Andreas Schwer

Andreas Schwer (born 1966) is a German manager. He was CEO of the state arms and military manufacturer SAMI of Saudi Arabia from 2018 to 2020.

Professional career
Andreas Schwer studied aerospace engineering at the University of Stuttgart from 1987 to 1992. In 1995 he earned a Ph. D. in this subject with a research project at ESA from 2003 to 2004. From 1999 to 2000 he completed his master's in systems engineering at the Universiteit Delft while already working for Airbus.

Schwer initially worked for Airbus in the armaments and aerospace division from 1995 to 2005 and in the helicopter division from 2005 to 2008. From 2008 to 2012 he was CTO und Executive Vice-president at American crane manufacturer The Manitowoc Company and became managing director of Mantitowoc Germany in 2011. From 2012 to 2017 he was with Rheinmetall and board-member of the combat system division of Rheinmetall International. He supported the export of combat tanks to Turkey. The German government stopped and banned all arms exports to the regime in Riyadh in 2018 because of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Nevertheless, Schwer could switch to Saudi Arabian Military Industries at the beginning of 2018.

Under the co-responsibility of Schwer SAMI aims to take over for a billion US dollars the South African armaments company Denel; including its shares in a joint venture with Rheinmetall. Rheinmetall production facilities in South Africa and Italy continue to supply SAMI with ammunition. According to German magazine Stern this deal amounts to more than 100 million euros per year.

The hiring of Schwer as a top manager by SAMI was part of a "small request" (Kleine Anfrage) of the member of Bundestag Sevim Dağdelen, Christine Buchholz, Klaus Ernst, Heike Hänsel, Andrej Hunko, Zaklin Nastic, Eva-Maria Schreiber, Kirsten Tackmann, Kathrin Vogler, Hubertus Zdebel and the parliamentary party Die Linke entitled "The Promised Export Stop of German Armaments to Saudi Arabia and the Role of Rheinmetall" in January 2019.

Schwer is chairman of the Australian metal 3D-printer manufacturer Titomic since July 2020.

Dr Schwer was appointed Group CEO of EOS (Electro Optic Systems) in August 2022.

Private life
Andreas Schwer lived in Meersburg on Bodensee until 2017. In Meersburg he was involved in as an organist in the Catholic parish of Mariä Heimsuchung.