He was born in 1962 in Saulgau, Germany, and received his degree as an industrial engineer from the Darmstadt University of Technology in 1989. In 1990 he started his career as a trainee with Robert Bosch GmbH, and then took on the function of Controller and Assistant of a Division CFO, a position he held from 1990 to 1993. In 1993 he joined VIAG AG as Head of Controlling for “Aluminium”. In 1995 he became head of Works Controlling at Kodak AG in Stuttgart. From 1996 to 2002 he held various management positions at VAW Aluminium AG, including Head of Controlling for the “Rolled Products” division (1996–1998), Finance Director of the “Rolled Products” division (1998–2000), and Managing Director of Service Center Accounting (2000– 2002). When VAW Aluminium AG was taken over by Norsk Hydro in 2002, Mr. Spitzenpfeil became CFO of the “Rolled Products” division and member of the Supervisory Board of Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH.

Additional functions or inter-company relations outside the Zumtobel Group:
member of the Supervisory Board of Austria Metall AG in Braunau-Ranshofen / Austria (since 23 November 2007).