Siemens UK chief executive appointed to BIS board

Maier has been a member of the Siemens UK executive management board since October 2008, and has held a number of senior roles within Siemens in the UK and Germany. He was appointed chief executive at Siemens on 1 July 2014. Cable said: "I have been an admirer of Juergen Maier's work as a leading supporter of manufacturing and apprenticeships. So I am delighted that he is joining BIS as a non-executive member of our departmental board. Juergen's significant experience in manufacturing and business will be invaluable to BIS as we focus on supporting local growth, particularly in our innovative high-tech industries." Maier said: "I am delighted to support BIS by joining the board. The UK has a very real opportunity to grasp global leadership in the high-tech future of manufacturing but we urgently need to accelerate innovation and many more highly skilled engineers and software specialists to make this industrial revolution a reality. "Involving employers is crucial to ensuring we continue to develop our Industrial Strategy to support competitive growth in a better balanced UK economy." Non-executive board members are experts from outside government who assist in the delivery of policy using relevant experience from business. Maier joins Allan Cook, Stephen Bligh, Ann Dowling, Dale Murray, Dalton Philips and Wendy Purcell on the BIS board.