Biography

Waldemar Schmidt

PROFILE: Global businessman with extensive experience as CEO and Chairman of companies from a wide range of industries across 3 continents.

CEO JOBS: First CEO job of star-up company in Brazil at the age of 29. Progressed to become Group CEO of ISS, a Copenhagen based global facility services group (XL) amongst the largest corporate employers in the world.

BORN: Haderslev, Denmark, 4th July 1940

COUNTRIES: Has lived and worked in Italy (4), Brazil (10), UK (15) and Switzerland (16)

BUSINESS TRAVELS: More than 4.000 days away from home on business trips.

RESIDENCE: Switzerland

LANGUAGES: Danish, English, Portuguese, German, and French

FAMILY: Married with Britta since 1969, three married children and eight grandchildren

 

EDUCATION

1947-52: Junior School, Louiseskolen, Haderslev

1952-57: Realeksamen (GCSE), Haderslev Katedralskole

1957-61: Apprentice as a mechanic, Haderslev Maskinforretning A/S

1961-64: Industrial Engineer (BsC), Odense Teknikum (SDU)

 

PRE-CEO CAREER 1964-1969

1964-69: From Planning Engineer in Denmark to Production Manager in Italy, DCK

1969: Management Trainee, Industrial Department, The East Asiatic Co. Copenhagen

 

CEO CAREER 1969-2000

1969-73: General Manager (CEO) Kemiform/The East Asiatic Company, Sao Paulo, Brazil

1973-79: Country Manager/Managing Director (CEO) ISS, Sao Paulo, Brazil

1979-89: Executive Vice President Europe & Brazil (CEO) ISS, Member of the Group’s Executive Board, Copenhagen, Denmark303

1989-1995: Managing Director (CEO) ISS Europe Ltd, London, UK, and member of the ISS Group Executive Board, responsible for Europe, Brazil, and Asia

1995-2000: Group Chief Executive (CEO) of ISS, a Copenhagen-based contract cleaning- and facilities services group, with 250,000 employees. Resigned in August 2000 to pursue a full-time Non-Executive Career.

 

SECOND AND THIRD CAREER 2000-

CHAIRMAN ROLES: Crisplant A/S, Tholstrup Cheese Holding A/S, Navision A/S, Energi E2 A/S, Excellent Match A/S, Hempel International A/S, Scan Energi A/S, Superfos A/S, Thrane & Thrane A/S, Norbreeze Group Ltd, Majid Al Futtaim Group LLC (Deputy & Acting) and FONA A/S (Deputy)

DIRECTOR ROLES: Chemitalic A/S, De Forenede Papirfabriker A/S, Ove Arkil Holding A/S, Group4Falck A/S, G4S PLC, Alfa Laval AB, Kwintet AB, Viterra Energy Services A.G. Enodis PLC, Cicor S/A, IK Partners Funds, Skagen Conscious Capital, Chas. Hude A/S, IMD, Welzorg b.v.

ADVISORY ROLES: IK Partners, Apax LLC, London Business School, Stern Stuart, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, Thise Mejerier

OTHER ROLES: IMD, Executive-in-Residence (Research project published as a book, “Winning at Service”), The Nørby Corporate Governance Committee, Goodwill Ambassador for Copenhagen, CBS-Copenhagen Business School, Adj. Professor, Investor in start-ups, Human Practice Foundation, IT Academy, Taplejung, Nepal, Founding Father, Writer, Speaker, Mentor, etc.

 

BOOKS

Winning at Service – Lessons from Service Leaders Wiley, 2008

Denmark Limited – Global by Design GAD, 2006

From MBA To CEO Editora Val de Mar, 2013

The Job of the CEO Editora Val de Mar, 2020

 

AWARDS

“The Danish Export Oscar” by Prince Henrik of Denmark, 1979

The Order of Knight of Dannebrog (R) by the Queen of Denmark, 2000

The Order of Knight of Dannebrog First Degree (R1) by the Queen of Denmark 2008

The Order of the Polar Star by the King of Sweden, 2008