Klaus Agthe
Klaus Erich Agthe | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 12, 1930 Niederholzhausen, Province of Saxony, Prussia, Germany |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, author |
| Years active | 1950s–2005 |
| Known for | Business leadership roles including CEO of Brown, Boveri & Cie. U.S. subsidiary; author of Shadows of War |
Klaus Erich Agthe (born August 12, 1930, in Niederholzhausen, Province of Saxony, Prussia, Germany) is a German-born businessman and author.
Childhood and education
Klaus Agthe was raised in Apolda, located in the Thuringia region of Germany. He attended school in Weimar before pursuing business administration studies at Humboldt University in Berlin under the guidance of Professor Konrad Mellerowicz. Despite not having formal admission, Agthe traveled to Berlin and introduced himself to Mellerowicz without prior arrangement; Mellerowicz then facilitated his enrollment, even though they had never met before. During his academic journey, Agthe followed Mellerowicz to Technische Universität Berlin, where he earned his doctorate in 1958 with a dissertation titled "Die Abweichungen in der Plankostenrechnung," supported by Professor Mellerowicz.
In between, Agthe spent a year studying at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. The insights and experiences he gained during that period had a profound influence on his subsequent life.
Career
Following the completion of his education, Agthe began his professional career at Standard Elektrik Lorenz in Stuttgart. There, he was mentored by Harold Geneen, then CEO of ITT Corporation, SEL’s parent company, who played a significant role in shaping his approach. In 1966, Agthe relocated to Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany, to join Schmalbach-Lubeca, eventually becoming a member of its Executive Board.
After Schmalbach-Lubeca was acquired by the American Continental Can Company in 1976, Agthe moved to the United States to serve as Vice President for Continental Can. In this role, he oversaw operations across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
In 1983, Agthe departed from Continental Group (formerly Continental Can) to lead Brown, Boveri & Cie.’s U.S. subsidiary as CEO. He maintained this position following Brown Boveri’s merger with ASEA that created Asea Brown Boveri (ABB). After ABB’s integration with Combustion Engineering, Agthe contemplated retirement. However, following German reunification, he was invited to represent ABB in dealings with the Treuhandanstalt—the agency responsible for privatizing former East German state-owned enterprises. Relocating to Berlin, he spent two years acquiring multiple former Volkseigener Betrieb companies.
Returning to the United States in 1992, Agthe concluded his career as an independent consultant and served on various corporate boards. His appointments included positions on the Boards of Directors for Yellow Freight and VIAG North America among others. Since 2005, he has been retired and has held U.S. citizenship since 1984.
Career as an Author
Agthe has contributed as both author and co-author to a number of publications focusing on cost management and business administration. Among his works, a 1959 article featured in the German journal Zeitung für Betriebswirtschaft is recognized as a seminal piece within the business community.
In November 2008, he released his autobiography titled Shadows of War: A German Life in the Century of Extremes in the United States.
Publications
- Die Abweichungen in der Plankostenrechnung: Ihre Ermittlung, Analyse u. Verrechnung. Haufe, Freiburg i. Br., 1958
- "Stufenweise Fixkostendeckung im System des Direct Costing," Zeitschrift für Betriebswirtschaft, 29. Jg., 1959
- Kostenplanung und Kostenkontrolle im Industriebetrieb, Verlag für Unternehmensführung Gehlen, Baden Baden, 1963
- Konjunkturgerechte Unternehmenspolitik, Verlag für Unternehmensführung Gehlen, Baden Baden, 1969
- Strategie und Wachstum der Unternehmung: Praxis d. langfristigen Planung. Verlag für Unternehmensführung Gehlen, Baden-Baden, Bad Homburg (vor der Höhe), 1972
- From Communism to Capitalism – A Businessman's Diary of the Changes in East Germany, Indiana University International Business Forum, Bloomington, Indiana 1992, ASIN: B0006OYYW0
- Shadows of War: A German Life in the Century of Extremes. Booksurge Publishing, 2008, ISBN I-4196-9235-6, ISBN 978-1-4196-9235-2
Honors
In 1978, Agthe was inducted into the "Academy of Alumni Fellows" at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, located in Bloomington, Indiana, USA.
References