News

Half a century with Leica Geosystems: A story-book career

6 July 2012

(Heerbrugg, Switzerland, 6 July 2012) – In 1962, he earned just 40 centimes an hour as an apprentice at Wild Heerbrugg. When he retired at the end of June, Markus Stutz has been able to look back at half a century with Wild, Leica and Leica Geosystems. The Senior Vice President of Operations wasn't just an employee, he is a piece of living company history.  

Markus Stutz hasn't just participated in changes that took place at the company, he was in fact often at the forefront. "Sometimes I had to turn everything a bit topsy-turvy to achieve the desired results," he admitted with a mischievous smile. He accepted the fact that this didn't always endear him to everyone. "Whenever I took on a task, I tried to do it right," he said of his philosophy. 

"It's hard to imagine Leica Geosystems without Markus Stutz! It's not just an extremely deserving employee and colleague who has retired, it's also a person who has experienced, shaped and molded a large part of our company history. For me personally, Markus was a long-term companion who stood by my side in many situations to provide the benefit of his experience," said Jürgen Dold, CEO of Leica Geosystems. 

Markus Stutz is proud of the many projects he's been involved with. For instance the time studies which made it possible to considerably reduce the production time of theodolites back in 1975. Also, the design and successful development of the Leica Geosystems production location in Singapore and the design of the production location in China (Wuhan). Yet another example would be his roles and functions in a host of company takeovers, e.g. Kern Aarau and Stolz Laser Dättwil. 

Over the past few decades, Stutz contributed significantly to the building of licensing business in the Chinese and Russian markets. During these years, he built relationships with partners and suppliers which are still important to Leica Geosystems today. "I have traveled a lot and often met people all around the world with whom I am still friends today. I've built up a large network of interesting acquaintances and had the opportunity to support and guide many young colleagues," reflected the head of global production. "Ultimately, it's not the nuts, bolts and technology that count. It's the people." At the end of his story-book career, what matters to him isn't just service, but also his personal balance. "I don't regret a single hour of it. I never had a boring task or job to do." 

Markus Stutz was with Leica Geosystems until the end of June to ensure a smooth transition to his successor Gerhard Schwärzler, who has been active in this new position since April 1st. So what's next for Markus Stutz? "I'm going to devote my time to lots of things at home: my wife, my little grandson, the garden, lots of unread books and last but not least, I'm looking forward to finally being able to enjoy the many great mountain restaurants in Alpstein during the week as well," said Mr. Stutz happily.

Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right
With close to 200 years of experience pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information.

Those who use Leica Geosystems products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 3,500 employees in 28 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of the Hexagon, Sweden.

 
Agnes Zeiner 
Director Marketing Communications
Leica Geosystems AG 
CH-9435 Heerbrugg 
Switzerland 
 


Tel: +41 71 727 3131
E-Mail: agnes.zeiner@leica-geosystems.com