Siemens appoints new CEO for United Arab Emirates; to drive growth strategy

Kay Zwingenberger first joined Siemens in 1992 and gained valuable management experience for the company throughout Europe, spearheading the development of the Siemens Healthcare sector in Ukraine and heading up the Healthcare sector for Siemens in Russia. During his three-year tenure in Russia, the company's business volume trebled on the back of several large-scale contract wins. He was subsequently appointed CEO for Central Asia with responsibility for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, he oversaw the company's continuous growth against difficult economic conditions in the region.

In the UAE, which is home to Siemens' Middle East headquarters since 1999, Zwingenberger will continue to build on the company's global strategy of innovation, knowledge transfer and investment in emerging markets. Siemens, which first opened a representative office in the UAE in 1972 and has contributed to building the local energy, healthcare, industrial and urban infrastructure, presently employs about 2,000 people in the country and continues to grow its workforce. Today, the UAE is a key market for Siemens, which has maintained a continuous presence in the Middle East region for over 150 years.

"The UAE is a thriving, rapidly-developing nation and Siemens is committed to strengthening further its engagement in realizing the country's ongoing economic diversification, creating job opportunities for young Emiratis, and supporting the transfer of know-how and technology," Zwingenberger said.

Commenting on the appointment, Erich Kaeser, CEO of Siemens Middle East, said: "Kay Zwingenberger brings with him two decades of experience of working with Siemens and has a proven track record of growing the company's business. We look forward to continuing the 40-year success story of Siemens in the UAE as a trusted long-term partner and employer, and a responsible corporate citizen."