Trained as an
electronics engineer, like his father, he worked at Philips for almost all of his life. From 1981 to 1986 he was general manager of Philips' Professional Audio Product Group. Kleisterlee joined Philips Components in 1986. After becoming general manager of Philips Display Components for Europe. He was appointed managing director of Philips Display Components Worldwide in 1994. He became president of Philips Taiwan and Regional Manager for Philips Components in Asia-Pacific in 1996. From September 1997 through June 1998 he was also responsible for all the activities of the Philips Group in China. He served on the
Hong Kong Chief Executive's Council of International Advisers from 1998 to 2005. In May 2001 Kleisterlee succeeded
Cor Boonstra as CEO of Philips. In 2006, he spun off the volatile semiconductors business into a separate entity
NXP Semiconductors, and then sold a controlling 80.1% stake to a consortium of
private equity investors. His tenure as CEO has been credited with turning the company around and returning Philips to its original focus areas. He was succeeded by
Frans van Houten as CEO of Philips in April 2011. A director of
Dell, Kleisterlee was nominated as the successor at
Vodafone to chairman
John Bond in January 2011, a position he assumed in July 2011. He was awarded an Honorary doctorate from the
Catholic University of Leuven in 2005. ==Personal life==