Previously to joining Shell, Heitmann was Chief Communications Officer for SAP AG, the global business-process-software leader. He was responsible for all stakeholder relationships, externally and internally on a global scale. This included next to the media, investors, customers, partners, employees, academia, NGO’s and the general public. He was also responsible for the corporate reputation building and management. In this role, Heitmann acted as an advisor to founders and CEO’s of SAP AG, regarding all aspects of communications strategy.
Heitmann joined SAP in 1998 as a speechwriter for Hasso Plattner (an SAP co-founder and currently chairperson of the SAP Supervisory Board) directly from the German Parliament where he served as a political consultant on technical, educational, and scientific issues. He played a strategic role in several political campaigns and cross-party negotiations, for example, on issues ranging from the future of nuclear power in Germany, to the European Space Station and the creation of Germany’s first law on genetic engineering. He also participated in an exchange program with the United States Congress.
Heitmann has 20+ years of experience in corporate and public communications. He has a wide range of past experience in the public and private sector, ranging from research and development at Germany’s nuclear research facility in Juelich, in a Gold-refinery in South-Africa or with leading consumer brands like Procter & Gamble and Henkel as well as in different political advisory roles in Germany’s parliament. Throughout his professional career, Heitmann’s main focus has been on driving effective communications and engagement among very diverse stakeholders
Prior to his tenure in the German government, Heitmann worked as a chemical engineer, responsible for paper products design optimization at P&G; the automation of consumer testing at Henkel; and efficiency gains in the gold refinery process at Johannesburg Consolidated Investments.
Heitmann is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society, a professional association that aims to strengthen the management policy role of senior communications executives and is also was Associate of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), where he founded and headed up their communications task force. Since end of 2006 he acts as founding president for the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD). In 2007 he took on chairmanship for the EBITT commission (E-business, IT & Telecoms) at the International Chamber of Commerce.
Heitmann earned his doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Dortmund, Germany.