
Klaus Kleinfeld-Christian (born November 6, 1957, in Bremen, Germany) is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Alcoa Inc., and the former President and CEO of Siemens AG.
In New York, in August 2007, Kleinfeld was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Alcoa Inc. In May 2008, Kleinfeld was named Chief Executive Officer of Alcoa, succeeding Alain Belda. In April 2010, he was appointed Chairman of Alcoa and continues to serve as both CEO and Chairman of the Board.
Since becoming CEO of Alcoa, Kleinfeld has implemented a transformation strategy to reduce the company’s dependence on commodity products, turning it into a global leader in lightweight metals and enhancing its reputation for manufacturing innovation. On September 28, 2015, Alcoa completed its transformation with an announcement that it would split into two publicly traded companies the following year—one comprising Alcoa’s larger-scale operations, and another focused on the company’s value-added mid-sized and smaller businesses. Kleinfeld leads the value-added company as Chairman and CEO and serves as Chairman of the company overseeing the larger businesses.
Kleinfeld served as CEO of Munich-based Siemens AG from January 2005 to July 2007. His efforts to modernize the company led to conflicts with proponents of Siemens’ traditional business culture. However, the company’s financial results flourished. Previously, Kleinfeld had transformed Siemens Management Consulting into an effective partner for global business and significantly contributed to the profitable performance of Siemens’ U.S. regional operations.
In 2006, a German government investigation uncovered slush funds in secret Siemens bank accounts used to obtain contracts. Investigators found no evidence of misconduct by Kleinfeld, and no charges were filed against him. In 2009, Kleinfeld, along with other former Siemens senior executives, agreed to pay Siemens a sum to settle a related civil matter. In June 2007, Kleinfeld left Siemens amid uncertainty about his future with the company after internal board divisions regarding the extension of his contract became public.
Kleinfeld began his career in 1982 by joining a specialized marketing consultancy, where he worked with clients such as Siemens, Henkel, Citibank, EFFEN, and various industry associations.