Farewell

Today we had to say goodbye to a highly esteemed colleague and honored friend. Several hundred people from his professional environment, from his private sphere of activity, from his community and his family came together for the public funeral in his small home community, about 40 kilometers from the gates of Stuttgart. The number of those who would have liked to express their appreciation and gratitude through their presence today and who would have wished to be present today to say goodbye, is much higher in view of the colleagues in other countries around the world.

What kind of person was this who received so much recognition after being suddenly and unexpectedly torn from life at far too young?

It was a person for whom no path was too far to give 100% percent and to cause something good. Extremely competent himself and fully satisfied with what he had achieved, he was a fair and cooperative colleague, teacher, trainer, mentor and role model for his ever-growing environment. He trusted his many young employees to achieve more than they gave themselves credit for and helped them to bring out the best in themselves that was achievable for them. In doing so, he challenged everyone differently, because everyone had different skills and different levels of ability, and because everyone was allowed to contribute their own individual talents. He had the highest expectations of his employees and colleagues, but promoted their successes at every opportunity. As a result, he influenced and shaped numerous life paths.

He managed to lead with humanity and commitment in a strict organization, always applying excellent judgment. He succeeded in turning an international team of diverse people, who took on tasks in different countries, into a family. He was undoubtedly the leader, but he had a friendly and close relationship with his employees. He showed this in a very nice way, always with the necessary professional distance and without ever having made an inappropriate or discriminatory statement. Full of respect for his strong environment, conscientious, dedicated to service and with an unlimited passion for his tasks.

Shortly after I started my career, he was my boss. In our first joint project, the SUPER project, with 17 subprojects and 350 employees involved, which we completed in three languages in two countries, he taught me, and in other projects my colleagues at the time, the art of project management. Under the guiding theme of "harmony" and always well-founded, he has achieved enormous things in his professional career and in numerous of such projects. I have never encountered a comparable level of professionalism, quality and kindness in my entire career. The same is reported by my numerous former colleagues. To his former co-workers and certainly to many others in whose circles he actively brought people together, some of whom became best friends, he remains a role model, guide and measure.

Dear Gunther, I am grateful that I was able to get to know you. You have given us all so much that is positive and valuable. Even if we remain sad, especially with regard to your dear family, I am sure that you were called because you have already done so much good here and experienced it full of articulated gratitude. Possibly you are needed elsewhere for a global, very big master project. See you again! Stay as you are.

Until then.

I send my heartfelt condolences to his dear wife and two beloved children.