Heinrich von Pierer

Heinrich von Pierer, a German company leader of moral authority, is considered a doyen of German economy – mainly because of his personality, his integrity and experience, but also for his skilful direction of the Siemens group. Von Pierer, with a doctorate in law and a degree in economics, worked as counsellor for the legal department of Siemens AG from 1969, headed the power plant subsidiary KWU, and later, as the first non-technician, Europe’s biggest electrics and electronics group from 1992 to 2005. He managed to modernize the corporation and to restructure it in the gale of globalisation. In the mid-1990s he decided on a radical settlement of the portfolio in order to lead the company out of a crisis.

Von Pierer was born in 1941 in Erlangen, son of a professional soldier of rank. For 18 years he was a member of the city council of his hometown – an unusual parallel commitment, about which he likes to joke: “I am really a failed politician who was obliged to stay with Siemens.” In 1976, he loses out in the elections for the Lower House of the German Parliament. In the wake of recent economic and corruption scandals, calls for an ethic responsibility of big companies have increased. When it comes to the relation between ethics and economy Heinrich Pierer strongly advocates the respect of law and order: “A company should act morally simply because immoral actions do not pay.”

Heinrich von Pierer published Unmoralisches Verhalten lohnt sich nicht. Drei Stimmen zur Ethik in der modernen Gesellschaft (Immoral Actions do not pay. Three opinions on the ethics of modern society). In 2004 he spoke at the Security Council of the UN about the role of economy with respect to the prevention of conflicts, peace keeping and peace management. Since the beginnings of 2005 Pierer has been chairman of the board of Siemens AG.