Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler
Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 17, 1941 Prague, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-proprietor of Schaeffler Group |
Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler (born 17 August 1941) is a prominent German entrepreneur and co-proprietor of the Schaeffler Group, recognized as one of the leading global manufacturers of rolling bearings. Her son, Georg F. W. Schaeffler, shares ownership of the company.
Early life
Born in Prague in 1941, then under the jurisdiction of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Schaeffler spent her formative years in Vienna, Austria.
Career
In 1963, she wed Georg Schaeffler and relocated to Herzogenaurach in Bavaria. Following Georg’s passing in 1996, Maria-Elisabeth assumed leadership of the family enterprise, Schaeffler Group AG.
Her tenure saw significant growth through strategic acquisitions such as INA, LUK, and FAG—key players in the rolling bearing sector. These expansions established Schaeffler Group as a foremost global supplier of rolling bearings and linear motion technologies.
By 1999, she had consolidated full control over LuK by purchasing the remaining half of its shares. The company’s market presence was further solidified with the 2001 acquisition of FAG Kugelfischer Georg Schäfer AG. In 2009, Schaeffler Group took a substantial stake in Continental AG.
Since taking charge in 1996, Schaeffler has overseen remarkable growth, with annual revenues reaching around €10 billion by 2013 and workforce numbers increasing threefold to exceed 70,000 employees.
Political activities
In 2004, Schaeffler served as a delegate for the CSU during the Federal Convention responsible for electing Germany’s President. Additionally, at the April 2016 Hannover Messe, she was among fifteen German business leaders invited to a private dinner with then-President Barack Obama.
Corporate boards
- Advisory Board Member at Deloitte Germany (2009–2018)
- Supervisory Board Member at Austrian State and Industrial Holding (ÖIAG) from 2008 to 2014
- Member of the European Advisory Board at Deutsche Bank (2005–2014)
- Supervisory Board Member at BayernLB until 2014
- Supervisory Board Member for Nürnberger Lebensversicherung AG (2012–2013)
Non-profit organizations
- Member of the Board of Trustees at Deutsches Museum
- Advisory Board Member at Mozarteum University of Salzburg
- Trustee at the Salzburg Easter Festival
- Served on the Board of Trustees for Konzertgesellschaft München from 2002 to 2018
Recognition
Schaeffler’s leadership and societal contributions have been acknowledged with numerous honors, including:
- 2001 - Cross of Merit with Ribbon from the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 2001 - Honorary Medal from Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce for Mid-Franconian region
- 2002 - Granted honorary citizenship of Höchstadt/Aisch
- 2003 - Recipient of the Bavarian Order of Merit
- 2004 - Awarded "Family Entrepreneur of the Year" by impulse magazine and INTES Akademie für Familienunternehmen
- 2005 - Named Honorary Member of the Senate at Transylvania University of Brasov, Romania
- 2005 - Honored as an honorary citizen of Jeonju, Korea
- 2006 - Received honorary citizenship in Herzogenaurach; entered into Erlangen-Höchstadt district's "Golden Book"
- 2007 - Awarded Large Silver Medal with Star for Services to Austria
- 2007 - Bestowed with the 1st Class Cross of Merit from Germany’s Order of Merit
- 2007 - Recipient of the Karmarsch Medal
- 2011 - Awarded "Großer Tiroler Adler" medal by Tyrol state authorities
- 2011 - Named "Personality of the Year" by ÖkoGlobe-Institut at Duisburg-Essen University
- 2012 - Honored with Gold Medal from Erlangen-Höchstadt district
- 2013 - Recognized as "Family Entrepreneur of the Year award, 2012" by German industry representatives and Handelsblatt
Bibliography
- Press Announcements: Karmarsch Medal awarded to Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler; Schaeffler AG; 3 December 2007
- Press Announcements: Cross of Merit, 1st Class conferred for exceptional contributions; Schaeffler AG; 5 October 2007
- Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler honored with the German Verdienstkreuz for business and social dedication; Schaeffler AG; 3 May 2001
External links
- Female billionaires
- Businesspeople from Bavaria
- German billionaires
- Living people
- 1941 births
- Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 20th-century German businesswomen
- 20th-century German businesspeople
- Businesspeople from Prague
- People from Erlangen-Höchstadt
- 21st-century German businesswomen
- 21st-century German businesspeople