Jürgen Maier facts for kids

Jürgen Wolfgang Maier, also known as Juergen Wolfgang Maier, is a British-Austrian businessman. He was born in 1964. He is currently the chairman of Great British Energy, which helps with clean energy. He also used to advise the UK government. From 2014 to 2019, he was the main boss of Siemens UK, a big engineering company.

Early Life and School

Jürgen Maier was born in Germany. He is now a citizen of both Austria and Britain. He lived in a German city called Karlsruhe. In 1974, when he was 10, he moved to the UK. He went to school in Leeds at Allerton Grange School starting in 1978. Later, from 1982 to 1986, he studied Production Engineering. He went to Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham, which is now called Nottingham Trent University.

What He Does Now

Jürgen Maier is the chairman of the Digital Catapult. This group helps businesses use new digital technologies. He also helped start vocL, a platform that encourages businesses to speak up about important issues. He cares a lot about helping northern parts of the UK grow. Because of this, he is the vice-chairman of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership. He is also the lifetime President for the North West Business Leadership Team.

His Time at Siemens

Jürgen Maier held many important jobs at Siemens. He was the managing director for the UK and Ireland industry section. He was also the Manufacturing Director for the Drives Factory in Congleton, Cheshire. In October 2008, he joined the Siemens UK Executive Management Board. He became the Chief Executive, or main boss, on July 1, 2014. He retired from Siemens in December 2019.

Awards and Recognition

Jürgen Maier has received many honors for his work. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). He is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is a visiting professor at the University of Manchester. He has also received special honorary doctorates from several universities. These include the University of Salford, the University of Lincoln, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Sheffield, Cranfield University, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Lancaster University.

From 2014 to 2016, he was a board member for the UK government's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). He led a project called 'Made Smarter'. This project aimed to help the UK use new technologies in factories. It was part of the '4th Industrial Revolution'. He was also a member of the Industrial Strategy Council. This group gave expert advice to the government.

In 2019, Insider Magazine said he was the most important business person in North West England. He was also ranked number 5 in Glassdoor's list of top CEOs for 2019. In July 2024, he was chosen to be the chairman of Great British Energy. This is a government-owned group that helps invest in clean, renewable energy.

Personal Life

Jürgen Maier was given the title of CBE in 2019. This is a special honor from the King or Queen. In 2022, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This means he is recognized for his important contributions to science.