Peter Hartz

Peter Hartz (born 9 August 1941 in Sankt Ingbert), was the human resources executive at the German public company Volkswagen AG (VW). Twenty percent of Volkswagen's shares are owned by the state of Lower Saxony. Hartz became notable as adviser to German chancellor and former head of the state of Lower Saxony Gerhard Schröder, for whom Hartz developed the so called Hartz-reforms of the German labour market and job agencies - the German welfare benefit, 'Hartz IV', is called after the fourth stage of his reforms.