Nuremberg, 14 September 2007 – Dr Klaus Probst, chairman of Leoni AG’s Management Board, was again commended as “Strategist of the Year” for excellent strategic performance. The ceremony honouring the prize winners for the year 2007 took place on Thursday evening before about 200 guests during a gala event held in Frankfurt. With this prize, Financial Times Deutschland, the business consultants Bain & Company as well as WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management annually laud farsighted and successful chief executives of major, market-listed companies in Germany.

Leoni received the award in the category of sales up to 5 billion euros. The other size categories were sales of 5 to 15 billion euros and of more than 15 billion. A total of 13 companies made it into the top group of prize winners. “Again receiving this ‘Strategist of the Year’ award underscores the success of our strategy of earnings-oriented growth with our own resources and by way of acquisition. From a straightforward wire and cable manufacturer Leoni has over the past few years grown into a potent supplier of development work and systems to numerous forward-looking industries,” said Dr Klaus Probst.

Objective and well-founded basis of evaluation

In contrast to other business awards, this one does not depend on a jury’s decision but is instead based on objective data and scientifically founded criteria. The businesses analysed were the 97 largest, market-listed German companies over a period of the past three years, with current sales of more than one billion euros and a free float of at least two percent. The decisive nomination criteria were: growth in sales and the workforce, profitability and value creation. The analysis also examined how consistently and resolutely the CEO implemented a specific corporate strategy.