Continuity at the top of Ziehl-Abegg

Uwe Ziehl (second from the left) explains to Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel (fourth from the left) the functioning of an external rotor motor in Hannover in 2014. (Photo: Ziehl-Abegg)

Planned for years and now implemented: generational change at Ziehl-Abegg (from left). Dennis Ziehl (new Chairman of the Supervisory Board), Uwe Ziehl (former Chairman of the Supervisory Board), and Sindia Ziehl (new Supervisory Board member). (Photo: Ziehl-Abegg)

The entrepreneur Uwe Ziehl has always been very tech-savvy. (Photo: Ziehl-Abegg)

- Uwe Ziehl hands over the chairmanship in the Supervisory Board to son Dennis Ziehl
- Daughter Sindia Ziehl takes on mandate as Supervisory Board member

Entrepreneur Uwe Ziehl stepped down from the chairmanship of Ziehl-Abegg's Supervisory Board at the turn of the year. His successor as chairman of the top management body is Dennis Ziehl. "I thank our father for the excellent technical development of the company, which is very well positioned globally, over the past 20 years," he says. Sindia Ziehl is now also a member of the Supervisory Board of the Ziehl-Abegg Group. Dennis and Sindia Ziehl are the great-grandchildren of the company's founder Emil Ziehl. In addition, Dennis Ziehl is the managing director of Ziehl industrie-elektronik GmbH in Schwäbisch Hall and a member of the full assembly of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK). Uwe Ziehl wishes his children on the Supervisory Board good luck and much success in further developing Ziehl-Abegg.

Uwe Ziehl has always emphasized and promoted close family cohesion. A transition in the company's leadership must proceed smoothly and securely. Therefore, his children Sindia and Dennis have also participated in more than 80 Supervisory Board meetings in recent years, even without mandates. "In many companies, a generational change is bumpy and problematic — Uwe Ziehl has worked deliberately for decades to ensure that we can now continue our global success as a technology leader without issues," says CEO Peter Fenkl.

Entrepreneur with Heart and Soul

Uwe Ziehl is regarded as an entrepreneur with passion and great technical understanding. For outstanding professional and entrepreneurial achievements and as a token of appreciation for his special contributions to the economy of Baden-Württemberg, Finance and Economic Minister Nils Schmid awarded Uwe Ziehl from Schwäbisch Hall the Economic Medal. "They stand as representatives of all successful family businesses in Baden-Württemberg, for which international success and regional connectedness are not mutually exclusive. They are exemplary entrepreneurs and have contributed through their work to making Baden-Württemberg a strong and livable state," Schmid praised. "As an attractive employer and innovative company, Ziehl-Abegg increased the competitiveness of the entire Heilbronn-Franken region under your leadership."

Already during his engineering studies, Uwe Ziehl founded ZIEHL industrie-elektronik GmbH & Co KG in Schwäbisch Hall in 1967, a manufacturer of measurement and control devices. Ziehl-Abegg grew into a globally leading manufacturer of fans for air conditioning and ventilation technology as well as drive motors for elevators.

By 1973, Ziehl-Abegg had begun internationalization. In 2001, it was converted into a family-owned joint-stock company. In 2005, Uwe Ziehl took over the chairmanship of the Supervisory Board of Ziehl-Abegg. This was possible because he — with significant personal financial risk — had consolidated all shares in a family holding. This enabled investments in research and development, which significantly expanded Ziehl-Abegg's position as a technology leader.

Uwe Ziehl promoted the expansion of manufacturing depth and competence, including the company's entry into the production of plastic parts in the Hohenlohe industrial park; in addition to in-house aluminum casting, which is located in Schöntal-Bieringen.

Inspiring Children and Youth for Technology

Today, 4,300 employees work worldwide for Ziehl-Abegg, including 2,400 in the highIohian Künzelsau, Bieringen, and Kupferzell. The company offers a high training rate of around 10 percent and an indefinite job guarantee for all trainees and dual students. Seven percent of annual sales are invested in research and development. Besides his professional engagement, Uwe Ziehl is particularly committed to promoting technology and technical professions in kindergartens, primary schools, and universities. Uwe Ziehl also cares about his company's social engagement beyond normal business operations: including years of support for the Albert Schweitzer Children's Village (Waldenburg) and the open-air museum Wackershofen (Schwäbisch Hall).

Uwe Ziehl was born in 1947 in Füssen as the grandson of Emil Ziehl, the founder of Ziehl-Abegg. He spent his childhood and youth in Künzelsau. Uwe Ziehl has two children: Sindia and Dennis Ziehl.