Amsterdam, 22
January
2007
The Executive Committee of EADS has appointed Peter M. Kleinschmidt (54) as General Counsel of EADS. He reports to the EADS CEOs Tom Enders and Louis Gallois. In his new function Peter Kleinschmidt succeeds Diane de Saint Victor, who left EADS end of 2006 to join ABB. As General Counsel and Head of the EADS Legal Affairs Directorate Peter Kleinschmidt’s mission is to actively promote and defend the interests of the EADS Group on all legal issues and to ensure its legal security at all times.
“The appointment of Peter Kleinschmidt as General Counsel is a logical step. His expertise in all areas of legal affairs is the ideal basis for this challenging position,” said the EADS CEOs Tom Enders and Louis Gallois. “We are convinced that Peter Kleinschmidt, on account of his broad international experience, will perfectly manage his new job.”
Before entering his new function as General Counsel, Peter Kleinschmidt, was Senior Vice President in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer for Finance managing financial and legal aspects of strategic mergers and acquisition deals. From 2000 to 2005 he was General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Airbus, responsible for the management of all legal and corporate affairs of the Airbus group of companies, including intellectual property, insurance matters and export control. Between 1990 and 2000 Peter Kleinschmidt held different senior positions in legal affairs and M&A with DaimlerChrysler Aerospace. Peter Kleinschmidt joined Siemens AG in 1985 as Senior Legal Counsel, responsible for Joint Ventures and cooperation agreements. He started his career as counsel in a San Franciso based law firm. Peter Kleinschmidt graduated as Doctor of the Science of Law from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich and holds a Master of Laws of the University of California at Berkeley.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services.In 2005, EADS generated revenues of €34.2 billion and employed a workforce of over 113,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is one of the largest industrial partners for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.
