Deutsche Telekom has announced the appointment of Uwe Heckert as Chief Operating Officer for its healthcare division, effective January 16. Heckert will report to Gottfried Ludewig, who oversees the company’s healthcare business and public sector clients.
Heckert joins Deutsche Telekom from Philips, where he served as Chair of the Management Board for the DACH region since 2021 and led Healthcare Informatics for Europe. His previous roles include positions at McKinsey & Company and Unisys.
“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. In his leadership roles at Philips and Unisys, Uwe has impressively demonstrated how to successfully manage complex transformations with clarity, expertise, and passion,” said Gottfried Ludewig.
Uwe Heckert expressed enthusiasm about joining Deutsche Telekom: “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.”
Heckert previously held several leadership positions at T-Systems after 2005 in system integration. He studied business administration in Berlin, Göttingen, and at the State University of New York. He furthered his knowledge in Artificial Intelligence at MIT and holds a doctorate in business informatics focused on information and communication technologies in knowledge management.
In addition to his new role at Deutsche Telekom, Heckert serves as Chair of the Health Executive Council of Digitaleurope. Until recently he was also a board member of Digitaleurope, an association representing industries undergoing digital transformation across Europe.
Healthcare remains a strategic growth area for Deutsche Telekom. The company provides IT services to tens of thousands of medical practices in Germany and over 300 hospitals rely on its solutions for secure connectivity and data management. Its hospital information system iMedOne is used by physicians during bedside rounds across multiple continents.
Deutsche Telekom also partners with hospitals on artificial intelligence projects such as early detection systems for sepsis. More than half of all statutory health insured citizens in Germany use a secure health ID from Deutsche Telekom to access electronic prescriptions or their electronic health records. The company focuses additionally on cybersecurity measures and 5G campus networks tailored for hospitals.
Recently, Deutsche Telekom expanded its portfolio through the acquisition of Synedra from Austria. Synedra specializes in organizing radiology images, videos, genomic data and ensures secure archiving along with high-security exchange of medical data.
