Join us at the SQUARE from November 20-22 to welcome Liechtenstein family entrepreneur Michael Hilti. Having served in significant roles for the Hilti Group for over 50 years, he has been instrumental in shaping the company's culture, which currently holds the 8th rank in the "Great Place to Work" global ranking. He is also a co-founder of the philanthropic Hilti Foundation and has been honored with the title of Honorary Senator by HSG for his contributions. Engage in a variety of exciting events centered around the topic of "Corporate Culture – A Never Ending Journey."
Personality in Residence: Michael Hilti
The Hilti Group, a strong player in the energy and construction industry with 33,000 employees across 120 countries, is not just known for its global reach but also for its deeply ingrained humanistic corporate culture. How has Hilti achieved and maintained a corporate culture that ranks as the 8th best workplace in the world?
Expert insights on culture
During his recent visit, Michael Hilti, the Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hilti, along with experts including Giorgio Behr, Heike Bruch, and Eivind Slaaen, delved into their insights behind sustaining high employee tenure, managing conflicts in a family business, and the art of learning from one's mistakes.
Humanistic values at the core
Hilti, who has spent an impressive 50 years with the Hilti Group, shared several key insights from his journey. Since 1984, the year he learned “how not to do business”, Hilti has focused on its employees and creating a shared vision. This shift was symbolized by the launch of the Martin Hilti Family Trust, ensuring family members are beneficiaries, not owners, fostering a culture where everyone embarks on a culture-journey at Hilti. This approach is encapsulated in the philosophy of strengthening strengths and recognizing weaknesses. Michael emphasized the importance of fascination over mere impression in the context of family businesses. He reminisced over his student years at HSG, which began as a student at HSG partaking in various clubs, and led to a significant role in the company. His daughter embarked on a similar journey starting in customer service.
Really a family business
He spoke fondly of his father, describing him as the most exciting person he's known and how his father's humanistic values have been instrumental in shaping both the family's and the company's culture. A key philosophy Michael Hilti advocated for was the freedom of career choice, especially for the younger generation in a family business. This approach has helped nurture genuine commitment among those who join the company.
Concluding his visit, Michael expressed his admiration for SQUARE, calling it a "fantastic building."