A Swiss national born on 8.12.1957, Jürg Oleas began his studies in mechanical engineering, enhanced by studies legal science, in 1976 at the Swiss Institute of Technology in Zurich. He majored in mechanical engineering in 1981. He began his career at the ABB Group in 1982. Between 1982 and 1996, he worked at ABB Switzerland as a Development Engineer on steam turbines and plant engineering.
He later took general charge of the worldwide sales for steam-powered power stations. His career has been accompanied bycontinual periods of professional education in France, Hong Kong, Korea, India, England and the US. Jürg Oleas moved to ABB Germany in 1996 as the Business Unit Manager for turnkey steam-powered power stations. Between 1999 and 2001, Oleas was the Country President for Switzerland and Managing Director of the CC business gas turbine segment at ABB Alstom Power, Switzerland.
Jürg Oleas was appointed as the chairman of the Executive Board of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft on 1st of November 2004. He was a member of the board since May 1st, 2001, responsible for the chemicals organisational unit. Between 1st of January 2003 and 31st of July 2004 Jürg Oleas also was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board of Dynamit Nobel AG, which was sold as part of the restructuring of GEA Group.
