Wolfgang Leitner
{{Short description|Austrian billionaire and CEO}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Wolfgang Leitner
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| birth_name =
| birth_date = 27 March 1953
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| nationality = Austrian
| education = University of Graz
| occupation =
| title = CEO, Andritz AG
| term = 1994-2022
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| children = 2
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Wolfgang Leitner (born 27 March 1953) is an Austrian billionaire and former CEO of Andritz AG, an Austrian plant engineering company.{{cite web|title=The World's Billionaires: Wolfgang Leitner|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/wolfgang-leitner/|website=Forbes|accessdate=6 February 2017}}
Early life
Leitner was born in 1953 in Graz, Austria. His father was a metal worker at Andritz AG. In 1978, Leitner received a doctorate in chemistry{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/luisakroll/2012/11/20/son-of-a-machine-fitter-is-new-austrian-billionaire/ |title=Son Of A Machine Fitter Is New Austrian Billionaire |author=Luisa Kroll |date=20 November 2012 |publisher=forbes.com |access-date=11 May 2024}} from the University of Graz.{{cite web |url=https://www.munzinger.de/search/portrait/Wolfgang+Leitner/0/31433.html |title=Wolfgang Leitner |publisher=munzinger.de |access-date=11 May 2024}}
Career
After university Leitner worked in research for Vianova, an Austrian subsidiary of Hoechst AG. In 1981, he started working as a management consultant for McKinsey. In 1986, he founded the pharmaceutical company Genericon Pharma together with his former classmate Martin Bartenstein, who would later become a mininister in the Austrian government. Genericon Pharma’s Hungarian subsidiary Pharmavit achieved great success with effervescent tablets and generic drugs. In 1995, the company was bought by the US pharmaceutical group Bristol Myers Squibb for USD 110 million.{{cite web |url=https://www.trend.at/unternehmensprofile/andritz |title=Andritz – Global Player im Anlagenbau für Kraftwerke, Automobil, Zellstoff und Kläranlagen aus Graz |author=Thomas Jäkle |publisher=trend.at |access-date=12 May 2024}}
Leitner joined Andritz AG as chief financial officer in 1987. In 1994, he became chief executive officer. In 1999, when Andritz AG was sold, Leitner acquired a 26 percent stake. In July 2021, Joachim Schönbeck was appointed as Leitner's successor as CEO of Andritz AG starting in April 2022. Leitner subsequently moved to the supervisory board.{{cite web |url=https://steiermark.orf.at/stories/3114836/ |title=Andritz: Leitner geht nach 27 Jahren als Chef |date=30 July 2021 |publisher=steiermark.orf.at |access-date=12 May 2024}}
Private life
Leitner is married, with two children, and lives in Graz, Austria.
Leitner made the 2024 Forbes Billionaires List with an estimated wealth of US$ 2.7 billion, the sixth richest in Austria and 1238th richest person in the world.{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/ |title=Forbes Billionaires 2024|publisher=forbes.com |access-date=12 May 2024}}
Honours
- 2006: "Man of the Year" by Austrian business magazine Trend{{cite web |url=https://www.derstandard.at/consent/tcf/story/2697235/lowe-ggk-fuer-den-trend-mann-des-jahres |title=Lowe GGK für den "trend"-Mann des Jahres |author=Werner Bühringer |date=24 January 2007 |publisher=derstandard.at |access-date=13 May 2024}}
- 2015: Honorary Senator of the Graz University of Technology{{cite web |url=https://pressearchiv.tugraz.at/pressemitteilungen/2015/26.11.2015.htm |title=TU Graz ehrt Trio |author=Barbara Gigler |date=26 November 2015 |publisher=pressearchiv.tugraz.at |access-date=13 May 2024}}
- 2022: Erzherzog-Johann-Award {{cite web |url=https://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20220609_OTS0151/wolfgang-leitner-mit-erzherzog-johann-award-ausgezeichnet |title=Wolfgang Leitner mit Erzherzog-Johann-Award ausgezeichnet |author=Mario Lugger |date=11 January 2024 |publisher=ots.at |access-date=13 May 2024}}
References
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Category:Austrian billionaires
Category:Businesspeople from Graz
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