Berthold Leibinger

Under the management of Leibinger, Trumpf became one of the world's largest manufacturers of machine tools, in particular due to the consequent combination of mechanics and electronics. Trumpf is also one of the largest manufacturers of industrial laser technology and machines for laser cutting.

Leibinger was appointed to several important political and economical positions. From 1985 to 1990 he was president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Stuttgart Region and from 1989 to 1992 he served as president of the German Association of Machinery Manufacturers VDMA. He was a member of the supervisory boards of Deutsche Bank and BMW, among other companies. From 1999 to 2003 he was chairman of the supervisory board of the chemical company BASF. He was also president of the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 1990 to 1992. He served in the senate of the University of Stuttgart starting in 2000.

Leibinger was a philanthropist with long lasting involvement in German culture. He was personally involved as chairman of the board of the Schiller-Nationalmuseum and the Deutsches Literaturarchiv in Marbach am Neckar.

In 1992 Leibinger founded the non-profit foundation Berthold Leibinger Stiftung. It is dedicated to cultural, scientific, religious and social issues. Since 2000, it has awarded the internationally respected Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis and, since 2006, the Berthold Leibinger Zukunftspreis, an innovation prize for applied laser technology.