Zukunftsgestalter: Dieses Unternehmen machte aus 43 Marken genau eine

Stephan Seifert, the CEO of Körber, sits at his desk surrounded by a large collage of photographs. One image shows John F. Kennedy navigating through a storm, a metaphor for the company's transformation. Körber, a foundation-conglomerate with a long history, decided to radically change its direction amid the financial crisis. Over 50% of the company's businesses were suffering from declining profits or stagnation.

Seifert explains that this marked the moment when Körber chose to focus on mega-trends and technology. The result was a radical transformation: the company divested itself of 70% of its revenue at the time, eliminating earnings of €1.6 billion. Yet, it grew many times over. Insights into Körber's transformation, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, reveal how the tech conglomerate grew from €3 billion to €10 billion in revenue by 2035.

Körber's portfolio transformation involved shedding businesses that were performing well. These were not restructurings but profitable divisions, says Seifert. The difficult part is not daring to innovate but severing what one has grown fond of. Körber began this overhaul when everything was still running smoothly. The businesses divested had double-digit returns.

Though Körber was known for machinery and technology, sectors like machine tools and paper were considered mature markets under threat from new competitors, especially from China. Some businesses lacked critical mass, while others were not ready for digital business models. Paper and hygiene paper were in stagnating markets, and the technological barriers to entry for competitors were decreasing, Seifert explains. This led to a cost spiral.