Klaus-Ewald Holst

Klaus-Ewald Holst (born May 16, 1943 in Neustrelitz ) is a German manager and was CEO of VNG - Verbundnetz Gas Aktiengesellschaft (VNG) from 1990 to August 31, 2010 .

Life

After high school graduation (1961) and an apprenticeship, Holst studied deep drilling technology and oil / gas production at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg until 1967 . In the former VEB Verbundnetz Gas he worked from 1968 as a development engineer in various functions up to the main department manager maintenance. In 1977 he became a Dr.-Ing. PhD. During the political turning point in the GDR , he was in charge of separating the company from the Schwarze Pump gas combine and converting it into a stock corporation on June 29, 1990 , before the economic and monetary union . Now as chairman of the board, he quickly developed the large company. In parallel to the conversion from city gas to natural gas , the modernization of the gas pipeline network and its connection to the Western European pipeline system, he pushed ahead with the diversification of natural gas purchases - especially from Norway. With the expansion of strategic and financial investments in Germany and abroad, he consolidated the position of VNG. According to his own admission, he was always helped by the diverse support provided by what was then Ruhrgas AG as the main shareholder. At the beginning of 2002, due to the merger of E.ON and Ruhrgas AG, the Ruhrgas shares were sold to EWE AG. Contrary to the intentions of the ministerial permit required for this, EWE subsequently tried to take over VNG, which was prevented not least by the intervention of Holst. With the acquisition of exploration and production licenses in Norway, Holst secured VNG access to the production of natural gas. Holst was at the head of VNG for over 20 years.

Holst has been the Royal Norwegian Consul for the Free State of Saxony since 1998 . In 2004 the consular district was expanded to include the federal states of Saxony-Anhalt , Thuringia and Brandenburg . In 2005 Holst was appointed Honorary Consul General of the Kingdom of Norway . Since May 2014 Holst has been the consul of the Kingdom of Norway for the consular district of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania .

In addition to a number of other mandates, Holst is also chairman of the Association of Friends and Patrons of the Technical University of Bergakademie Freiberg. In 2013 he published his first book under the title "Moving Time - A Life Full of Energy".

Klaus-Ewald Holst is married and has one son.

Honors

• 1995: Honorary senator of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg
• 1996: Merit Cross on Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• 1998: Royal Norwegian Order of Merit
• 1998: Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony
• 2003: Central German communication and business award "Hot Potato"
• 2007: Appointment as honorary professor (Prof. e. H.) By the Prime Minister of the Free State of Saxony
• 2010: Willy Brandt Prize

literature

Klaus-Ewald Holst: Moving times. A life full of energy. Mitteldeutscher Verlag, Halle (Saale) 2013, ISBN 978-3-95462-069-2

Web links

• Board of the Association of Friends and Sponsors of the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg , homepage of the association
• Norway - the official site in Germany
• Saxon Order of Merit, medal holder
• Central German Media and Communication Prize "Hot Potato"
• Appointment as Prof. e. H. (PDF; 7.7 MB), page 4 of the journal
• [1] , article Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, September 1, 2010
• [2] , article Handelsblatt, August 31, 2010
• German Embassy Oslo, Prize of the Norwegian-German Willy Brandt Foundation , October 21, 2010