Monisha Kaltenborn is the former team principal of the Sauber Formula One team, and was the first woman to become a team principal in Formula One.
Kaltenborn was born in Dehradun, India. At the age of 8, her family emigrated to Austria and she continued her education in Vienna, during which time she gained Austrian Citizenship. While at the University of Vienna studying Law, she worked for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the UN Commission for International Trade Law.
Kaltenborn then undertook a Masters in International Business Law at the London School of Economics, after which she worked in various jobs before attaining a position at the Fritz Kaiser Group. There, she met Peter Sauber, the owner and team principal of the Sauber Formula One team who would later employ her as the head of the legal department at Sauber following the split of the Fritz Kaiser Group.
In 2010, Kaltenborn became the CEO of Sauber, becoming the sport’s first female chief executive. Despite this, she was still faced with misogyny in the male-dominated sport and on one occasion “it has been reported that one former team principal assumed she was merely Sauber’s interpreter” Katlenborn said it look a while for people to get over their initial feelings of ‘it’s a woman; what’s a woman doing here?” but she more than proved herself in her role.
In 2012, Kaltenborn became the first woman to become a team principal in Formula One and was given a 33.3% stake in the outfit, making her a part owner. In 2017, Kaltenborn announced she was leaving the team following their take over by Longbow Finance S.A. in July 2016.
In addition to her role with Sauber, Kaltenborn is also involved in the FIA’s Commission for Women and Motorsport.