Dr. Bernd Montag: A pioneer in medical technology

As CEO of Siemens Healthineers, one of the leading medical technology companies, Dr Bernd Montag is a globally recognised personality and an outstanding pioneer in the healthcare sector. He studied physics at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg and completed his doctorate in theoretical multi-particle physics. At the same time, he was a junior national player and played for Bamberg in the German Basketball League.

‘If you don't love what you do, life is too short.’ - Dr Bernd Montag

For an FAU alumni interview, Bernd Montag returns to the place where he spent countless hours in lecture theatres, seminar rooms and research laboratories - the Faculty of Natural Sciences at FAU.

Physics enthusiast, former professional basketball player and FAU alumnus

In this interview, Dr Bernd Montag provides personal insights into his time as a student, talks about important milestones in his career and his values and goals as the head of a team of more than 70,000 specialists. He also explains the role passion plays in his profession and reveals the three things that make up a perfect day for him. You can find the full interview in the video.

What did you take away from your time at FAU?

‘Here I really - and that's a big word - discovered my love for theoretical physics: this clarity, this simplicity and beauty of the connections. That's something I wouldn't want to miss.’

You are still closely associated with our FAU today, e.g. as a speaker and discussion partner at events. What significance does the connection to your alma mater have for you?

‘[...] This ‘ecosystem’ that we have in Erlangen and the surrounding area - the university, for us in particular the university hospital, Medical Valley and us as Siemens Healthineers - is probably something quite unique. I believe that this interplay, the intellectual demands, but also the diversity in the whole environment, is extremely important. It's good to be involved.’

What advice would you like to give our students?

‘[...] There's a nice phrase in English: ‘Action precedes motivation.’ In other words, you shouldn't wait until you're motivated and then do something. Instead, if you simply start something, try it out and give it a go, then motivation often follows in the next step. That's what happened with my passion for theoretical physics, for example.’