Gisela Sick passes away at the age of 101

"Gisela Sick was an impressive personality," says Sick CEO Dr. Mats Gökstorp. "We have a lot to thank her for. From the very first day of our company, she was and remains inextricably linked to its culture, long-term focus and sustainable business success. She was a woman of great courage, strong creativity and entrepreneurial vision. This paved our way to becoming a global Group. We remember her with the greatest respect and will cherish her memory. Our sympathy goes out to Gisela Sick's daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

When Dr Erwin Sick received a license from the American military government to set up his own engineering office in a barrack in Vaterstetten near Munich in 1946, Gisela Sick organized the company and family life in 20 square metres of space in the barrack. She did the bookkeeping and wrote the first patent applications for optical-electronic devices on her typewriter. In 1954, the family moved to Oberkirch (Baden) to have more space for production. Just two years later, they moved to Waldkirch. From the mid-1960s until the 1990s, development work was also carried out at a site in Munich. In the 1970s, the foundations were laid for today's company premises in Waldkirch and the internationalization of Sick.

Gisela Sick was also personally involved in the founding of subsidiaries. When Dr. Erwin Sick died in 1988, Gisela Sick did not hesitate for a minute to keep the Sick company independent and gave the management and the many long-serving employees decisive support for the growing business development and moved the center of her life to Waldkirch. As a member of the Advisory Board that was founded, from 1994 of the Supervisory Board of Sick AG and from 1999 as Honorary Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, she supported all fundamental decisions on the way to becoming a global company. The Management Board could be certain that she stood by the independence of the company and also supported all courageous decisions.

Gisela Sick was resolutely committed to the well-being of her employees. She stood for entrepreneurial foresight by, among other things, specifically demanding and promoting training and further education, even beyond the company. She also established the Gisela and Erwin Sick Foundation for this purpose. Many initiatives to improve the compatibility of family and career, particularly in childcare, and to support young people are directly attributable to Gisela Sick. With the Gisela Sick Bildungshaus in Waldkirch, she publicly underlined her commitment to education and music and gave the town an impressive institution.

Dr. Robert Bauer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Sick AG: "We are losing a great personality in Gisela Sick. Through her natural authority combined with a great social commitment, Gisela Sick had an impact far beyond the company. Her modest matter-of-factness, with which she lived her values, is a legacy and underlines her impressive life's work. My sincere condolences go out to the Sick family."