On November 11, 2010, Minister-President Stefan Mappus presented Dr. Sybill Storz with the Federal Cross of Merit, which is awarded by the former German President Horst Köhler.
During the ceremony at Villa Reitzenstein (Stuttgart, Germany), Minister-President Mappus recognized Sybill Storz’s entrepreneurial and personal achievements and particularly emphasized her service to the economy and the common good.
As an employer of 5,300 people worldwide and as an entrepreneur who is not derailed by the volatility of financial markets, her leadership is characterized by values such as farsightedness, sustainability, and a reliable instinct for trends and innovations. The success of KARL STORZ Endoskope, which Sybill Storz has been managing since her father’s death in 1996, speaks in favor of this sustainable strategy, as the company’s sales and staff size have more than tripled since that year. Mr. Mappus emphasized that she consistently uses her exceptional enthusiasm, conviction, and courage to make the company grow more successful every day, thereby earning the trust of customers, employees, and their families.
In addition to the entrepreneur’s distinct sense of duty, Minister-President Mappus also highlighted Sybill Storz’s outstanding sense of responsibility and community. Her social consciousness has been followed by many actions. Locally, Sybill Storz has been supporting social, cultural, and educational projects in the region of Tuttlingen for the past years and even decades. Globally, the award recipient has been supporting medical continuing education that is designed to give less privileged people access to effective medical care.
Minister-President Mappus recognized her multifaceted involvement that benefits the economy and the common good by saying: “With your strong sense of responsibility in social and societal matters, you have made tremendous contributions to the well-being of the country and of society.”
Copyright KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG
Minister-President Stefan Mappus, Dr. h. c. mult. Sybill Storz, former Minister-President Erwin Teufel
In the presence of the guests and longtime friends and acquaintances, Sybill Storz expressed her heartfelt gratitude for this recognition, stating that she considered it a great honor to receive this award. In her initial response, Sybill Storz stated, “I am very grateful to those who played a part in my finding not only a very interesting profession as an entrepreneur but also finding my passion to be creative and innovative and to try to make a difference.” In her acceptance speech, she also emphasized the importance of her family’s and employees’ support, as it was crucial to her success in many areas. She stated that therefore, she was accepting this award as the representative of a global team. Sybill Storz also emphasized that she will continue to make decisions and take actions that allow her to stay in harmony with society and benefit others.
The first well-wishers included family members and longtime employees as well as the former Minister-President Erwin Teufel, Minister of Economics Ernst Pfister, District Administrator Guido Wolf, and mayor Michael Beck as well as other longtime friends and acquaintances.
The Federal Cross of Merit –
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany:
The Order of Merit is the sole and the highest decoration that the Federal Republic of Germany awards to people who have rendered outstanding services to society. The Order of Merit is bestowed by the Bundespraesident (President of Germany). Anyone may propose an individual for receipt of the Order of Merit. The final decision is then taken by the President of Germany.
The decoration is awarded for political, economic-social and intellectual achievements as well as for extraordinary achievements rendered to the Republic of Germany itself and for merits in the social, charitable or humanitarian field. With this Order of Merit the German President would like to draw public attention to extraordinary performance and achievements by individuals which are or have been of great importance to the community as a whole. The Federal Cross of Merit that is awarded to Sybill Storz is the second of eight levels that a person can receive.
