Joe Kaeser

“The main task for the Middle East is geopolitical stability. The rest of the world has to help to get this region straight, and once that's been achieved, the region has a great future.”

“The individual Siemens businesses must be able to keep up with the specialists in the industry and be at least as good as their strongest competitors.”

“Often, sustainability is discussed only in the context of energy. Energy sustainability is essential - but the word has a much broader meaning. It means long-term thinking about how we manage our businesses, invest in social spending, and plan for the future. This requires vision and leadership, and it requires citizen engagement.”

“If the world believes that Iran doesn't play by the rules and imposes sanctions, then we'll follow them whether we have an opinion about it or not.”

“Trade brings freedom and well-being for all.”

“If there's more employment, people buy more.”

“Irrespective of our past, we need to look forward.”

“The U.K. matters with or without being a member of the E.U.”

“Germany benefits the most from the European Union because Germany is, by far, the biggest exporter into the Euro Zone, and therefore, it benefits. And one who benefits the most must take the biggest responsibility.”

“If you're not in the business to improve society, you shouldn't be in business.”

“Some in Europe take a plane, fly to Silicon Valley, visit and look and come back and say we need to do the same thing. Well you can copy others... but if you always copy others, you never get ahead.”

“Perhaps we Germans are a bit sensitive when it comes to walls and race.”

“Africa's economies are gaining ground and can develop their full potential with the right partner. Siemens wants to support their sustainable development - with solutions and projects in Africa, for Africa.”

“Mediocrity was the dominating element of big conglomerates and, in the new digital age, digitalization goes exactly after mediocrity.”

“Large conventional power plants will continue to be built, but their significance for energy supply is diminishing.”

“People need to realise that their governments are sitting on finite resources that will run out one day. Subsidising power and water is not an ideal solution and does not help reduce consumption. We need to educate people, from a young age, about the importance of conserving energy in their daily lives.”

“As a global company, we have abundant resources in both capable people and capacity and also competency to make a success in India.”

“I'm not going to be the one who turns out the last lights of the last conglomerate. So we need to reinvent ourselves all the time.”

“Siemens is a job machine.”

“From Siemens's perspective, a trade agreement like TTIP makes the U.S. and E.U. members more attractive.”