Dr. Andreas Widl

Andreas Widl (60) graduated in Physics with a diploma from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. He started his career as Innovation Manager at Mannesmann Pilotentwicklung, the think tank of the former Mannesmann Corporation. Major results related to this 7-year engagement were the development of the first GPS-based road pricing system, 30 patents and a Doctorate Degree in Physics. Over the next 5 years, he took on various leadership positions at GE Capital. Between 2004 and 2008, Andreas Widl worked for the Oerlikon Corporation in Switzerland and Shanghai. He restructured various cash-burning business units, built up the Solar division and was appointed Oerlikon Asia CEO and President. From 2008 to 2012, he was CEO of Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum GmbH in Cologne. He joined SAMSON AG in 2013 and was appointed CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board in April 2015, transforming the company into a process- and data-driven industrial enterprise. With Project MainChange, SAMSON currently undertakes a 500 Mio. Euro investment in Germany, securing 2000 jobs for the future. In addition to SAMSON, he is involved in over 10 start-up companies and actively supports the German Mittelstand.