Günter Daiss

Born on February 12, 1939

Managing Director of Uhlsport GmbH in Balingen

Günter Daiss was born on 12 February 1939 in Stuttgart, Germany. After completing his studies at the Wirtschaftsoberschule (economics high school) he trained as an insurance broker at Allianz.

In July 1964 he was given charge of regional representation of the savings banks' insurance sector in Ludwigsburg. In 1978 he founded the company Günter Daiss Versicherungsmakler GmbH. On 1 October 1989 the company moved to Daimlerstrasse 6 in 71691 Freiberg, changing its name to DAISSassekuranz, which today employs 25 people and 2 others in a branch office in Leipzig. In 1976, Günter Daiss set up the company Kratzer & Rieber Hoch- und Stahlbetonbau.

In 1980 he and three associates took over the machine production company G. W. Barth in Ludwigsburg after bankruptcy proceedings were opened. The company was further developed to become the world leader in the production of cocoa and nut roasting machines. He sold his shares in the company in 2007 to the Bühler Group.

In 1982 Günter Daiss bought the fashion company Gin Tonic together with a number of other investors when the company was insolvent. A number of years later he took over the company himself. Gin Tonic was sold in 1999 to Ahlers AG.

Günter Daiss, together with Jürgen Kiefer, rescued the company Uhlsport GmbH in 1998 from insolvency proceedings. Today, the company is one of the major producers of sports articles.

Günter Daiss took over and redeveloped all of these diverse companies in a socially-sensitive manner. In doing so, he not only managed to retain a large number of jobs, but also created further employment under very difficult conditions.

In 2000 Günter Daiss took charge of two large-scale agricultural businesses in Hungary and technically developed them to produce the highest standards of performance.

At the beginning of 2001, he – together with a number of other investors, including the current managing directors – founded Schweitzer-Chemie, which now employs a workforce of about 150.

Günter Daiss was involved on different local policy-making boards over a number of decades.

He was the Vice President of Stuttgarter Kickers e.V. from 1994 to 2000.

Günter Daiss was awarded the German Federal Cross of Merit on 22 September 1999 for his contributions to the public good.

He was also awarded honorary senatorship of the University of Hohenheim on 5 May 2004.

Günter Daiss is married with one daughter.