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Voith-CEO Hubert Lienhard to Take Over APA Chair

Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business
2013-09-24 09:15 1590

BERLIN, Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hubert Lienhard, CEO of the German machinery company Voith, will take over the chair of the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) in early 2014. After the CEOs of Siemens and BASF, Lienhard will be the first CEO of a German family-owned business to steer the APA. APA was founded in 1993, previous chairmen were the former Siemens-CEO Heinrich v. Pierer, the former BASF-CEO Juergen Hambrecht. The current APA chairman is Peter Loescher, the former Siemens CEO.

"We aim at strengthening trade and investment between Asia and Europe in both directions. And we need to reduce barriers to trade and investment," Lienhard stated. Value chains connect Asia and Europe in a much higher intensity as compared to ten years ago. This process needs to be accelerated towards further integrating Asian markets into the world economy. Today, research and development in business is international and needs to be close to the market and the customer.

"German industry is well positioned in Asia," Peter Loscher, the current APA-Chairman stated. "The guiding principles of APA -- partnership, innovation and sustainability -- fit well to the global challenges that need to be tackled jointly by the leaders from Europe and Asia-Pacific. It was a pleasure having been asked to chair APA in July 2010 and I will continue to fully engage in this task," Loescher assured. With the APA he sees a unique tool to guarantee a joint German business position towards Asia.

The share of Asia-Pacific of total German exports today amount to 14 percent, Asia's share of German foreign direct investment amounts to 10 percent. German companies experience the most remarkable growth dynamic in China, where last year more than six percent of German exports were directed to.

Hubert Lienhard, born 1951 in Southern Germany became CEO of Voith in 2008. Prior engagements include the global responsibility for the steam power plant business of ABB. Lienhard is closely associated to APA since 2003.

Source: Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business
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