| Wolfgang Leitner | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 March 1953 |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Education | University of Graz |
| Title | CEO, Andritz AG |
| Term | 1994-2022 |
| Children | 2 |
Wolfgang Leitner (born 27 March 1953) is an Austrian billionaire and former CEO of Andritz AG, an Austrian plant engineering company.
Early life
Leitner was born in 1953 in Graz, Austria. His father was a metal worker at Andritz AG. In 1978, Leitner received a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Graz.
Career
After university Leitner worked in research for Vianova, an Austrian subsidiary of Hoechst AG. In 1981, he started working as a management consultant for McKinsey. In 1986, he founded the pharmaceutical company Genericon Pharma together with his former classmate Martin Bartenstein, who would later become a mininister in the Austrian government. Genericon Pharma’s Hungarian subsidiary Pharmavit achieved great success with effervescent tablets and generic drugs. In 1995, the company was bought by the US pharmaceutical group Bristol Myers Squibb for USD 110 million.
Leitner joined Andritz AG as chief financial officer in 1987. In 1994, he became chief executive officer. In 1999, when Andritz AG was sold, Leitner acquired a 26 percent stake. In July 2021, Joachim Schönbeck was appointed as Leitner's successor as CEO of Andritz AG starting in April 2022. Leitner subsequently moved to the supervisory board.
Private life
Leitner is married, with two children, and lives in Graz, Austria.
Leitner made the 2024 Forbes Billionaires List with an estimated wealth of US$ 2.7 billion, the sixth richest in Austria and 1238th richest person in the world.
Honours
- 2006: "Man of the Year" by Austrian business magazine Trend
- 2015: Honorary Senator of the Graz University of Technology
- 2022: Erzherzog-Johann-Award
References
- ^ "Wolfgang Leitner". munzinger.de. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ "The World's Billionaires: Wolfgang Leitner". Forbes. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
- ^ Luisa Kroll (20 November 2012). "Son Of A Machine Fitter Is New Austrian Billionaire". forbes.com. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ Thomas Jäkle. "Andritz – Global Player im Anlagenbau für Kraftwerke, Automobil, Zellstoff und Kläranlagen aus Graz". trend.at. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- "Andritz: Leitner geht nach 27 Jahren als Chef". steiermark.orf.at. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- "Forbes Billionaires 2024". forbes.com. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- Werner Bühringer (24 January 2007). "Lowe GGK für den "trend"-Mann des Jahres". derstandard.at. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- Barbara Gigler (26 November 2015). "TU Graz ehrt Trio". pressearchiv.tugraz.at. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- Mario Lugger (11 January 2024). "Wolfgang Leitner mit Erzherzog-Johann-Award ausgezeichnet". ots.at. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
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