Chief executive of Rheinmetall, Germany's biggest defence firm, since 2013. He is 62 years old and his contract has been extended to the end of 2029. In a country where corporate chiefs tend to be press-shy and cautious, Papperger is a rare limelight-lover, described as "the face and the main salesman" of the company.
He is the only German CEO with the same level of personal security as the chancellor, after a Russian plot to kill him was uncovered by American and German intelligence services. He has said the plot has not caused him to scale down any public commitments.
QOTD: Silence is the only virtue he has left.