Who is Susanne Klatten: interesting facts about the businesswoman
Susanne Klatten is best known as the heiress of the family business – BMW Corporation. Although she was fortunate in her origins, she proved her professionalism through hard work.
Born in 1962, Susanne is the heir to the Quandt dynasty of German industrialists. She studied finance and business administration and chose to work in the banking sector. At the same time, Susanne changed her surname to avoid prejudice.
The death of her father changed Klatten’s lifestyle and forced her to take over the family business. In 1997, Susanne and her brother Stefan inherited shares in the BMW Corporation. They also became members of the supervisory board. As well as a 12.5% stake in the carmaker, she also inherited some of the family’s other businesses. Among them:
– Susanne became the owner of more than 50% of the shares in the pharmaceutical company Altana;
– by 2009, the businesswoman had increased her stake in the company;
– she also owned 8% of the shares in the chemical company SGL Carbon;
– in 2009, she increased her stake to 25%.
The businesswoman’s investment talent is also remarkable. Her inheritance and business acumen enabled Susanne to increase her capital to US$25 billion, making her one of the richest women in the world.
Principles of a businesswoman’s activity
In her professional activities, Klatten pays particular attention to sustainable development issues. She transforms her business to make it more environmentally friendly. She also invests in renewable energy and green technology projects.
Klatten also supports research areas in her companies. SGL Group, for example, develops ultra-lightweight materials that have applications in several sectors:
– automotive;
– aerospace;
– RES and others.
One of Susanne Klatten’s key principles is continuously improving processes to increase efficiency. Her motivation is not only the desire for capital growth but also the desire to do good for society. Susanne is philanthropic through her SK Foundation. The organisation supports initiatives related to science and culture. The foundation provides educational scholarships, funds research and much more.
The businesswoman is also an ardent supporter of innovation and technological progress. She actively supports promising start-ups and young scientists with their bold ideas. Her investment company, Skion, is active in this field.
Suzanne is a person of many interests. She collects classic cars and loves works of art. Despite her wealth, she leads a rather private lifestyle. She likes her privacy, rarely gives interviews and rarely appears at social events.
