GERMAN-AMERICAN HALL OF FAME

Thomas Limberger

Chairman and CEO

SilverArrow Holding AG

 

Thomas Limberger studied economics in France and in the United States. In 1994 concluded his studies with “Finance and Strategic Management” with a Master of Business Administration (Institut Superieur de Gestion, Harvard Business School).

Profession and Career

1995–2001: Fresenius AG and Fresenius Medical AG, Bad Homburg, Germany: different management functions

2001–2006: General Electric Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Munich, Germany: CEO und National Executive

2006–2007: OC Oerlikon AG, Pfäffikon SZ, Switzerland: CEO und Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors

2007-2011: Von Roll Holding AG, Wädenswil, Switzerland: Chairman and CEO

2011- today: SilverArrow Holding AG: Founder, Chairman and CEO

After his MBA Limberger began his professional career in 1996 at Fresenius AG. Following the takeover of National Medical Care in the USA to create Fresenius Medical Care AG, Limberger held various management roles until 2001.

In January 2001 he took a position on the management board of General Electric Germany. He was responsible for the Industrial business division. In 2002 he became CEO of General Electric Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In this role he was responsible for all General Electric’s activities in central Europe. It was under his management that the region’s revenues doubled to $6.5 billion dollars. He was also at the helm during the integration of Allbank (where he was supervisory board member until 2005) and the building of a global GE research facility on the TU campus in Munich.

His engagement and economic position brought him into contact with the political scene in Berlin. Johannes Rau mentioned Limberger in as speech to the German Foundation as an example of a businessman who recognizes the significance of location and so invests successfully. In other discussions with the political leadership – including Gerhard Schroder, Angela Merkel, Frank-Walter Steinmeier – he is always stating his opinion on the European location.

In May 2004, Limberger was elected by a general meeting to the board of OC Oerlikon AG. One year later, after a change in key shareholders, he became CEO and Vice President of the board. Limberger took on this position despite the stressful insolvency and led a successful restructuring of the firm. He led the company out of the reds (a loss of 340 million Swiss francs in 2004) and had by 2006 already achieved a record profit of 430 million Swiss francs. Due to these efforts and the surge in Oerlikon shares, the company won the Dow Jones EUROSTOXX 500 prize for the best stock in Europe. The business and tabloid press styled Limberger as part of a new generation of agile global managers. German newspaper Handelsblatt described Limberger and his management style as “Jack Welch in the Alps”. The Financial Times Deutschland followed up with a portrait entitled “Zack, Zack” and shortly afterwards Die Zeit referred to him as a successful but somewhat different “Whirlwind”.

From 2007 until end of 2011, Thomas Limberger was at Von Roll. With a company history of 204 years, Von Roll is a world leader in insulation products and systems for the electrical machinery industry as well as for composite materials and parts for various industrial applications. In addition, Von Roll also provides special thermal and fire resistant insulation products to the cable, electronics and other industries.

Since 2011 Limberger leads his own Private Equity firm, SilverArrow, operating out of Switzerland with a focus on industrial restructuring cases.

Board Directorships, e.g. SGS S.A., Moevenpick AG, Allbank AG, GE Inc., Oerlikon AG

Graduated from BMW Herbert Quandt Foundation as “World Young Leader”

Member of the World Economic Forum and the President Clinton Global Initiative

Board member of the CGDC

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