{{short description|German manager, physicist and businessman}} {{Infobox person | name = Helmut Panke | image = Helmut Panke.jpg | birth_date = {{birth-date and age|31 August 1946}} | birth_place = Fürstenwalde, East Germany | birth_name = Helmut Gunter Wilhelm Panke | education = LMU Munich <br/>B.Sc., 1968;<br/> M.Sc., 1972;<br/> Ph.D., 1976 | occupation = Former chairman of BMW | boards = Microsoft,<br/> Singapore Airlines,<br/> Bayer AG }} '''Helmut Gunter Wilhelm Panke'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.corbis.co.in/searchresults.php?s=Helmut+G.W.+Panke|title = Royalty Free Stock Photos, Illustrations, Vector Art, and Video Clips - Getty Images}}</ref> (born on 31 August 1946<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/biography/M-R/Panke-Helmut-1946.html |title= Helmut Panke |publisher= Reference for Business}}</ref><ref name="eNotes">{{cite web |url= http://www.enotes.com/international-business-biography/panke-helmut |title= Helmut Panke Biography |publisher= eNotes}}</ref> in Fürstenwalde, East Germany<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4717446.stm |title= BMW boss Panke's vision for the future |work= BBC News |author= Jorn Madslien |date= 23 February 2006}}</ref>) is a German manager and physicist who has been holding board membership in several companies - Microsoft, Bayer AG and Singapore Airlines. During the past recent 30 years, Panke's management career spread over several companies, including e.g. serving as the chairman of the board of management at BMW from May 2002 through August 2006.<ref name="Microsoft">{{cite web |url= https://www.microsoft.com/presspass/bod/panke/default.mspx |title=Dr. Helmut Panke |publisher=Microsoft |date= September 1, 2009}}</ref>
==Education== In 1972, Panke graduated from LMU Munich in physics, having started his studies in 1968, and received his Ph.D. in 1976.<ref name="eNotes" />
Prior to his studies, during the period from 1964 to 1965, Panke was an AFS Exchange Student to the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.afsusa.org/old-returnees/spotlight/|title=AFS Intercultural Programs USA |access-date=2014-09-13}}</ref> After the award of the doctorate degree in nuclear physics, Panke joined the Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research.<ref name="CEO"/>
==Career== From 1976 to 1978, Panke was a researcher at the Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research and a lecturer at LMU Munich.
From 1978 to 1982, he was a consultant with McKinsey & Company.<ref name="eNotes" /> In 1982, he started at BMW<ref name="Microsoft" /> as a head of planning and control of the research and development division,<ref name=CEO/> before assuming management functions in 1985.<ref name="Bloomberg">{{cite web|title=Executive Profile Helmut Gunter Wihelm Panke Ph.D.|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=885774&privcapId=3120733|publisher=bloomberg.com|access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref>
He later said that his attraction to the company was based on the reputation it had for encouraging creativity and independence among its staff.<ref name=CEO>{{cite news|title=Helmut Panke |url=http://www.europeanceo.com/profiles/2011/01/helmut-panke/|publisher=EuropeanCEO.com|date=13 January 2011|access-date=20 December 2013}}</ref>
Over the next 20 years, Panke worked his way up through the company, working in nearly every department: he served as the chairman of the management board at BMW (UK) Capital PLC,<ref name=Bloomberg/> and as chairman and CEO of BMW (US) Holding Corporation from 1993 to 1996, he managed the US manufacturing facility that was responsible for building, as well as corporate planning, organisation, staff, IT, finance and sales.<ref name=CEO /> From 1996 to 1999, his tasks focused on Human Resources and Information Technology.<ref name=Bloomberg/> From 1999 to 2002, he served as a member of the board of management responsible for finance.<ref name=Bloomberg/>
In 2002, Panke succeeded Joachim Milberg to become the chairman of BMW after Milberg's resignation for health reasons.<ref name=CEO /> During his tenure from May 16, 2002 until September 1, 2006,<ref name=Bloomberg/> he was credited with leading the company’s internationalization and his refusal to move the company into the lower priced mass market.<ref name=CEO />
==Other activities== Panke served on the board of directors for Microsoft from 2003<ref name=Bloomberg/> until 2019, as the first board member from outside the United States.<ref name="Microsoft" /> In this capacity, he was also the chairman of the Regulatory and Public Policy Committee, a member of the Compensation Committee and of the Audit Committee of Microsoft.<ref name="Bloomberg" /><ref>Ari Levy (September 19, 2019), [https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/19/microsoft-board-adds-glaxosmithkline-ceo-emma-walmsley-fifth-woman.html Microsoft adds a fifth woman to its board: GlaxoSmithKline CEO Emma Walmsley] ''CNBC''.</ref>
In 2004, Panke was elected into the board of directors of UBS AG, where he served as a member for eleven years. He left the BoD at the Annual General Meeting of 2015, stepping down due to regulatory provisions regarding the term of office.<ref name="Results of the Annual General Meeting of UBS Group AG">{{cite news|title=Results of the Annual General Meeting of UBS Group AG|url=https://www.ubs.com/global/en/about_ubs/about_us/news/news.html/en/2015/05/07/result-agm-ubs-group-ag.html|publisher=UBS Group AG|date=7 May 2015|access-date=8 June 2015}}</ref> He also worked as a member of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee and of the Risk Committee from 2008.<ref name="Bloomberg"/>
In addition, Panke has held the following mandates: * Singapore Airlines, independent non-executive member of the board of directors (2009-2018)<ref>[https://www.singaporeair.com/de_DE/de/media-centre/press-release/article/?q=en_UK/2009/July-September/21Aug2009-1657 Singapore Airlines appoints Dr Helmut Panke as independent director] Singapore Airlines, press release of August 21, 2003.</ref><ref>[https://www.singaporeair.com/de_DE/de/media-centre/press-release/article/?q=en_UK/2018/July-September/ne2918-180831 David Gledhill Joins Singapore Airlines Board As Independent Director] Singapore Airlines, press release of August 31, 2018.</ref> * Bayer AG, member of the supervisory board (2006-2016)<ref name="Microsoft" /> * Bertelsmann AG, member of the supervisory board (2005-2017)<ref>Hans-Peter Siebenhaar (May 18, 2011), [https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/management/bertelsmann-ex-bmw-chef-milberg-wird-aufsichtsrats-vize/4191502.html Bertelsmann: Ex-BMW-Chef Milberg wird Aufsichtsrats-Vize] ''Handelsblatt''.</ref> * Dubai International Capital, member of the advisory board (since 2007)<ref name="Dubai fund hires big hitters">{{cite web |title=Dubai Panke |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/5d904416-9e9a-11dc-b4e4-0000779fd2ac.html#axzz3su3lkVZB |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221212001253/https://www.ft.com/content/5d904416-9e9a-11dc-b4e4-0000779fd2ac#axzz3su3lkVZB |archive-date=2022-12-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=November 29, 2015 }}</ref> * Bayer Schering Pharma AG, member of the supervisory board<ref name="Bloomberg"/>
During his time at BMW, Panke served as a member of the board of directors of ACEA, the Association des Constructeurs Européens d’Automobiles, Belgium,<ref name="Bloomberg"/> a member of the board of directors of VDA, the association of the German automobile industry,<ref name="Bloomberg"/> and of the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany.<ref name="Bloomberg" />
==Recognition== * 2006 – Prize for Understanding and Tolerance, awarded by the Jewish Museum Berlin
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Panke, Helmut}} Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from Brandenburg Category:Chief executives in the automotive industry Category:BMW people Category:Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Category:Directors of Microsoft Category:1946 births Category:German corporate directors Category:LMU Munich alumni Category:UBS people Category:Singapore Airlines Category:McKinsey & Company people Category:People from Oder-Spree Category:20th-century German physicists