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting and a member of the board of the Metropolitan Opera, New York.

In December 2014, Klaus Kleinfeld received a Legend in Leadership Award from the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute.

Also in December 2014, Kleinfeld received a Dwight D Eisenhower Global Leadership Award from the Business Council for International Understanding.

In May 2014, Klaus Kleinfeld was named CEO of the Year at the 2014 Platts Global Metals Awards.