The UK chief executive of tech giant Siemens has announced he is stepping down from his role earlier than planned.
Juergen Maier announced his retirement after 33 year at the firm to focus on improving his work-life balance, he said in a blog post.
“Decisions to leave great companies and teams of people are not easy and after 33 years of working at Siemens, this was indeed one of those very tough decisions for me,” he wrote.
“Whilst I have always thrived on the hard work and adrenaline that comes with my job, I also know that the body needs a little rest at times.
“So, early retirement feels right at this point, to re-charge my energy to then take on some exciting new opportunities to support UK industry.”
Meanwhile the tech giant has launched a new undergraduate sponsorship programme to discover, inspire and nurture the next generation of engineering and tech talent.
The 55-year-old, who was born in Austria, will retire at the end of the year making way for his successor Carl Ennis, the company’s current UK and Ireland head of product and system sales.
Maier described his successor as an “incredibly passionate and authentic leader”.
Cedrik Neike, managing board member of Siemens, added: “Juergen has made a significant contribution to Siemens globally and in the UK. His engagement in the UK manufacturing, engineering and technology arena has supported both Siemens and industry in general.
“He is a role model as a leader in terms of engaging in our employees and driving the diversity and inclusion agenda, which is close to our hearts. We wish him well with his future endeavours.
“We look forward to the appointment of Carl, a passionate engineer, who is looking to continue to build on the strong foundations of Siemens in the UK & Ireland.”
In January Maier told BusinessCloud that MPs should find compromise over Brexit.
Maier said after retirement he planned to help support and promote responsible capitalism with a strong social purpose, and “leadership that is authentic, bold and at the same time humble”.