Klaus Agthe

Klaus Erich Agthe (born August 12, 1930 in Niederholzhausen, Province of Saxony, Prussia, Germany) is a German-born businessman and author.

Klaus Agthe grew up in Apolda in the province of Thuringia, Germany, went to school in Weimar and studied business administration at the Humboldt University in Berlin under Professor Konrad Mellerowicz. Agthe had not been admitted to the University but travelled to Berlin anyway and, without an appointment, introduced himself to Mellerowicz, who organized his matriculation, though he had never met Agthe before. In the course of his studies, he eventually followed Mellerowicz to the Technical University of Berlin where he received his doctorate in 1958 with the work "Die Abweichungen in der Plankostenrechnung." He was sponsored by Professor Mellerowicz.

In the interim, Agthe had spent a year studying at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana). The experiences and perceptions he gained during this time would shape his life significantly.

After finishing his studies, Agthe initially worked at Standard Elektrik Lorenz in Stuttgart, where he was mentored and significantly influenced by Harold Geneen, who was at that time the CEO of SEL’s parent company, ITT Corporation, In 1966 he moved to Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany, to take up a position with the Schmalbach-Lubeca company, where he ascended to the Executive Board of the company. In 1976, following the acquisition of Schmalbach-Lubeca by the American Continental Can Company, Agthe moved to the United States to take become a Vice President of Continental Can, with responsibility for operations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

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