Tobias Bäumler, the Chairman of the Siemens Works Council, has sharply criticized the corporate restructuring implemented by former CEO Joe Kaeser. Speaking to “Welt am Sonntag,” Bäumler argued that the divisions carried out under Kaeser, specifically the separation into Siemens Healthineers and Siemens Energy, were a mistake from the perspective of employee representation. He maintained that both companies have developed excellently, and Siemens would be even more valuable today if the spin-offs had not occurred.
These separation efforts, which took place between 2018 and 2020, fundamentally altered Siemens’ business focus. Kaeser now serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Siemens Energy, which has recently been one of the most successful companies listed in the Dax.
In contrast, Bäumler maintains a positive view of the current restructuring being led by Siemens CEO Roland Busch. Back when the company underwent its own transformation, the Works Council had opposed the changes and fragmentations, viewing them as solely driven by profit margins. However, Bäumler noted that under Busch, there has been a paradigm shift toward technology, moving away from optimization through division.
Bäumler views the current reorganization as an effort to make Siemens ready for the age of Artificial Intelligence. Key to this is establishing a unified data basis across the entire organization-something tech giants like Google or Amazon possessed. In a corporation as mature as Siemens, various departments still lack this level of internal networking. Consequently, organizational structures must be permeated, processes homogenized, and the silos broken down, which he noted were particularly entrenched during the Kaeser era. Although such a massive undertaking represents a considerable challenge for all employees and staff, Bäumler believes that success could unleash “the full power of AI for everyone.”
Furthermore, Bäumler has issued specific demands to the management regarding this restructuring. While he has critically reviewed the setup and currently sees no fundamental objections to the direction taken, he insists on a high standard of transparency. He stated that while management has been very open with the Works Council so far, this transparency must now apply equally to communications with the employees. The more detailed the workers know what is happening to them, the better they can understand and support the changes.
