- 24th Annual IMD Global Family Business Award, sponsored by Pictet
- IMD recognized Dachser for its robust corporate and family governance structures combined with operational excellence and a focus on quality
- Award is regarded as the most prestigious for successful global family businesses that combine tradition and innovation with clear corporate social responsibility imperatives
Udaipur, India, 18 October 2019 – Dachser, a family enterprise founded in 1930 and headquartered in Kempten, Germany, was awarded the 24th Annual IMD Global Family Business Award, sponsored by Pictet, at the 30th Summit of The Family Business Network (FBN) in Udaipur, India.
In the presence of over 400 participants, and on behalf of the the company and the founding family, Bernhard Simon, Chief Executive Officer and Birgit Kastner-Simon, Corporate Director Corporate Marketing, from Dachser, were presented with the award by Professor Benoit Leleux, IMD Global Family Business Award Director and Marta Widz, IMD Research Fellow.
The accolade acknowledges firms that are exemplary in uniting family and business interests and combine tradition and innovation with clear corporate social responsibility imperatives.
The Award recognizes large (annual turnover of at least USD 0.5 billion), global (operations on at least two continents) and multigenerational (of at least 3rd generation) family businesses that embody excellence on both family and business fronts. In selecting the award winner, a panel of independent experts examines various aspects of the family business.
“Dachser is an outstanding family enterprise that has successfully adopted a comprehensive governance system,” commented IMD President Jean-François Manzoni. “Dachser’s success is a testament to three generations of family owners who have built up one of the most sustainable family businesses anywhere in the world. Dachser is a most worthy recipient of this year’s prize.”
IMD recognized Dachser for its robust corporate and family governance structures combined with operational excellence and a focus on quality. Dachser has stayed true to its core business and continued to stand out through strong values, sustained growth and a truly global reach. It has also placed significant importance on innovation, sustainability in the area of economics, ecology and society.
“Dachser is a global actor with a deep sense of responsibility. Its family values blend organic growth and positive impact” said Rémy Best, managing partner of the Pictet Group.
“Quality is always delivered by people. That’s why we constantly strive to maintain a harmonious balance between global growth on the one hand and, on the other, the value system and the human dimension of being a family-owned company,” explains Bernhard Simon, Chief Executive Officer Dachser. “The IMD Global Family Business Award is a sign that we’re on the right track. Dachser’s success is founded on a clearly defined mission and strong values that we live by every day. This ensures that everyone worldwide is able to understand long-term strategy, and it puts the company on a secure footing for future generations. Yet another reason this award is very meaningful for me.”
This year, the IMD Global Family Business Award celebrates its 24th anniversary and pays tribute to an extensive list of outstanding recipients. Previous winners include world-class family-owned companies such as LEGO, Ayala Corporation, S.C. Johnson, Hermès, Barilla, Yazaki Corporation, Merck, Firmenich, Bel Group, Bavaria, Jebsen & Jessen Family Enterprise, Pentland Group and, most recently, the De Agostini Group.
All these successful family businesses serve as a reminder that the family business ownership model remains the most widespread in the world. As major sources of revenue, jobs and tax contributions, family businesses are key players in the global economic system and serve as models for long-term growth, profitability, stability and survival through periods of crisis.
“We are delighted that once again, the Award goes to a long-time and committed member of our FBN community, succeeding 2 other prominent German families, Henkel in 1999 and Merck in 2009. Dachser and his owner families have inspired many peers, professionally guiding relations between family and business and allowing them to pursue a sound family legacy” stated Alexis du Roy de Blicquy, Chief Executive of The Family Business Network (FBN).
The award trophy is crafted in aluminum, held between two glass plates fixed on a partially transparent base and presented in an elegant pear wood case bearing the shape of a tree – a symbol of family businesses. It was generously donated by the Scheufele family from Chopard and was crafted in Geneva, Switzerland. “As a family Maison, it is an honor for Chopard to craft the IMD Global Family Business Award trophy each year and thus support other companies whose success is based on a similar way of operating. It is a great asset for a company to be able to count on the cooperation of each member of a family and to enjoy the benefit of their complementarity. The awarding of this prize, which each year recognizes the success of a family business, is testimony to the effectiveness of this type of organization within the economic fabric.”, said Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, Co-President of Chopard.
About the IMD Global Family Business Award
The IMD Global Family Business Award was created in 1996. The aim of the award is to promote family businesses by highlighting the exceptionally high standards they are capable of and the many forms they take. As such, it provides a unique platform for sharing best practices and analyzing the economic backdrop against which family enterprises thrive.
About the Award partners
In 1999, the Scheufele Family from Chopard joined forces with IMD and has since contributed the beautifully crafted trophy. In 2018, Pictet joined to further develop this highly acclaimed and prestigious award for large, old and global family businesses. The Family Business Network (FBN), the world’s leading family business organization, continues to provide the perfect platform to celebrate the worthy winners. With over 800 individual members out of 320 families, the German chapter is one of the largest within the global network. Dachser is one of the longest-standing members of FBN Germany.
About the Winner
As one of the world’s leading logistics companies, Dachser combines the power of a multinational firm with the values of a traditional family-owned enterprise. The company, founded by Thomas Dachser in 1930 and headquartered in Kempten, Germany, consistently pursues a strategy focused on sustainability that is supported by both shareholders and management alike. Bernhard Simon, the grandson of the company’s founder, a member of the third generation of the family has led the company as CEO since 2005.
Like his grandfather, Bernhard Simon has promoted the ethical and economic principles of this family-owned enterprise with great conviction. Professional financial management coupled with sustainable decision-making, as well as a focus on continual, integrative growth, therefore, form the commercial basis for the company’s success.
Dachser has 44 subsidiaries on five continents and is present in 399 locations worldwide. In 2018, Dachser moved 83.7 million shipments weighing 41.3 million tons and at the end of 2018, employed over 30’600 people world-wide.
