Lifetime of Achievement: Roland Busch
Siemens is a global manufacturer that serves customers in infrastructure, transportation, healthcare and industry. Its CEO Roland Busch describes the company as creating “technologies with purpose” that “combine the real and digital worlds” aiding in the production of smart, sustainable infrastructure, medical technology and travel. Siemens is as successful as it is ubiquitous – an impressive 92% of Fortune 500 industry companies use its software – having grown more sustainable and digitally agile under Busch’s leadership.
Busch pushes Siemens ESG commitment to the next level with the DEGREE framework, a 360-degree approach aimed at catering for all stakeholders, including the planet. Under his leadership, Siemens has invested more than US$15.4bn (£12.3bn) in digital companies and gone all in on the industrial metaverse. Busch also champions digital twins – dynamic replicas designed to map and structure variable data with a difference.
“The difference between the digital twin we’re talking about and the gaming industry is we simulate,” he explains during a keynote speech at CES 2024. “Simulation is physics-based. It’s best explained – if you animate a robot, you can move it as fast as you want. It moves smoothly, everything is fine. When you do that in a simulated digital twin and it moves too fast, it starts swaying. The physics kicks in.”
Roland Busch’s rapid career ascension: A timeline
- 1994: Roland begins Siemens career as Project Head for the Corporate Research and Development
- 2005: Following a progression through the ranks to senior roles, Roland is promoted to CEO of Business Unit Infotainment Solutions.
- Then Busch headed up numerous divisions of the business in the Asia-Pacific region.
- 2005-2019: Following that Busch held various C-level positions – CTO, COO and Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) – until being appointed Deputy CEO in 2019.
- Finally, after an 18-month leadership succession process Busch replaced fellow Siemens veteran Joe Kaeser as CEO. He’s supported by CFO Ralf Thomas, who also joined the business in the mid-90s.
Physics is an area Busch has an in-depth knowledge of. Born in 1960s West Germany to a primary-school principal and bank clerk, he spent his early life studying quantum physics, earning a PhD in quantum chromodynamics from the University of Erlangen in Nuremberg. His educational background informs his understanding of Siemens customers, who desire innovation that replicates reality in controlled environments.
“When we talk to our customers like BMW, they say, ‘I don’t need an animated robot. I need a simulated robot. I have to see how it works in the real world.’” Busch envisions a future where companies “Have a real-time digital twin following what happens in the real world and bringing that to the digital world.” that will help them. “optimise their system in a better way.” He called digitisation a means to “help us all achieve growth and prosperity while using fewer resources.” This fits in with his commitment to sustainability and holistic, team-oriented approach as a leader.
In his 2020 book ‘Beyond Great’, a guide for leaders seeking to thrive in a post-COVID-19 world, Busch argues that leaders have to both define and “give something meaningful to the company.” Colleagues would say he’s given Siemens an expert understanding of entrepreneurial success and technology, a people-focused approach to management and a lifetime of unending dedication. He’s known to be the first to arrive in the Siemens-owned fitness studio each morning, and says his appointment in February 2021 brought with it a “great sense of responsibility and humility”. He also spoke with anticipation of a “decade of opportunities” where Siemens leads industries, stakeholders and customers into the digital age.This decade may just be upon us.
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