Gerard Kleisterlee
| Gerard Kleisterlee | |
|---|---|
 Kleisterlee with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Amsterdam on 20 June 2009. |
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| Born | 28 September 1946 Germany |
| Residence | Amsterdam |
| Nationality | Netherlands |
| Education | Eindhoven University of Technology University of Pennsylvania |
| Known for | Philips |
| Spouse | Married |
| Children | 3 |
Gerard Kleisterlee (born September 28, 1946) is a former President and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Philips Electronics (known universally as Philips).
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[edit] Biography
Born in Germany in 1946 to a mixed Dutch and German couple, he was raised in the Netherlands. Educated at a Jesuit-run Canisius College in Nijmegen, he attended the Eindhoven University of Technology.
Training as an electronics engineer, like his father he has worked at Philips all his life. From 1981 to 1986 he was General Manager of Philips' Professional Audio Product Group. Kleisterlee joined Philips Components in 1986. After becoming General Manager of Philips Display Components for Europe, he attended the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School in 1991.[1]
Upon return to Philips, he was appointed Managing Director of Philips Display Components Worldwide in 1994. He became President of Philips Taiwan and Regional Manager for Philips Components in Asia-Pacific in 1996. From September 1997 through June 1998 he was also responsible for all the activities of the Philips Group in China. He served on the Hong Kong Chief Executive's Council of International Advisers from 1998 to 2005.[2]
Kleisterlee determined not only to transform Philips' image with consumers but also turn it into a high-growth, high-tech company, something that more than 10 years of restructuring, under two predecessors, failed to do. Since becoming CEO he has: [3]
- Replaced all of the top executives at Philips' consumer-electronics division in the U.S.
- Outsourced the production of mobile phone handsets and VCRs
- Slashed overhead
- Forced divisions to share services to achieve cost savings
- Spun off the volatile semiconductors business into a separate entity NXP Semiconductors, and then sold a controlling 80.1% stake to a consortium of private equity investors
Kleisterlee was succeeded by Frans van Houten as CEO of Philips in April 2011.
A director of DELL, Kleisterlee was nominated as the successor at Vodafone to chairman John Bond in January 2011, a position he will take up from July 2011.[4]
[edit] Recognition
- He was awarded an Honorary doctorate from the Catholic University of Leuven in 2005.
- Kleisterlee was named 2006 Europe Businessman of the Year by Fortune.[5]
[edit] Personal life
Kleisterlee and his wife reside in Amsterdam; they have three children.
[edit] References
- ^ Wharton Alumni Magazine: 125 Influential People and Ideas: Gerard Kleisterlee University of Pennsylvania
- ^ Speech by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong
- ^ Can Philips Learn to Walk the Talk?
- ^ "Vodafone appoints Gerard Kleisterlee as new chairman". BBC News. 2 February, 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12343198. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
- ^ "Europe Businessman of the Year: Kleisterlee, Philips CEO"
[edit] External links
- Gerard Kleisterlee biography
- Business Times Online (UK)
- Creamermedia.co
- 2006 World Conference notes
- ELCFED.org
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