Wilo-Foundation
In January 2011, the Dortmund entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr.-Ing. E.h. Jochen Opländer, together with his children, established what is now the Wilo-Foundation (known as the Caspar Ludwig Opländer Foundation until 2016). The foundation was established in response to the desire to ensure that WILO SE remained an independent company, mindful of its social responsibilities, and, of course, financial support of the founding family and their descendants.
Family foundation
The company was transferred to a family foundation in its fourth generation. Since then, the foundation has been the principal shareholder in the multinational water technology group WILO SE, which is headquartered in Dortmund. Oliver Hermes, President & Global CEO of the Wilo Group, assumed entrepreneurial succession and became chairman of the family foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2019.
“Long-term business success requires us to think about economic objectives and social responsibility as one. The challenges of our time can only be tackled when business and society work hand in hand.”
Founded on responsibility
Social commitment has been an integral part of the Wilo-Foundation’s identity since its establishment in 2011. Its aim is to provide financial support in the fields of science and research, education, the arts and culture, sport and other social causes. Its funding activities focus in particular on locations around the Wilo Group’s international sites.
Young people are a particular focus of the family foundation’s support. Funding priorities include projects in the areas of environmental and climate protections, the environmental- and resource-oriented development of towns, cities and regions, and the management and protection of water resources. What all these funding areas have in common is their focus on fundamental values reflected in the guiding principles of the Opländer founding family and in the corporate culture of the Wilo Group.
