Founder Profile
Gerhard Cless
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Gerhard Cless?
Gerhard Cless is a founder of Zebra Technologies Corporation, which was founded in 1969 with Edward Kaplan.
- Company founded
- Zebra Technologies Corporation
- Founded
- 1969
- Co-founders
- Edward Kaplan
Background
Mechanical engineer educated at the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences in Germany.
Founding Story
Gerhard Cless co-founded Zebra Technologies alongside Ed Kaplan. As the primary engineering architect, he designed the company's first barcode printers, which fundamentally changed how massive global supply chains tracked inventory. He served as Executive Vice President of Engineering, holding numerous patents for thermal printing technology. Gerhard Cless was born in 1939.
Sources
This profile does not yet cite a source specific to Gerhard Cless. The sources below document the company company rather than the person, so check them against the claims above.
- Zebra FY2025 results (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
- Zebra Q2 2026 results (Business Wire) (Zebra Technologies Corporation)