After studying mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Munich in 1982, followed by his doctorate, he joined Xaver Fendt GmbH & Co in May 1990 as a transmission and drive technology engineer, and soon took over a management role in the testing and validation of powertrains. A year later, he was overseeing the entire powertrain development and in 1995 became Development Manager of a tractor product line. In 1998, he took over the position of Managing Director for the Research & Development of all Fendt tractors and forage harvesters. In the wake of the globalisation of the AGCO Group, he was appointed Vice President Engineering Global Tractors in March 2013, responsible for the development of all AGCO tractor brands worldwide.
From 2000 to 2011, Reiter was an advisory-board member of the Max-Eyth-Gesellschaft Agrartechnik (agricultural engineering society) at the VDI. He regularly hosted the "Tractors" session at the LAND.TECHNIK International Conference. Since 2001, he has been a member of the management team of VDMA Landtechnik (the largest European association in the agricultural technology industry), where, in 2008, he started to become heavily involved in the establishment of the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF). Since 2016, he has been a member of the Executive Committee of the VDMA Agricultural Engineering Unit as well as Joint Vice-Chairman.
In 2008, Dr. Heribert Reiter was elected Chairman of the Technical Steering Committee of CEMA, the European manufacturers' association of agricultural engineering companies. He has used his contacts with the EU Commission to influence EU activities in European farming and agricultural technology. The European agricultural machinery industry has a committed advocate and communicator in Dr. Heribert Reiter.