Gerard Kleisterlee (born September 28, 1946) is the current President and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Philips Electronics (known universally as Philips) and Chairman of its Board of Management and Group Management Committees.

He was born in Germany in 1946 to a mixed (Dutch and German) couple and was raised in the Netherlands. He was educated at a Jesuit-run school (Canisius College, Nijmegen) and at the Eindhoven University of Technology. He became an electronic engineer, and like his father has worked at Philips all his life.

From 1981 to 1986 he was General Manager of Philips' Professional Audio Product Group. Kleisterlee joined Philips Components in 1986. After becoming General Manager of Philips Display Components for Europe, he attended Wharton School's Advanced Management Program^[1]in 1991.

Upon return to Philips, he was appointed Managing Director of Philips Display Components Worldwide in 1994. He became President of Philips Taiwan and Regional Manager for Philips Components in Asia-Pacific in 1996. From September 1997 through June 1998 he was also responsible for all the activities of the Philips Group in China. He served on the Hong Kong Chief Executive's Council of International Advisers from 1998 to 2005.^[2]

Kleisterlee determined not only to transform Philips' image with consumers but also turn it into a high-growth, high-tech company, something that more than 10 years of restructuring, under two predecessors, failed to do. Since becoming CEO he has: ^[3]

• a) replaced all of the top executives at Philips' consumer-electronics division in the U.S.
• b) outsourced the production of mobile phone handsets and VCRs
• c) cut the number of factories from 269 to 160
• d) sold a number of low-growth businesses such as fax machines
• e) slashed overhead
• f) forced divisions to share services to achieve cost savings
• g) spun off the volatile semiconductors business into a separate entity named NXP Semiconductors and sold a controlling 80.1% stake to a consortium of private equity investors

Contents 1 Recognition 2 Personal life 3 References 4 Links to online articles about Philips

[edit] Recognition

• He was awarded an Honorary doctorate from the Catholic University of Leuven in 2005.
• Gerard Kleisterlee was named 2006 Europe Businessman of the Year by Fortune.^[4]

[edit] Personal life

Kleisterlee and his wife reside in Amsterdam; they have three children.

[edit] References

1. ^ Wharton Alumni Magazine: 125 Influential People and Ideas: Gerard Kleisterlee University of Pennsylvania
2. ^ Speech by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong
3. ^ Can Philips Learn to Walk the Talk?
4. ^ "Europe Businessman of the Year: Kleisterlee, Philips CEO"

[edit] Links to online articles about Philips

• Gerard Kleisterlee biography
• Business Times Online (UK)
• Creamermedia.co
• 2006 World Conference notes
• ELCFED.org