Klaus-Christian Kleinfeld (born November 6, 1957, in Bremen, West Germany) is a prominent German-American businessman known for his leadership roles in major global corporations. He earned a Diplom in Business Administration from the University of Göttingen and a Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the University of Würzburg. Kleinfeld began his career at CIBA-GEIGY's Pharmaceuticals Division before joining Siemens AG in 1986, where he spent nearly two decades in various executive positions. He served as President and CEO of Siemens AG from 2005 to 2007, launching the 'Fit4More' program that improved profitability. Following his departure from Siemens, he became CEO of Alcoa Inc. in 2008, guiding the company through economic challenges and restructuring. In 2016, he oversaw Alcoa's split into Alcoa Corporation and Arconic Inc., becoming Chairman and CEO of Arconic until 2019, during which he focused on sustainability initiatives in heavy industry. He also served as the first CEO of Saudi Arabia's NEOM project from 2017 to 2018. Kleinfeld founded K2Elevation, an investment firm focused on technology and biotech ventures, and holds board positions at companies like KONUX, FERNRIDE, GreyOrange, Fero Labs, and NEOM. He has advised U.S. presidents, Chinese Premier Li, and other global leaders, and is the author of 'Leading to Thrive.' A dual U.S.-German citizen, he serves on boards such as the Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations, and World Economic Forum, and is an Honorary Senator of the Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting. He resides near New York and is a board member of The Metropolitan Opera.