Stephan Schmidheiny

Person

Publications

Stephan Schmidheiny’s Life and Work in a brief

Stephan Schmidheiny is a descendant of a Swiss industrialist dynasty, which has made industrial history in a way that is second to none. He has continued this tradition in his own special way. The young graduate lawyer entered Eternit Switzerland when he was only 29 years old, took over its leadership after only a short time and immediately began to drive forward the exit from asbestos processing, which was considered to be a worldwide pioneering achievement. His pioneering spirit was equally apparent in his industrial activities such as his role, together with others, as saviour of the Swiss Watch Industry (SMH) or in the merger that later became ABB. Further highlights of Stephan Schmidheiny’s life were the Rio Summit 1992, which he had helped to shape, and the founding of the “World Business Council for Sustainable Development”. In his bestselling book “Changing Course - A Global Business Perspective on Development and the Environment” he first coined the phrase “Eco-efficiency”. The book has since been translated into many languages. Also considered to be unforgettable is his substantial conceptual and financial commitment for the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, which joined forces with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Tokyo to form the “Alliance for Global Sustainability”. His life as an industrialist was rounded off with a completely different area of endeavour – philanthropy, which brought forth his renowned foundation Avina Stiftung, among others. It was not without cause that “Forbes” heralded Stephan Schmidheiny as “The Bill Gates of Switzerland” in 2009. Since 2001 Stephan Schmidheiny has successively withdrawn from all his executive functions, placed the leadership of the family holding in new hands and arranged the settlement of his inheritance.

 

 
 

Important milestones 

1947 Born as son of Max Schmidheiny (1908 - 1991) and Adda Schmidheiny-Scherrer (died 1997). Raised in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, with his sister Marietta and his brothers Thomas and Alexander
1969 Apprenticeship with formation as shift foreman at Eternit Brazil
1972 Obtained Doctorate in Law from University of Zurich, Switzerland
1974 Joined the family business Eternit AG in Niederurnen, Switzerland, as head of sales
1975 Appointed Delegate of the Board of Directors of Eternit AG, Niederurnen
1976 Assumed the leadership of Swiss Eternit Group (SEG) from his father

Launched innovation program NT („New Technology“) to develop asbestos free products
1978 Election to the Board of Directors of Union Bank of Switzerland (later UBS); resigned from the Board in 1996
1979 Start of diversification outside the construction sector with acquisition of the Swiss Distral Group (newspaper stands)
1981 Election to the Board of Directors of BBC (later ABB); election to the Board Committee in 1995; resigned from Board in 1997
1982 Investments in the Forest Industry in Chile
1984 Distribution of Estate: Thomas Schmidheiny takes over the Cement Group Holderbank (later Holcim), and Stephan Schmidheiny the Swiss Eternit Group

Established the non-profit Fundes Foundation in Panama to encourage small and mid-sized business entrepreneurs in Latin America
1985 Assumed control of SMH (later Swatch Group) to save the Swiss Watch industry, with a joint venture with Nicolas Hayek; Board Member 1986 - 1994
1986 Election to the Board of Directors of Landis & Gyr; 1987 majority shareholder of L&G Holding; 1995 sold L&G shares to Elektrowatt; resigned from Board in 1996

Elected Chairman of the International Management Institute IMI, Geneva; 1989 fusion of IMI with IMEDE to form the International Institute for Management Development IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland; 1990 establishment of "Stephan Schmidheiny Chair of Entrepreneurship and Finance"; withdrew from the Foundation Board of IMD in 1992
1987 Announcement of the merger of the Swiss BBC with the Swedish Asea to ABB. Stephan Schmidheiny is recognized as one of the driving forces behind the groundbreaking merger
1988 Elected to the Board of Directors of Nestlé; resigned in 2003

Beginning of the selling of all holdings in the Swiss Eternit Group, which concluded at the end of the 1980’s. The holdings were sold to the legal successors with all rights and duties
1989 Acquisition of Wild-Leitz; 1990 merger with Cambridge Instruments to Leica
1990 Appointed “Principal Advisor for Business and Industry” to the Secretary General UNCED in preparation of 1992 Rio Earth Summit

Founded Business Council for Sustainable Development
1992 United Nations Conference on Environment & Development UNCED in Rio de Janeiro

Publication of bestseller „Changing Course – A Global Business Perspective on Development and the Environment”; coined term „eco-efficiency”
1993 Elected to the Board of World Resources Institute (WRI), Washington; resigned in 2001

Doctor honoris causa INCAE Business School, Costa Rica

Founded non-profit Alexander-Schmidheiny-Stiftung in memory of his late brother (died 1992). The charitable foundation supports and promotes cultural, social an ecological issues (Chairman of the Board of Trustees)
1994 Founded the philanthropic Avina Stiftung in Switzerland. The foundation strives for social and ecological sustainability, combining philanthropic activities with an entrepreneurial spirit (Chairman of the Board of Trustees)
1995 Expanded the Daros Art Collection inherited from his late brother Alexander

Election to the Chairman’s Council of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York; resigned in 2002
1996 Foundation of the Alliance for Global Sustainability AGS, an international partnership between four of the world's leading science universities; Chairman of the International Advisory Board from 1996 – 2001

Foundation of the Latin American Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development at the INCAE Business School in Costa Rica

Doctor honoris causa of Yale University, New Haven
1997 Publication of „Financing Change – The Financial Community, Eco-efficiency, and Sustainable Development“

Appointed Co-Chair of the High Level Advisory Group on the Environment of the OCDE; publication of a report; 1998 completion of the group's work
1998 Established Management Company Nueva SA in Costa Rica
1999 Elected to the International Advisory Board of the Panama Canal Authority
2000 Appointed Honorary Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
2001 Opening of Daros Exhibitions in Löwenbräu Areal Zurich (until 2008). Since 2010 art works of the Daros Collection are exhibited in the permanent collection of Fondation Beyeler in Riehen BS, Switzerland

Doctor honoris causa of Rollins College, Florida

Doctor honoris causa from  Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, Caracas, Venezuela

Established in Latin America the non-profit Fundación Avina, a sister of the Swiss Avina Stiftung. This one aims at creating and implementing a new conception of philanthropy for Latin America, which combines the objectives of non-profit activities with methods and tools taken from the business world

Decision to gradually retire from all functions and public life
2002 Publication of “Walking the Talk: The Business Case for Sustainable Development”
2003 Established the irrevocable Viva Trust, by donating about $1 billion, mainly  in stock of the GrupoNueva Holding. The yields of the Viva Trust, managed by independent Trustees, are used to fund Fundación Avina in Latin America

Parallel to his retirement from the business life, Stephan Schmidheiny assigned Becon AG with the handling of the asbestos dossier from the former Swiss Eternit Group SEG
Since 2006 Becon AG launched a humanitarian-motivated initiative for former employees of the Italian Eternit SpA, in which the Swiss Eternit Group had a participation. The Italian Eternit SpA declared bankruptcy in 1986; therefore no legal succession took place
2009 Publication of the biography “Stephan Schmidheiny. Sein langer Weg zu sich selbst. Erbe – Unternehmer – Philanthrop” in German

The court hearing of the Italian Eternit trial begin in December
2012 Verdict of the first instance in the Italian Eternit Trial (decision taken to appeal to the next higher authority)

Until the end of 2012 over 1600 people in North and South Italy have accepted the still ongoing humanitarian-motivated offer. The disbursed compensations comply with internationally established impairment compensations,  among others with those of the  Swiss Accident Insurance Fund SUVA
2013 Appeal proceedings of the Italian Eternit trial