Barbara Kux is to become the first woman on the board of electronics and engineering company Siemens in 160 years.
The former Philips CPO joins the firm next Monday to take control of the group’s new supply chain management group. Her position will also make her the only female board member of any company trading on the DAX 30, Germany’s stock market of the country’s top 30 firms.
As head of supply chain management she will be responsible for the group’s €42 billion (£36 billion) worldwide procurement spend. She will also become the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer, a role she also held at Philips.
“In view of the current global economic challenges, the appointment of Ms Kux comes just at the right moment,” said President and CEO of Siemens Peter Löscher. He added her responsibility for procurement would be critical to improving the firm’s overall efficiency.
Kux worked at Philips from 2003 until September this year and has also worked at Ford, Nestlé and consultancy McKinsey. In 2007 she was ranked as Fortune magazine's nineteenth most powerful woman in business.
