Hans Wolfgang Reitzle (born 7 March 1949 in Neu-Ulm) is a German business executive.

Early life and education

After leaving his school in Ulm, Reitzle continued his education at the Technical University of Munich where he studied mechanical engineering and economics. In 1971, aged just 22, he became Munich's youngest ever "Diplom-Ingenieur" graduate. In 1974, he received his doctorate in engineering (Dr.-Ing.).

Career

In 1976, he joined BMW where he would progress to the No. 2 position. He was in charge of product development for more than ten years from 1987, presiding with meticulous attention over the development and launch of a string of successful models. Between 1999 and 1 May 2002, Reitzle was the head of Ford's Premier Automotive Group, overseeing the Volvo,

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

, and Land Rover marques. He let it be known that he left Ford when it became clear that he would not have sufficient control of developing new models through to the production process: the cost containing instincts of fellow director

Nick Scheele Sir Nicholas Vernon Scheele KCMG (3 January 1944 – 18 July 2014) was an English business executive who served as president, from 2001–05, and Chief Operating Officer (COO), from 2001–04, of the Ford Motor Company, and also as Chancellor of ...

were destined to ensure that the PAG vehicles would not benefit from his uncompromising approach sufficiently to compete on level terms with market leaders such as Lexus and BMW. When he left Ford, Reitzle denied having been offered a role with

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

as heir apparent by Bob Lutz, initially taking over responsibility for

Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...

and Saab: Ford had provided him with sufficient experience of US auto industry corporate culture. A naval metaphor that he was prepared to place on record was that he "would rather be captain on a destroyer than first officer on an aircraft carrier". He instead quit the car business and became

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of The Linde Group, at that time a leading manufacturer of Fork-lift trucks and currently the world's largest

industrial gas Industrial gases are the gaseous materials that are manufactured for use in industry. The principal gases provided are nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon, hydrogen, helium and acetylene, although many other gases and mixtures are also avail ...

company, joining the board in 2002 and becoming a chairman in 2003. He was replaced at Ford by Mark Fields, who had previously headed up Mazda. In Munich, on 3 May 2016 Reitzle was elected as chairman of the supervisory board of Linde AG. In January 2018 Reitzle was appointed to the supervisory board of the fashion company Bogner. He resigned this post in 2019. Wolfgang Reitzle has invested in several startups in recent years. For example, he and his wife

Nina Ruge Nina Ruge (born 24 August 1956 in Munich) is a German journalist, TV presenter and author. Early life and education Ruge is the daughter of an engineering professor and visited the Ina-Seidel-Schule in Braunschweig. Her sister Annette is an ...

together with the billionaire investor

Michael Pieper Michael Pieper (born 1946) is a Swiss billionaire businessman, the owner of the kitchen appliance manufacturer Franke, through his Artemis Group holding company. As of October 2021, his net worth was estimated at US$4.8 billion. Early life Piepe ...

have acquired a stake in the biotech company Tomorrowlabs GmbH. The company, which was founded in 2016 in Vienna by the physician Dominik Duscher and pharmacologist

Dominik Thor Dominic is a name common among Roman Catholics and other Latin-Romans as a male given name. Originally from the late Roman-Italic name "Dominicus", its translation means "Lordly", "Belonging to God" or "of the Master". Variations include: Domini ...

, is based on the patent-pending HSF ( "HIF strengthening factor") active ingredient, which is supposed to promote skin and hair regeneration.

Other activities

Corporate boards

Continental AG Continental AG, commonly known as Continental or colloquially as Conti, is a German multinational automotive parts manufacturing company specializing in tires, brake systems, interior electronics, automotive safety, powertrain and chassis compo ...

, Chairman of the Supervisory Board *

Deutsche Telekom Deutsche Telekom AG (; short form often just Telekom, DTAG or DT; stylised as ·T·) is a German telecommunications company that is headquartered in Bonn and is the largest telecommunications provider in Europe by revenue. Deutsche Telekom was ...

, Member of the Supervisory Board * Holcim, Chairman of the Board, Chairman of the Governance & Strategy Committee, Member of the Nomination & Compensation Committee (since 2014) *

KION Group Kion Group AG (styled as KION Group) is a German multinational manufacturer of materials handling equipment, with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. Its principal products are intralogistics, warehouse automation equipment, and indus ...

, Member of the Supervisory Board * Deutsche Bank, Member of the European Advisory Board (since 2003)

Non-profit organizations

* Deutsches Museum, Member of the Board of Trustees *

Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz The Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz (KHI) is one of the oldest research institutions dedicated to the history of art and architecture in Italy, where facets of European, Mediterranean and global history are investigated. Founded in 1897 by ...

(KHI), Member of the Board of Trustees * Munich Security Conference, Chairman of the Advisory Council *

Roland Berger Foundation Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

, Member of the Board of Trustees *

Senckenberg Nature Research Society The Senckenberg Nature Research Society (german: link=no, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, until 2008 ''Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft'') is a German scholarly society with headquarters in Frankfurt am Main. Overview ...

, Member of the Board of Trustees * Technical University of Munich (TUM), Member of the Board of Trustees * Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, Treasurer and Member of the Board of Trustees (2007-2013)Board of Trustees
Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft.

Personal life

Reitzle has two daughters by his first marriage. In September 2001, he married television presenter

References

External links

Reitzle profile at Linde AG
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reitzle, Wolfgang Businesspeople from Bavaria German mechanical engineers Technical University of Munich alumni Technical University of Munich faculty 1949 births Living people Tire industry people Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Linde plc people People from Neu-Ulm Engineers from Bavaria