Deutsche Telekom/T-Systems is further expanding its position in the healthcare market. The Group is strengthening the management of its healthcare division. Uwe Heckert will assume the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer on January 16. In this role, he will report to Gottfried Ludewig, who leads Telekom’s healthcare business and is also responsible for public sector clients.
Heckert joins Telekom from Philips. The 57 year old has been Chair of the Management Board for the DACH region since 2021, while simultaneously leading the Healthcare Informatics business for Europe. Previous career stops included McKinsey & Company and Unisys.
In his leadership roles at Philips and Unisys, Uwe has impressively demonstrated how to successfully manage complex transformations with clarity, expertise, and passion,” explains Gottfried Ludewig.
Uwe Heckert is looking forward to his new employer. “The healthcare market is on the verge of a digital transformation that will shape how we think about, organize, and experience health for years to come. Telekom has a unique starting position in this field – technologically, strategically, and with highly dedicated employees. I want to help drive innovations that improve care and enable a powerful and efficient digital healthcare system in Europe.”
We have gained one of the most distinguished thought leaders in the digital health sector, who also brings extensive international experience. This is a strong signal – for our customers, for the market, and for our entire team.
Dr. Gottfried Ludewig, Senior Vice President Health Industry, T-Systems International GmbH
A native of Thuringia, Heckert is no stranger to Telekom. After 2005, he held several leadership positions at T Systems in the area of system integration. The father of three studied business administration in Berlin and Göttingen as well as at the State University of New York. He deepened his expertise in Artificial Intelligence at MIT in the United States. He earned his doctorate in business informatics with a focus on information and communication technologies in knowledge management.
Uwe Heckert serves as Chair of the Health Executive Council of Digitaleurope and was, until his departure from Philips, also a board member of Digitaleurope. The leading European business association represents industries undergoing digital transformation and shapes industry-policy positions on EU legislation.
Telekom/T-Systems is one of the leading IT players in digital health. Healthcare is a strategic business segment for the Group. Tens of thousands of medical practices in Germany are Telekom customers, relying on the company for secure connectivity and data management every day. The company also serves more than 300 hospitals as an IT service provider. Many hospital physicians use iMedOne during bedside rounds; the Group’s hospital information system is deployed across multiple continents.
The Bonn-based company is also a partner for hospital customers in the area of artificial intelligence, for example by helping detect early signs of sepsis. Moreover, more than half of all statutory health insured citizens in Germany receive a secure health ID from Telekom/T-Systems, which they use for e prescriptions or accessing their electronic health record. Additional focus areas include cybersecurity and 5G campus networks for hospitals.
Most recently, the Group strengthened its portfolio by acquiring Synedra from Austria. The IT specialist brings structure and clarity to the complex landscape of radiology images, videos, and genomic data and ensures secure archiving, organization, and high-security exchange of medical data.
