Helmut Panke

Helmut Gunter Wilhelm Panke (born on 31 August 1946 in Fürstenwalde, East Germany ) is a German manager and physicist who has been holding board membership in several companies - Microsoft, Bayer AG and Singapore Airlines. During the past recent 30 years, Panke's management career spread over several companies, including e.g. serving as the chairman of the board of management at BMW from May 2002 through August 2006.

Education In 1972, Panke graduated from LMU Munich in physics, having started his studies in 1968, and received his Ph.D. in 1976. After the award of the doctorate degree in nuclear physics, Panke joined the Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research.

He later said that his attraction to the company was based on the reputation it had for encouraging creativity and independence among its staff.

Over the next 20 years, Panke worked his way up through the company, working in nearly every department: he served as the chairman of the management board at BMW (UK) Capital PLC,

In 2004, Panke was elected into the board of directors of UBS AG, where he served as a member for eleven years. He left the BoD at the Annual General Meeting of 2015, stepping down due to regulatory provisions regarding the term of office. He also worked as a member of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee and of the Risk Committee from 2008. Bayer AG, member of the supervisory board (2006-2016) Dubai International Capital, member of the advisory board (since 2007) Bayer Schering Pharma AG, member of the supervisory board

During his time at BMW, Panke served as a member of the board of directors of ACEA, the Association des Constructeurs Européens d’Automobiles, Belgium, a member of the board of directors of VDA, the association of the German automobile industry, and of the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany.

Recognition 2006 – Prize for Understanding and Tolerance, awarded by the Jewish Museum Berlin