What It Means to Be a Beautiful Business in a Time of Disconnection
Tim gave the keynote at the all-hands summit of Westernacher Group in Heidelberg, Germany,
by Tim Leberecht
I had the pleasure of giving the keynote at Westernacher Group’s (Westernacher Consulting & Westernacher Solutions) all-hands summit in Heidelberg last week. One of Germany’s, if not the world’s, most romantic cities, Heidelberg was the center of German Romanticism and is famed for its rich academic history that boasts some of the world’s most influential scientists, artists, and philosophers as alumni (among others, Robert Schumann, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Carl Jaspers, Max Weber, Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, and Hannah Arendt).
So the city was a fitting venue for my talk about BusinessRomanticism, enchantment and intimacy in an age of AI, and the critical shift towards a lifecenteredeconomy that we aim to support with the House of Beautiful Business.
And it was a fitting venue for the gathering of Westernacher’s global workforce of more than 1,200 “thriving experts,” as they call themselves, a highly diverse, passionate group of IT technologists and consultants who all seem to enjoy working for a company that combines digital technology prowess with a deeply humanist culture of joy and unbridled expression.
During my time in Heidelberg, I observed Westernacher as an honest, authentic, a beautiful business—one that amidst market pressures strives to always honor people’s wellbeing and despite steep growth takes great care to ensure that its workers stay close to one another.
It helps that Westernacher, founded in 1969 by a German entrepreneur (Dr. Westernacher) in Karlsruhe, is owned by its employees and doesn’t have to bow to the agenda of an outside investor.
Benjamin Dewilde, Westernacher’s Swedish CEO who has been with the company for more than twenty years, set the tone with his modest, approachable, no-bullshit leadership style that was a refreshing departure from grandiose rhetoric or slick slides. During the townhall after his strategy presentation, which he called a “draft” meant to spur conversation and co-creation, I was surprised by how open and fearless the dialogue with his colleagues was.
In a time of distraction, disconnection, and division, it’s workplaces like Westernacher’s that have the power to create presence, belonging, and meaning, and it was inspiring to see one of them up close that takes this power seriously.
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What attendees sad
“Thanks a lot Tim Leberecht, for your inspiring and thought provoking key note. You hit our Westernacher nerve, expressing the deep felt desire of our colleagues to be part of more than a successful business, more than the ambition to be the best experts, even more than delivering the best value to our customers. We want to be a a company in which everyone thrives and which has a positive impact on the world beyond the immediate services we deliver. That is a great challenge. We don’t pretend we have achieved it, but we are sincere in wanting to get there. In the 30 years I have been with our business I have never seen so many wonderful colleagues together with maybe different sharp minds and ideas, but all with their heart in the same place, sharing the same passion. We will see what we end up calling it in our final version of our strategy for 2030, but surely we will be building an even more beautiful business and thanks to you become entirely unapologetic about that romantic touch!”
– Benjamin Dewilde, CEO, Westernacher Group
“The Westernacher party crowd of 800+ individuals for sure made waves on the river in Heidelberg last night. Still a mere ripple compared to the emotions stirred up by today’s keynote from Tim Leberecht. My mind is now fully occupied by topics such as: Romance in life and business, the power of human emotions and the insanity of cutting your orange balloons. So many opportunities, also in the workplace!” – Fredric Sandell, Associate Director, Westernacher Group
“This was a speech that went directly to my heart. I am very happy to see that also tenured business professionals can have a holistic approach to business. Also, thankful to be in a company where humans ar a centerpiece, on at least the same level as profits.
Honestly, it’s hard to express the words above, without them sounding like corporate sugar talk, but our model of employee ownership and great leaders make this possible. Thank you, Tim, for the fitting ideas, which give me even more confidence for a more ‘romantic’ future of our business!” – Alexandru Popa, SAP Yard Logistics/ TM ABAP Developer, Westernacher Group
