From toolmaker to corporate leader

Manfred Thiele from Bonn village is now 70 years old / 40 years he has worked for Dunkermotoren and youth work.

BONNDORF. Almost an example to read the biography of Manfred Thiele, who has lived 40 years in Bonn village and today the 70th Birthday. Born middle of the war in Berlin and grew up influenced debris, hunger, raisin bombers, Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Wall's childhood significantly. "It was not a good time, but it was indeed all the same," says Manfred Thiele today, looking back.

After his secondary school level Thiele first learned the trade of tool maker, prepared already during the training courses in the evening before at the School of Engineering gauss, where he then continued to the manufacturing engineer qualified and worked as such at AEG in Berlin.

The atmosphere in Berlin was at that time but "not great" and he readily followed in 1970 an offer of Dunkermotoren. Initially responsible for rationalization, it was here, after four months, the management of the production preparation transferred. Ten years later, Manfred Thiele, head of materials management. His actions led to reduced inventories to about a third, reduced lead times and improved delivery performance was mainly what led to significant sales increases.


Thiele 1987 finally was given the overall responsibility as plant manager. Important to him, largely due to two aspects: first, to strengthen the location Bonndorf by major construction projects initiated in the ways and transferred successively administrative areas as well as decision-making by the Group in the Bonndorf work. On the other Manfred Thiele was a good working environment at heart. The staff was for him the Dunker family that could only be truly successful. All employees had the same importance, regardless of whether they participated in senior positions or as semi-skilled assembly workers.

In the 17 years that turned the fortunes of Manfred Thiele Dunkermotoren, he not only doubled the area and the number of employees, but also quadrupled its sales, before he went into retirement in 2004. The contacts with former colleagues from the Alcatel Group maintains Manfred Thiele, at an annual meeting of former or still active corporate grandees. He recently organized the meeting in Bonn village to the managers and executives to show the beauty of the Black Forest

Private Manfred Thiele found his happiness with the Dane Lisbeth Truelsen, who he met in 1960 and married in 1964 in Copenhagen. Son Frank was born in 1968, 1970 Jan. The change from the city of Berlin in the rural village of Bonn and Lisbeth Manfred Thiele was easy to have them here but immediately felt comfortable. Several years, engaged in youth work Manfred Thiele of Tus, where he coached youth teams. He kicked at the post Ebnet sports club. Still operates the agile retiree loves sports, this is Nordic walking, cross country skiing or cycling. Great joy he shared with his wife Lisbeth, moreover, for 25 years with his Golden Retriever dogs and achieved remarkable breeding successes in this period.

The freedom enjoyed as a Thiele retired from traveling with or without camper, from northern Europe to the south. Much time he spends with his five grandchildren, whom he invites a week to enjoy lunch on the homework help to their everyday activities.