Date of birth:
27.7.1941

Educational background:
Degree in Business Administration, conferral of doctorate, post-doctoral lecture qualification

Professional milestones:

Professor Scheer was Director of the IWi – Institut für Wirtschaftsinformatik (Institute for Business Informatics), at the DFKI – Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence) at Saarland University from May 1975 to February 2005, with a research focus on IT and Business Process Management in industry, services and administration. The IWi is one of the most influential applied research institutes in Germany. Since March 2005, he has acted as consultative professor at the DFKI.

In 1984, he founded the international software and consulting company IDS Scheer AG and by 2009 had developed it into one of the largest IT companies in Germany. He developed ARIS, a globally successful method for Business Process Management. In recognition of his contributions to science, Professor Scheer was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Pilsen (Czech Republic) in 1997. In 2001 he was also awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim. He was honoured with the Medal of Merit of the Saarland in 2001 and in 2005 with the Officer's Cross, 1st Class, of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. From 1999 to 2009, he acted as authorised representative of the Saarland Premier in the fields of innovation, technology and research. He was a member of the Supervisory Board at SAP AG in Walldorf from May 2002 to April 2008 and from 1988 to 1998. At BITKOM – Bundesverband Informationswirtschaft, Telekommunikation und Neue Medien e.V. ( German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media), he has been a member of the Board of Management since 2003, a member of the Steering Committee since 2004 and was President from 2007 until June 2011.  During his presidency, the association gained significantly in visibility and political influence. He is also Vice President of the BDI – Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e.V. (Federation of German Industries).

He was elected as Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003 and received the Philipp Morris Research Prize. He was a member of the Senate at the Fraunhofer Society from 2005 to 2010. In 2005, he was honoured by the GI – Gesellschaft für Informatik e. V. (German Informatics Society) as a GI Fellow and received the Erich-Gutenberg Prize. From 2006 to 2008, he was appointed by Federal Chancellor Dr. Merkel as a member of the German Federal Council for Innovation and Growth. In February 2010, he was appointed by the Federal research Minister Prof. Dr. Schavan as a member of the Research Union for Economics and Science.

Prof. Scheer has received many further international scientific and personal awards. In addition to many scientific books, he has also written the practical management books “Start-ups are easy, but…” (“Unternehmen gründen ist nicht schwer...”) and “Managing Managers“ (“Spiele der Manager“, soon to be published in English).

He is now orientating the affiliated company Scheer Group GmbH as a network for small and medium-sized technology companies. “I have set myself the goal of steering the Scheer Group on a course of aggressive growth over the next five to ten years to generate a total turnover of 100 million Euros with over 500 members of staff! At the same time, I intend to continue working as a committed representative of my industry sector with the aim of developing Germany further as a centre for innovation!” says Scheer.