LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG honored Werner Kilb’s 40th company anniversary at a ceremony. In the presence of the management team, the executive board and a number of guests of honor, the Director Finance was recognized for his integrity, his entrepreneurial thinking and his loyalty to the world market leader.
Werner Kilb began his professional career at LAUDA on August 25, 1986 with an apprenticeship as an industrial clerk. After completing his training, he started out in accounting and moved to controlling in 1993. At the same time, he obtained his university of applied sciences entrance qualification and successfully completed a part-time degree in business administration. After many years as deputy head, he has been in charge of the Finance department as its Director since February 1, 2020 and is a permanent member of the management circle. His responsibilities include setting up cost accounting, contribution margin accounting and variance analyses, analyzing the profit centers and subsidiaries as well as preparing the monthly financial statements. He played a key role in the introduction of the controlling software and the GOAL system.
In his laudatory speech, President & CEO Dr. Gunther Wobser paid tribute to the special achievements of the long-serving employee: “Werner Kilb is a true homegrown talent. By setting up our controlling system, he created foundations from which the company still benefits today. His critical eye for processes and procedures brings about improvements. In doing so, he always thinks outside the box and acts entrepreneurially. Thinking along, thinking ahead and providing support – that is how he leads himself and his team.” In recognition of his services, Werner Kilb received the LAUDA certificate of honor as well as the certificate of honor of the Heilbronn-Franken Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
The mayor of the town of Lauda-Königshofen, Dr. Lukas Braun, conveyed the town’s congratulations and presented the certificate of honor of the state of Baden-Württemberg, signed by Minister President Cem Özdemir. He emphasized the reliability, dedication and loyalty of the honoree as a true lifetime achievement and stressed that LAUDA offers good prospects to committed employees. At the same time, he recalled the local political work of Werner Kilb, who served as a member of the municipal council for Oberlauda and the town as a whole for 15 years and was awarded the town’s Citizens’ Badge of Honor in 2022.
In his speech, Dr. Mario Englert, Managing Director and CFO, highlighted the many facets of the long-standing head of finance, adding the odd anecdote along the way: Werner Kilb, he said, is a reliable constant on whom one can rely in any situation. He is extremely loyal, always gives honest feedback and never loses sight of the company and the bottom line. As a straightforward manager, he continuously questions the status quo, making him a role model for the family-owned company.
Uwe Stastny, Chairman of the Works Council, spoke on behalf of the works council and as a representative of the workforce. He praised Werner Kilb as a person who combines responsibility, reliability and heart, and emphasized that the long-serving employee had actively helped shape the course of the world market leader for more than four decades.
In closing, Werner Kilb expressed his thanks for the tribute and pledged his continued commitment. Alongside his professional work, Werner Kilb is passionate about local politics, beekeeping, nature conservation and local history. He has also been active in local clubs and associations for many years – a commitment that reflects his ties to the region just as much as his work at LAUDA.
