Stephan Schmidheiny

Early Life and Education

Stephan Ernst Schmidheiny was born on October 29, 1947, in Balgach, Switzerland, into a prominent industrial family. He completed his law studies and earned a PhD from the University of Zurich in 1972.

Rise to Success

Schmidheiny's business career began in 1972 at Eternit, a construction materials manufacturer. He became the CEO of the Swiss Eternit Group in 1976, at the age of 29. A key decision during his tenure was ending Eternit's use of asbestos by 1986, preceding the European-wide ban. He also played a crucial role in the rescue of the Swiss watch industry by supporting Nicolas Hayek in the formation of Swatch Group.

Key Business Strategies

Schmidheiny diversified his investments into various industrial segments, including forestry, banking, and consumer goods. His early adoption of eco-efficiency principles and his contributions to sustainable development set him apart. He also co-organized the merger of Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) with ASEA of Sweden, creating ABB.

Philanthropy

Since the 1990s, Schmidheiny has dedicated himself to philanthropic pursuits, focusing on sustainable development. He served as an advisor on sustainability to the United Nations and the OECD. He established the FUNDES and the Avina Foundation, which supports sustainable development and small and medium-sized enterprises in Latin America. In 2003, he placed $1 billion in business assets into a charitable trust to promote sustainability in Latin America.