Stahl mourns former CEO
01/05/2009
Stahl has announced the death of Willi Vaskovich at the age of 70. A highly respected past president and chief executive officer of the specialist chemicals manufacturer, the company said in a statement that he would be greatly missed by everyone who worked with him and by the leather industry across the world where he had many friends.
Known affectionately by the staff as WV, the statement said Mr Vaskovich had provided Stahl with "an outstanding vision, determination and commitment that drove the growth and development and prosperity of the company to its current size, form and success". He was well known and respected by colleagues from all over the world and by many people in the leather and coating businesses, including the management of Stahl and its past owners.
Joining Stahl in Austria, his home country, in 1965, Willi Vaskovich moved to the company's headquarters at Waalwijk in the Netherlands in 1969 as research and development manager, and soon became operations manager of Stahl Holland.
He was appointed general manager of Stahl Holland in 1977 and director of Stahl Operations Europe in 1983. Just three years later he became general manager of Stahl Europe, and in 1991 general manager for the whole of Stahl’s worldwide business. When the Stahl Group became an autonomous organisation, his successful leadership during its ownership by ICI, Zeneca and Avecia, made him the obvious choice for the position of president and chief executive.
Although Mr Vaskovich retired on 31 December 2003, he nevertheless continued as a valued member of the board of Stahl Holdings until mid-2006, helping out on more than one occasion by standing in at exceptionally short notice even as far afield as Singapore.
"Willi will undoubtedly be remembered by many for his friendship. He was a man who so often had a smile and a twinkle in his eye to accompany his dry humour and gentle teasing. He will always be remembered as one of the Stahl greats and as a very human person," the company statement said.
The statement concluded by saying that Stahl and its staff and friends offer sincere condolences to Mr Vaskovich's partner, children and grandchildren, to other members of his family, and to friends and ex-colleagues "who are to be found wherever there is a leather industry, both large or small".
Share this story:
