Helmut Gunter Wilhelm Panke[1] (born on 31 August 1946[2][3] in Fürstenwalde, East Germany[4]) is a German manager and physicist who has been holding board membership in several companies - Microsoft, Bayer AG and Singapore Airlines. During the past recent 30 years, Panke's management career spread over several companies, including e.g. serving as the chairman of the board of management at BMW AG from May 2002 through August 2006.[5]