Artur Stefan Kirsten

Artur Stefan Kirsten (born February 22, 1961 in Berlin) is a German manager and honorary professor of economics at Westfälische Hochschule (Germany). Artur Stefan Kirsten went to school in Hamburg, Erftstadt and Buchholz in der Nordheide from 1967 to 1980. After his final exams, the German Abitur, he enlisted for military service. He is currently officer in the reserve in the rank of Major. Parallel, he started his studies at the University of Hagen in Economics, Mathematics and Statistics in 1981, which he continued after his military service at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen in Business Administration. The diploma degree was followed by doctoral studies at Leuphana University of Lüneburg in Business Law. In 1990 he took part in the Comprehensive Defense Course (Lehrgang Gesamtverteidigung) at the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr. Stefan Kirsten is married and has a daughter from his first marriage, who was born in 1998. During his doctoral studies Kirsten started to work as audit assistant for the tax-consulting and auditing company Arthur Andersen & Co. in Hamburg in 1986. In 1987 he changed to a position as assistant to the CEO of Rheinmetall GmbH in Düsseldorf. In 1990 he was responsible for the department controlling of affiliates and shareholdings at WMF Württembergische Metallwaren Fabrik AG in Geislingen an der Steige. In 1992 Artur Stefan Kirsten went to London as director, finance and planning of EMI Music Continental Europe, 1994 his role was enlarged at EMI International to vice president of finance in the sector Europe and Operations and he became deputy managing director of the German affiliate EMI Electrola GmbH in Köln in 1995. 1996 he moved on to Metro AG in Köln as director of planning and controlling. His main duty was to establish structures and processes in order to lead Metro Group as an integrated group and enable it to compete in international capital markets. In 1998 he was executive manager and from 2000 a member of the board of directors and chief financial officer in Düsseldorf.