"Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler was born in Prague and grew up in Vienna. She finished university prep school and attended medical school. She has been actively involved in the business operations of the INA-Schaeffler Group for many years now and is continuing the lifelong work of company founders Dr. Wilhelm Schaeffler and Dr. Georg Schaeffler.

Fortune Business Country Status 6.3 Billion Ball bearings Germany N/A

The Schaeffler Group includes the three strong brands INA, FAG und LuK.

In recognition of her outstanding achievements for business in northern Bavaria's central Franconian region and especially for training programs for young people, she was awarded the Medal of Honor by the Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce. In early March 2001, Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler was the first woman to be elected to the 10-member steering committee of the Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce.

Mrs. Schaeffler belongs to several boards and committees: She is the chairperson of the Dresdner Bank's advisory board for Bavaria, a member of the curatorship for the Nuremberg region and the board of governors of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, and serves on the managing board of the Nuremberg Society of Opera Friends.

In 1996 she was awarded the “Steckkreuz” in recognition of her contributions to the Bavarian Red Cross. This is the highest honor conferred by the Bavarian Red Cross.

On April 30, 2001, Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler was awarded the German Cross of Merit with Ribbon for her outstanding entrepreneurial achievements and her commitment to social issues.

To express thanks for 50 years of INA operations in Hochstadt and INA's major contribution to the economic upswing in the town and the entire region over the past 10 years, the town of Hochstadt/Aisch made Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler an honorary citizen on April 25, 2002.

Since November 1, 2002, Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler has been an honorary member of the university council of the Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, and since January 2004 she has been a member of the university council of the University of Hanover.

On July 17, 2003, the Bavarian Governor Dr. Edmund Stoiber awarded Mrs. Schaeffler the Bavarian Order of Merit in Munich for the outstanding service she has performed for Bavaria and Bavarian citizens.

In November 2004, Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler received the Family Entrepreneur of the Year Award. This prize, awarded for the first time jointly by the economics magazine “Impulse” and the “Intes Akademie fur Familienunternehmen” honors family entrepreneurs whose future-oriented leadership have ensured the sustained viability and growth of their companies.

On the occasion of opening the INA-Schaeffler plant in Brasov, Romania, Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler was appointed an honorary member of the senate of the Transylvania University of Brasov by the rector, Prof. Ion Visa in June 2005." (Source: fag-internet)