„Woman Power“ at Siemens

November 12, 2008 · Filed Under People

Today, Siemens AG has appointed Barbara Kux to the Managing Board of the newly established Supply Chain Management Division.

For the first time in more than 160 years of company history, a woman has been appointed to the top management board of Siemens AG. Out of the DAX-30 listed companies, only Siemens has a female Member on the Managing Board. The 54-year-old Swiss executive, who has held the position of Chief Procurement Officer at the Dutch Philips Group since 2003, will be heading the newly established Supply Chain Management Division as Member of the Siemens Managing Board. Her responsibilities include managing the global corporate purchasing volume of 42 billion euros. In her additional function as Chief Sustainability Officer she will be in charge of marketing the cross-sector environmental portfolio.

At its meeting on 12 November 2008, Barbara Kux was appointed by the Siemens Supervisory Board as a new Member of the Siemens AG Managing Board. She will take up her post on 17 November 2008. Before, the 54-year-old Swiss was heading Purchasing and Sustainability as Member of the Philips Group Board. Her former employers were Ford, ABB, Nestle and McKinsey. Barbara Kux studied in Europe as well as in the United States and she received her M.B.A. from INSEAD, in Fontainebleau. In 1995 she was selected by the World Economic Forum in Davos to join the group of “Global Leader of Tomorrow”.

Gerhard Cromme, Chairman of the Siemens AG Supervisory Board, welcomed Ms Kux as an outstanding personality with a broad international background, particularly in the field of Supply Chain Management. “I am glad to have won Ms Kux as a new Member of the top management,” Cromme said. Peter Löscher, Chairman of the Siemens AG Managing Board, said:”With view to the global economic challenges, the timing of Ms Kux’s appointment has been perfect.” He stressed that by being in charge of the Siemens global purchasing volume, Ms Kux would be in a crucial position to further raise corporate efficiency. “This first appointment of a woman to the Managing Board shows that we want more women to take up executive posts at Siemens, and we offer them excellent opportunities in our company.”