Dr.-Ing. E.h. Jochen Opländer
The Cosmopolitan
Philanthropist Dr.-Ing. E.h. Jochen Opländer with the President of the Korea Water Forum at the opening of the new Wilo factory in Busan, South Korea (2013). The foundation has been a long-standing supporter of the Asia-Pacific Youth Parliament for Water.
As Managing Director and a member of the Executive Board, and later as Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr Jochen Opländer shaped the growth, internationalisation and technological achievements of today’s Wilo Group, contributing in particular to the development of solutions with energy-efficient features. With regard to globalisation, he was instrumental in driving the expansion of the business from west to east. He opened up new markets by setting up factories in Türkiye and South Korea, for example.
Since 2012, the Wilo-Foundation has awarded two grants each year to scholarship holders of the Mozart Society of Dortmund, thereby recognising particularly talented musicians.
With the acquisition of LG’s pump division in South Korea and the successful establishment of the subsidiary Wilo-LG Pumps Ltd., he laid the foundations for entering the Asian market in 2000. This was preceded in 1984 by a successful merger with Salmson, a well-established French mechanical engineering company which had specialised in pumps since the 1960s. Both M&A activities are among the landmark milestones in Wilo’s company history. By entering global markets, he ushered in a new era of internationalisation for the Wilo Group. To this day, he still lends his support to the company as Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board.
Dr Jochen Opländer received the Diesel Medal from the Deutsche Institut für Erfindungswesen (German Institute for Invention) on 30 November 2012 in the Hall of Honour at the German Museum (Deutsches Museum) in Munich.
By establishing a foundation, the family entrepreneur created a shareholder structure for the Wilo Group that is geared towards the long term. The idea for the foundation, which had been developed over several years, came to fruition in 2011; ever since, the Wilo-Foundation, as it is known today, has held a majority stake in WILO SE. This structure is designed to support the continuity of the Wilo Group over the long term. Through the foundation, Dr Jochen Opländer also sought to ensure that family and cultural values are carried into the future and, in particular, to engage in social initiatives at the company’s locations.
26 August 2021: The Executive Board of WILO SE and Dr.-Ing. E. h. Jochen Opländer, shareholder and Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board of WILO SE and founder of the Wilo Foundation, together with Evi Hoch, Member of the Executive Board of the Wilo Foundation, welcomed the Germany eight rowing team, including coach Uwe Bender and Managing Director Carsten Oberhagemann, to the Wilopark.
Like his father and grandfather, he has a keen interest in culture and remains personally committed to cultural life in Dortmund to this day. Accordingly, he is a member of the Board of Trustees and a patron of the Dortmund’s Cultural Foundation (Kulturstiftung Dortmund) as well as an ambassador and patron of the Dortmund Concert Hall (Konzerthaus Dortmund). Carrying on the family tradition, Dr Jochen Opländer supports the sport of rowing. His achievements are reflected in his role as honorary captain of the German Men’s Eight (gold medallists at the 2012 London Olympic Games), in the German Rowing Association’s badge for special merit (World Championships, Linz 2019) and in his status as an honorary member of the Ruderclub Hansa e.V. rowing club.
