Former TRUMPF CEO dies

Professor Berthold Leibinger

TRUMPF has announced that former CEO Professor Berthold Leibinger died Oct. 16, 2018, following a long illness. He would have been 88 on Nov. 26.

After studying engineering in Stuttgart and spending two years in the U.S., Leibinger joined TRUMPF in 1961 when the company was still a fledgling machine maker. For his numerous inventions, he received company shares and became a partner in 1966 while serving as managing director.

Under his stewardship, TRUMPF evolved into one of the world's leading machine manufacturers. Leibinger understood the potential of light as a tool more than any of his peers, and he is now regarded as one of the pioneers in the industrial application of lasers.

In 2005 he handed over the reins of the company to his eldest daughter, Dr. Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller. His son, Dr. Peter Leibinger, is vice chairman of the managing board.

In addition to his work at TRUMPF, Leibinger held numerous other official positions in the German business community. In 1992 he established the Berthold Leibinger Stiftung, a not-for-profit foundation that dedicates its proceeds to cultural, scientific, religious, and charitable purposes.

“Berthold Leibinger was a visionary engineer and entrepreneur. Everything he did was ultimately directed toward people’s welfare and the common good. He was an outstanding example to us all,” said Dr. Jürgen Hambrecht, chairman of the supervisory board of the TRUMPF Group.