Heribert Rohrbeck, CEO of the Ingelfingen-based fluidics specialist Bürkert Fluid Control Systems, was given a standing ovation by the employees at a works council meeting at the beginning of December 2022. His successor Georg Stawowy also got a chance to introduce himself to the staff in the meeting.
Heribert Rohrbeck was visibly moved when he said goodbye to the Bürkert employees, who showed their appreciation for his work at and for Bürkert with a video message and much applause, among other things. Mutual appreciation has always been of great importance to Rohrbeck: appreciation and respect for the contribution of everyone. Both taking on responsibility and holistic thinking and working as part of the special Bürkert culture play a significant role in this context – and according to Rohrbeck, this should be preserved: "It would be ideal to achieve the size of a global group while also maintaining the culture of a family-owned enterprise.”
All in all, the Freiburg native can look back on almost three decades with the international family-owned company from Hohenlohe: Upon joining Bürkert in 1993, Rohrbeck was initially responsible for research and development. After holding various other positions in the company, he succeeded Gerhard Hettinger as CEO of the Bürkert Group in 2004. Such a long time leaves distinct traces in the company and significantly shapes the culture: "When I started at Bürkert, responsibilities were still very divided and characterised by ‘departmental thinking’. As the focus at the time was mainly on local optimisation, the approach wasn’t as global and holistic as it is today," says the 61-year-old. Process-oriented work, interdisciplinary teams and flat hierarchies have now become the standard in everyday work at Bürkert.
Heribert Rohrbeck wishes his successor that "Mr. Georg Stawowy will succeed in drawing on his experience and new ideas within the context of the company culture in order to have the excellent and amazing Bürkert team, who give their best every day with plenty of passion and zeal, fully on board from the start".
Georg Stawowy joins as new CEO
His successor Georg Stawowy (53) will take up his work as CEO at Bürkert in April 2023. As the management of the Bürkert Group was recently expanded with long-standing team members, continuity is also ensured until then and the stable management of the company is guaranteed.
"Bürkert has a highly value-oriented culture and is well-known far beyond the region as an attractive employer. I look forward to being able to work in this environment," says Stawowy about his decision to join Bürkert. And he continues: "I am joining the company after some very successful years. This is a special responsibility and challenge, but above all it creates the self-confidence in the organisation to master the tasks ahead".
From 2013, Georg Stawowy was Member of the Board for Innovation and Technology at Lapp Holding AG in Stuttgart. At Lapp, he was responsible for innovation, product management and development, the supply chain including production and purchasing, as well as IT and digitalisation activities. For him, the focus is particularly on the topic of digital business transformation: "We have to understand the chances and implications of digitalisation in all corners of the organisation and tackle them with courage. That means primarily not only 'taking employees on board’, but also taking on the responsibility together. Bürkert's future viability lies in our own hands."
