Hitachi vs Siemens: Founders, CEOs and History
Hitachi was founded in 1910 by Namihei Odaira and is led by Toshiaki Tokunaga. Siemens was founded in 1847 by Werner von Siemens, Johann Georg Halske and is led by Roland Busch.
Company facts
Founders
Hitachi
Namihei Odaira
Hitachi possesses a historic, foundational founding story, rooted in the industrialization of early 20th-century Japan and driven by a nationalist obsession with technological independence.
Siemens
Werner von Siemens
Werner von Siemens (1816-1892) was a German electrical engineer. In 1847, he significantly improved the telegraph design by replacing the Morse key with a reliable pointer system.
Johann Georg Halske
Johann Georg Halske (1814-1890) partnered with Werner von Siemens in 1847 to build and scale the manufacturing of Siemens' pointer telegraph design. He managed the company's early mechanical workshops and production facilities before departing in 1867.
CEOs and their tenures
Hitachi
- Hiroaki Nakanishi2010–2016
President, later Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Hitachi returned to profit and sold or merged several non-core units under him. Toshiaki Higashihara succeeded him as chief executive in 2016.
Source - Toshiaki Higashihara2016–2022
Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Shifted Hitachi from a sprawling conglomerate toward infrastructure and digital businesses.
Source - Keiji Kojima2022–2025
Executive Chairman (CEO 2022-2025)
Finished much of the portfolio cleanup and handed over a more focused group to Tokunaga.
Source - Toshiaki Tokunaga2025–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Brings an energy and rail background to the top job as Hitachi Energy and Hitachi Rail drive more of the group's growth.
Source
Siemens
- Karlheinz Kaske1981–1992
Chief Executive Officer
Karlheinz Kaske served as chief executive of Siemens AG from 1981 to 1992.
Source - Klaus Kleinfeld2005–2007
President and CEO
Kleinfeld resigned in 2007 as the company faced a bribery investigation, and Peter Loescher succeeded him.
Source - Heinrich von Pierer2005–2007
Chief Executive Officer
Heinrich von Pierer served as chief executive of Siemens AG from 2005 to 2007.
Source - Peter Loescher2007–2013
President and CEO
He led Siemens through the 2008-2009 financial crisis and into a programme of cost reductions. The supervisory board replaced him in 2013 after repeated profit-guidance cuts, and Joe Kaeser took over.
Source - Peter Löscher2007–2013
Chief Executive Officer
Peter Löscher served as chief executive of Siemens AG from 2007 to 2013.
Source - Joe Kaeser2013–2021
President and CEO
Kaeser's portfolio simplification set up Siemens' current focus on digital industrial technology, and he handed the CEO role to Roland Busch in 2021 with the energy and healthcare spin-offs already largely complete.
Source - Roland Busch2021–present
President and CEO
Under Busch, Siemens grew FY2025 revenue to ~$89.2 billion (EUR78.914 billion) (up from ~$84.6 billion (EUR74.882 billion) in FY2023) while continuing to shift the company's profit mix toward higher-margin industrial software.
Source
Timeline: Hitachi and Siemens side by side
1847Siemens
Siemens & Halske is founded
Werner von Siemens and Johann Georg Halske found the company as an electrical telegraph and engineering business.
1897Siemens
Siemensstadt Founded
Siemens & Halske acquires land west of Berlin to build a vast new industrial site, later known as Siemensstadt, that grows into an UNESCO World Heritage-listed company town.
1910Hitachi
Founding and First Induction Motor
Namihei Odaira establishes the machinery repair shop that becomes Hitachi, and develops Japan's first 5-horsepower induction motor, establishing the foundation for the company's dominance in electrical engineering.
1932Hitachi
Expansion into Railway Technology
Hitachi begins manufacturing electric locomotives and rail signaling systems, establishing a deep, institutionalized relationship with the Japanese national railway network that would evolve into the modern Hitachi Rail division.
1959Hitachi
Entry into Computing and Electronics
Hitachi develops its first electronic computer, the HITAC, marking the company's strategic entry into the information technology sector and laying the groundwork for its future digital systems business.
1966Siemens
Siemens AG takes modern form
Several Siemens predecessor companies combine into the modern Siemens AG structure.
2007Siemens
UGS acquisition deepens software
Siemens acquires UGS, building the PLM base that later becomes central to its industrial software strategy.
2008Siemens
Bribery Settlement
Siemens agreed in December 2008 to pay about $1.6 billion to US and German authorities to settle bribery investigations.
2009Hitachi
Record Annual Loss
Hitachi reported a net loss of about 787 billion yen for the year to March 2009, then the largest by a Japanese manufacturer.
2016Hitachi
Toshiaki Higashihara becomes CEO
Toshiaki Higashihara became CEO of Hitachi in 2016. Shifted Hitachi from a sprawling conglomerate toward infrastructure and digital businesses.
2017Siemens
Mentor Graphics Acquired
Siemens completed its purchase of the chip-design software company Mentor Graphics in 2017 for about $4.5 billion.
2018Siemens
Siemens Healthineers lists
Siemens lists Siemens Healthineers while retaining a major ownership stake.
2020Hitachi
Acquisition of ABB's Power Grids Business
Hitachi executes the $11 billion acquisition of ABB's Power Grids business, renaming it Hitachi Energy and instantly establishing the company as the global leader in HVDC transmission and grid infrastructure.
2020Siemens
Siemens Energy is spun off
Siemens separates Siemens Energy, narrowing the parent company around industrial technology.
2021Hitachi
Acquisition of GlobalLogic
The company acquires the global digital engineering firm GlobalLogic for $9.6 billion, instantly establishing Hitachi as a top-tier provider of advanced software and product design services for the automotive and telecommunications sectors.
2021Siemens
Roland Busch becomes CEO
Roland Busch succeeds Joe Kaeser and accelerates the digital-industries and infrastructure strategy.
2022Hitachi
Hitachi Construction Machinery Stake Sale
Hitachi sold a controlling stake in Hitachi Construction Machinery to Itochu and Japan Industrial Partners, part of its exit from cyclical listed subsidiaries.
2024Hitachi
Acquired Thales Ground Transportation Systems
Hitachi acquired Thales Ground Transportation Systems. Hitachi Rail completed its ~$1.88 billion (EUR 1.66 billion) acquisition of Thales's Ground Transportation Systems business, its rail signalling division, expanding Hitachi Rail to 51 countries and shiftin…
2025Hitachi
Toshiaki Tokunaga Becomes CEO
Toshiaki Tokunaga became President and CEO on April 1, 2025, succeeding Keiji Kojima, who became Executive Chairman.
2025Siemens
FY2025 revenue reaches ~$89.2B (EUR78.914B)
Siemens reports ~$89.2B (EUR78.914B) revenue and ~$11.7B (EUR10.387B) net income for FY2025.
2025Siemens
Altair Engineering Acquired
Siemens completes its roughly $10 billion acquisition of Altair Engineering, adding simulation, high-performance computing, and AI-driven design software to its Xcelerator industrial software stack.
2026Hitachi
Record Results and Home Appliance Sale
Hitachi reported record FY2025 profit in April 2026 and agreed to sell 80.1% of its home appliance business to Nojima for about $737 million (¥110 billion).
2026Siemens
Q2 FY2026 results show stable revenue
Siemens reports roughly stable Q2 FY2026 revenue while maintaining its fiscal-year operating focus.
Acquisitions
Hitachi
- Thales Ground Transportation Systems2024Undisclosed
- GlobalLogic2021Undisclosed
- ABB Power Grids2020Undisclosed
Siemens
- Altair Engineering2025$10B
- Dotmatics2025$5.1B
- Brightly Software2022$1.6B
- Varian Medical Systems2021$16.4B
- Mentor Graphics2017$4.5B
- UGS Corporation2007$3.5B
Questions about Hitachi vs Siemens
Who is the CEO of Hitachi, Ltd. and Siemens AG?
Hitachi, Ltd. is led by Toshiaki Tokunaga and Siemens AG is led by Roland Busch. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Hitachi, Ltd. founded vs Siemens AG?
Siemens AG was founded in 1847 — 63 years before Hitachi, Ltd., which was founded in 1910. Siemens AG's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Hitachi, Ltd..
How many employees does Hitachi, Ltd. have compared to Siemens AG?
Hitachi, Ltd. employs approximately 287,901 people, while Siemens AG employs approximately 318,000. Siemens AG has the larger workforce at 318,000 employees, compared to Hitachi, Ltd.'s 287,901. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Hitachi, Ltd. and Siemens AG headquartered?
Hitachi, Ltd. is headquartered in Japan and Siemens AG is headquartered in Germany. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Hitachi, Ltd. and Siemens AG?
Hitachi, Ltd. was founded by Namihei Odaira. Siemens AG was founded by Werner von Siemens, Johann Georg Halske.
Which company has a longer operating history — Hitachi, Ltd. or Siemens AG?
Siemens AG has been operating for approximately 179 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Hitachi, Ltd. has been in operation for around 116 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Hitachi vs Siemens overview