Hall of Fame

Dr. Arno Balzer

Born: April 14, 1958

Dr. Arno Balzer completed his doctoral degree in economics at the School of Business and Economics in 1986. He was an editor at Wirtschaftswoche until 1990. Arno Balzer became head of the business and finance press department at Daimler Benz AG in 1991. He became deputy editor-in-chief of manager magazin in 1999. He was editor-in-chief of manager magazin from 2003 to 2013. Arno Balzer has been editor-in-chief of Bilanz magazine since 2014.

Dr. Klaus Peter Bleyer

Born: November 18, 1940

Dr. Klaus Peter Bleyer obtained a degree in business administration from the School in 1966, where he subsequently completed his doctoral degree in 1969. He then worked as a financial analyst in the central business department at Standard Elektrik Lorenz AG. In 1972, he became a controller in the radio and navigation department at the same company. He became finance director and controller at the SWF Auto-Electric group in 1975. After being made head of the executive board at the SWF group in 1981 and president of the Electrical Systems Group at ITT Automotive Inc. in 1987, he held the position of managing director at ZF Friedrichshafen AG from 1990 to 2001. He has also held roles as chairman of the supervisory board at Mahle GmbH, Bertrandt AG and Klöckner Pentaplast S.a.r.l., and as chairman of Verband der Automobilindustrie e.V. and the European Association of Automotive Suppliers.

Dr. Werner Brandt

Born: January 3, 1954

‘Studying at the School in Nuremberg prepared me well for professional life.’

Dr. Werner Brandt obtained a degree in business administration from the School in 1981. He then worked at Price Waterhouse GmbH before completing a doctoral degree at Technische Universität Darmstadt in 1991. From 1992 to 1999, he was a member of the board at Baxter Deutschland GmbH, where he was responsible for finance at Baxter International Inc. in Europe. He was then a member of the board and finance and labor relations director at Fresenius Medical Care AG from 1999 to 2001, before becoming director of finance and a member of the board at SAP AG in 2001. Werner Brandt is also a member of the supervisory board at Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Qiagen N.V. He has been chairman of the supervisory board at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG since June 26, 2014. He was also appointed as member of the IFRS Foundation’s advisory board on January 1, 2015.

Dr. Werner Dollinger

Born: October 10, 1918 
Died: January 3, 2008

‘Research findings and possible developments form a foundation for life.’

Dr. Werner Dollinger was West German minister of finance from 1962 to 1966, minister of postal and telecommunications from 1966 to 1969, and minister of transport from 1982 to 1987. He completed a degree in business administration at the Nuremberg Commercial College, which later became the School of Business and Economics, in 1940 and obtained a doctoral degree there in 1942.

Theo Dräger

Born: February 19, 1938

‘Based on my experience at my own company, I believe that people are willing to make changes when they are given clear and rewarding goals.’

Theo Dräger completed a degree in business administration at the School in 1966, where he then worked as an assistant at the Chair of Economics, Auditing, Trusts and Business Taxation. He became head of accounting at Drägerwerk AG in 1968. He was made head of the finance division at Drägerwerk AG in 1972, and was chairman of the board at Drägerwerk AG from 1997 to 2005.

Prof. Dr. Ludwig Erhard

Born: February 4, 1897
Died: May 5, 1977

Ludwig Erhard, who was Chancellor of West Germany from 1963 to 1966, completed a degree in business administration at the Nuremberg Commercial College, which later became the School of Business and Economics, in 1923. He then worked as a research associate at the Institut für Wirtschaftsbeobachtung der deutschen Fertigware, a marketing research institute in Nuremberg, from 1928 and 1942. He then became deputy head of the institute. He entered politics in 1945 as a member of the Bavarian cabinet, in which he held the position of minister of economic affairs. He was made West German minister of economic affairs in 1949. He then became Chancellor of West Germany in 1963.

Alexander Fackelmann

Born: 1956

‘I particularly liked the good mix of theoretical teaching and a practical introduction to marketing and sales. When I started my career I was able to rely on a sound basis of knowledge and skills, which I was also able to put into practice later as an entrepreneur. Establishing contacts at the School of Business and Economics also proved to be very helpful later on.’

Alexander Fackelmann, born in 1956, studied business at FAU from 1976 to 1982. He is the owner and managing director of the family-run company Fackelmann GmbH & Co. KG in Hersbruck. Before joining his parents’ business in 1985, he worked as a product manager in the marketing department at Vereinigte Papierwerke (VP). The Fackelmann Children Foundation (Fackelmann Kinderfonds Stiftung) supports educational projects for children and society.

Dr. Ingo Friedrich

Born: January 24, 1942

‘Studying at the School of Business and Economics at FAU was an important and valuable stage in my life. I was equipped with the skills I needed for the next step in life during my time there.’

Dr. Ingo Friedrich completed a degree in economics at the School in 1967, where he subsequently obtained a doctoral degree in 1971. He then became the manager of the head office at a German joint-stock company in 1971. He was elected as a member of the European Parliament in the first direct elections in 1979. Dr. Ingo Friedrich was president of the European SME forum from 1990 to 1999. Voluntary positions that he has held include the role of vice president of the European Parliament (1999 to 2007).

Source: www.ingo-friedrich.de (German)

Kurt Glässer

Born: October 31, 1904
Died: April 29, 2003

Kurt Glässer attended lectures on business administration and commercial law at the Nuremberg Commercial College, which later became the School of Business and Economics, from 1923 to 1934. At the same time he was manger of the Nuremberg branch of Thyssen. He was general director of Rheinstahl Handelsgesellschaft until 1970.

In 2001, Kurt Glässer was awarded the medal of honour of the School of Business and Economics and a bust of him was placed in the foyer of the School’s building at Findelgasse. In the same year he established the Kurt-Glässer-Stiftung, a foundation which promotes teaching and research at the School of Business and Economics and is the second largest foundation at FAU. He was made an honorary senator in 2002.

Prof. Dr. Karl-Dieter Grüske

Born: December 11, 1946

‘The School of Business and Economics can shape your whole life.’

Prof. Dr. Karl-Dieter Grüske obtained a degree in economics from the School in 1971, where he subsequently completed his doctoral degree in 1978. He became a professor of finance at the School in 1991 and took on the role of dean from 1994 to 1996. He became the rector of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg in 2002, an office that was later renamed president and that he held until 2015.

Prof. Dr. Helmut Haussmann

Born: May 18, 1943

‘Connecting academic teaching with managerial practice and political consulting.’

Prof. Dr. Helmut Haussmann obtained a degree in business administration from the School in 1968, where he subsequently completed his doctoral degree in 1975. He became a lecturer at the School in 1977. He entered politics in 1984 and was general secretary of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) until 1988 before taking on the role of German minister of finance until 1991. He also became a member of the Bundestag in 1976. He was appointed honorary professor of international management at the School in 1996. He was awarded FAU’s medal of honour in 2009. He also received the Schöller Research Center‘s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

Source: www.helmut-haussmann.de (German)

Dr. Claus Dieter Hoffmann

Born: May 3, 1942

‘The Chair of Business Management led by Professor E. H. Sieber where I completed my doctoral degree was a pioneer in research in the German-speaking world into international companies. The research work I participated in there formed a systematic basis for my career.’

Dr. Claus Dieter Hoffmann obtained a degree in business administration from the School in 1968, where he subsequently completed his doctoral degree in 1972. He then joined the central controlling department at Robert Bosch GmbH in 1973. He became president of Robert Bosch GmbH Japan Ltd in 1978. From 1996 to 2002, he was a member of the executive board and managing director of Robert Bosch GmbH where he was responsible for finance, controlling and purchasing/logistics. He has been managing director of H + H Senior Advisors GmbH since 2002.

Dr. Hermut Kormann

Born: April 2, 1942

‘I do not believe that there is a secret to professional success. Top careers are, first and foremost, the result of hard work.’
(Interview with Ingenieurweb.de on August 9, 2002)

Dr. Hermut Kormann obtained a doctoral degree from the School in 1968 after completing a degree in business administration here in 1965. He became managing director of Busch-Jäger GmbH in 1978. He then moved to Brown, Boverie & Cie (BBC) in 1981, where he was head of the industrial systems division. He became a member of the board at J.M. Voith AG in 1991. He was chairman of the board at Voith AG from 2000 to 2008.

Gunther Oschmann

Born: 1940

Gunter Oschmann studied business at FAU from 1960 to 1965. In 1962, after his grandfather had passed away, he took over the Nuremberg-based telephone directory publishing company he had established. Under his leadership, the company quickly developed into the largest telephone directory publisher in Germany. Müller Medien is now based in the north of Nuremberg.

Prof. Dr. Heinrich von Pierer

Born: January 26, 1941

‘Studying at the School – first in Erlangen and then in Nuremberg – provided me with additional knowledge that complemented my training in law excellently. I particularly liked the atmosphere in the old rooms in the Findelgasse building in Nuremberg. My studies were a fantastic investment. Whether in business, in my work with associations or in dialog with politics, I am constantly benefiting from this foundation.’

Dr. Heinrich von Pierer obtained a doctoral degree from FAU in 1968 and completed a degree in economics at the School in 1969. In the same year he joined the legal department in the finance division at Siemens AG. In 1989, he became a member of the board, head of the energy production division, and in 1990, he was made a member of the central board at Siemens AG. He became chairman of the board at Siemens AG in 1992 and was then chairman of the supervisory board at Siemens AG from 2005 and 2007. He was made an honorary professor at the School in 2006.

Walter Raizner

Born: August 15, 1954

‘Studying at the School in Nuremberg provided me with a great deal of practical knowledge which helped me get off to a great start in my career.’

Walter Raizner studied business and computer science and obtained a degree from the School in 1983. He became head of the newly created IBM Deutschland Direkt Marketing Organisation in 1991 and was later made head of sales for the manufacturing division in South Germany. He became vice president, marketing and strategy of IBM Technology Group at the corporate headquarters in the USA in 1998. He was chairman of the board at IBM Deutschland GmbH from 2003 to 2004. He was a member of the board at Telekom AG and chairman of the board at T-Com from 2004 to 2006.

Konrad Reiss

Born: December 23, 1957
Died: April 6, 2005

‘Business acumen and excellent practical training – the School of Business and Economics gave me both.’

Konrad Reiss obtained a degree in business administration from the School in 1982. He was employed as a marketing/product manager at Vereinigte Papierwerken Schickedanz & Co from 1983 to 1985. Between 1986 and 1992, he established GTP-International Human Resources Consultants, Institut für Information und Training where he was managing director. He was CEO of the Cap Gemni group from 1993 to 2000. He became a member of the board at DaimlerChrysler Services AG in 2000, where he was responsible for debis IT services. Konrad Reiss became a member of the board at Deutsche Telekom in early 2003, as he was made chairman of the board of T-Systems International on January 20, 2003.

Dr. Bernd Rödl

Born: June 25, 1943
Died: November 9, 2015

‘After completing my law studies, I laid the foundation for my self-employed career at the School. The School has a long tradition of practice-oriented research and academic teaching. What I learned during my time at the School continues to help me in my practical work today. But that doesn’t just apply to me. If you look at the board at Rödl & Partner, you could say that it is a child of the School of Business and Economics in Nuremberg!’

Dr. Bernd Rödl finished his studies in law at FAU in 1966. He completed a doctoral degree at FAU in 1968 and then worked as an assistant at the School’s Chair of Public Law from 1970 to 1973. He became a certified tax advisor in 1974 and a certified auditor in 1976. He established Rödl & Partner in 1977, where he was a managing partner.

Hans-Peter Schmidt

Born: March 21, 1942

Hans-Peter Schmidt obtained a degree in business administration from the School in 1969. He became a member of the board at NÜRNBERGER Versicherungsgruppe in 1978 and chairman of the board at NÜRNBERGER Versicherungsgruppe in 1989. He was president of the Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 2000 to 2004. He was chairman of the supervisory board at NÜRNBERGER Versicherungsgruppe from 2002 to 2015. He has been honorary president of the Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 2004.

Karl Matthäus Schmidt

Born: January 12, 1969

‘My years at university laid the foundations for my professional career. It was an important and enjoyable time for me.’

Karl Matthäus Schmidt completed a degree in business administration at the School in 1995. He established Consors Discount-Broker in 1994, where he became CEO in 1999. In the same year, Consors AG was listed on the stock market. He was deputy CEO at CortalConsors, a subsidiary of the BNP Paribas group, from 2002 to 2003. He was vice chairman of Cortal Consors S.A. Paris from 2003 to 2005 and established KMS consulting GmbH & Co. KG in Nuremberg in 2007. He has been speaker of the board at Quirin Bank, Berlin, since 2005.

Thomas A. H. Schöck

Born: October 16, 1948

Thomas A. H. Schöck finished his studies in law at FAU in 1974 and completed a degree in economics at the School in 1976. He worked as a research assistant at the Chair of German and International Tax Law, Finance and Budgetary Law at FAU from 1977 to 1980. He was head of the financial policy division at the Bavarian State Chancellery from 1983 to 1987. He was the head of the department of cabinet affairs, the public budget and European Community affairs at the Bavarian State Ministry of Finance until 1988. He became FAU chancellor in 1988. He was the speaker for the chancellors of German universities from 2000 to 2003.

Sebastian Schwanhäußer

Born: October 6, 1963

‘When I started at university there were lots of students studying business administration. Nevertheless, the discussions and topics from my student days continue to help me in my work today.‘

Sebastian Schwanhäußer completed a degree in business administration at the School in 1992. From 1992 to 1995, he was in charge of business planning for markets and technology at Viag AG. From 1995 to 1997, he was a product manager at Hunt Manufacturing, Philadelphia, USA. He became a key account and marketing manager for Germany at Schwan-STABILO Schwanhäußer GmbH & Co in 1997, where he was made managing director in 1998. He has been a member of the executive board at Schwan-STABILO since 2006.

Dr. h.c. Heinz Sebiger

Born: March 9, 1923
Died: August 25, 2016

Dr. Sebiger obtained a degree in business administration and economics at the School in 1959. He established his own tax consulting practice in 1951. He established DATEV eG in 1966, where he was chairman of the board from 1966 to 1996. He was awarded an honorary doctoral degree by FAU in 1986.

Prof. Dr. Hans-Wolf Sievert

Born: November 10, 1941

Prof. Dr. Hans-Wolf Sievert completed a degree in social sciences at the School in 1968. He obtained his doctoral degree from Johannes Kepler University Linz in 1971. He became bank director of Deutsche Bank in 1978. He was appointed as chairman of the board at Sievert AG & Co. KG in 1986. He was made an honorary professor at the School of Business Administration and Economics at Osnabrück University in 1997.

Dr. Steffen Stremme

Born: July 18, 1947

‘The range of courses in business administration at the School gave me the opportunity to develop my own strengths and interests rather than having to focus on getting rid of weaknesses like at school. This was excellent preparation for a labor market in which companies depend much more on their best employees than talented people depend on companies.’

Dr. Steffen Stremme completed a degree in business administration at the School in 1973. After working in sales for South America at KWU AG (1975), he became managing director of adidas do Brazil in 1982. He became head of controlling for the adidas group in 1987 and managing director of adidas Germany in 1991. He became a member of the board of adidas AG in 1993. In 1996, he moved to Quelle AG, where he was chairman of the board. He has been a managing director at Media-Saturn-Holding GmbH since 1999 and a member of the University Council at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg since 1998.

Dr. Ralf P. Thomas

Born: March 7, 1961

Dr. Ralf P. Thomas began working for Siemens AG in 1995. He has been a member of the board and chief financial officer at Siemens AG since 2013. During his time at the company his roles have included head of corporate finance accounting, controlling, reporting, and taxes (2004) and CFO of the industry sector at Siemens AG’s location in Erlangen (2008).

Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Vershofen

Born: December 25, 1878
Died: April 30, 1960

After studying at the universities in Bonn, Munich and Jena, Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Vershofen became a legal advisor to the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Sonneberg in 1916. He became director of the Verbandes der deutschen Porzellangeschirrfabriken, the association of German porcelain factories, in 1919. Between 1925 and 1940, he was a professor and the rector at the Nuremberg Commercial College. He founded Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK) in 1934, where he later became director. He was forced to retire in 1940 because of his criticism of National Socialist economic policy. After the war he was reappointed as a professor of economics at FAU, where he continued to work until 1960.

Dr. Martin Viessmann

Born: October 10, 1953

Dr. Martin Viessmann completed a degree in business studies at the School in 1979. He obtained a doctoral degree in social sciences and business from the University of Innsbruck in 1989. He began working for Viessmann in 1979. In 1984, he became a member of senior management and in 1989, he became managing director of the Viessmann group. He has been president of the Kassel Chamber of Industry and Commerce since 2004.

Prof. Dr. Frank Walthes

Born: November 17, 1963

„Always remain authentic in thought and action.”

Dr. rer. pol. Frank Walthes studied Economics at FAU WiSo from 1985 to 1991. He then completed his doctorate on European Cohesion and Fiscal Federalism (PhD in Social and Economic Science). He started his professional career as an Executive Assistant within Allianz Group in 1996, where he later held various specialist and managerial positions in executive functions at board level across Germany. Since 2012, Dr. Walthes has now been CEO of the Versicherungskammer Group, transforming it during this time into one of the ten largest insurers in Germany with about 7,000 employees.
In addition to his mandates in insurance industry he holds an honorary professorship for Strategic Transformation in Financial Services at the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich and is chairman of the Landeskuratorium Bayern (Bavarian State Board of Trustees), the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft (Association for the Promotion of Humanities and Science, Germany).