Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/61380
F inception in 1847, when Warner von Siemens invented the pointer telegraph, says von Pierer. The invention—which enabled Samuel Morse's 1844 original electromagnetic tele- graph to transmit actual letters rather than Morse code—led von Siemens to launch the Siemens & Halske Telegraph Construction Company. In fact, Siemens laid much of the vital infra- or those who consider corporate globalization to be a relatively recent phenomenon, Siemens CEO Heinrich von Pierer would politely beg to differ. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Siemens AG has been a global company from its to its information and communications group, the company now comprises six other business groups that handle auto- mation and control, power, transportation, medical tech- nologies, lighting, and financing and real estate. It has evolved from von Siemens' original entrepreneurial vision to its present-day dominance, employing 400,000 people and operating in 190 countries. Siemens, in short, is a force of globalization in and unto by Tricia Bisoux sion, providing mobile phones, computer networks, and wireless technology that drive modern business. In addition structure for today's expansion. In 1848, the company con- structed Europe's first electrical long-distance telegraph line, fromBerlin to Frankfurt. In 1855, Siemens&Halske opened its Russian office. In 1870, the company constructed the first telegraph line between London and Calcutta; and in 1874, it did the same between Ireland and the U.S. In 2004, Siemens continues the company's original mis- itself. Fortunately, so is von Pierer, who holds doctorate degrees in law and economics.He joined the com- pany's legal department in 1969. He subsequently worked in its sales force, headed its power group, Man, BizEd MAY/JUNE 2004 and sat on its board before he became president and CEO in 1992. Undoubtedly one of the most well-traveled CEOs in the world, von Pierer spends much of his time in the air, on his way to meet with key customers, employees, government leaders, investors, and journalists in all of Siemens' global markets. It's a function that's "highly interesting and fun," he says, not tomention absolutely critical to keeping the compa- ny, its vast workforce, and its varied markets connected. It couldn't be more fitting that Siemens' origins are inex- tricably linked with the invention of amachine thatmade pos- sible real-time, long-distance communication. Open commu- nication and innovation aren't merely a part of Siemens' his- tory, says von Pierer. They're the foundation for its formula for managing change and ensuring its future success. Whether a company measures its workforce in hundreds or hundreds of thousands, its success relies solely on individual performance, says Siemens CEO Heinrich von Pierer. Failing to demand each individual's best, he warns, will inevitably lead to the worst. OneBusıness 19