Caroline Trips is the first woman to hold the honorary post of head of the main-franconian IHK (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) Würzburg-Schweinfurt. She was elected by rotation by the Chamber’s General Assembly to succeed Klaus D. Mapara for the term of office 2023 to 2026. She is the first woman to hold the highest honorary IHK function since the IHK was founded in 1843. At a ceremony attended by 400 invited guests at the Vogel Convention Center (VCC), the entrepreneur outlined what will be important to her as president in the next four years. First and most important: the transformation of the economy.
Motto: Transformation of the economy
Her primary concern is business succession. In 33 percent of the companies, it is not clear what will happen after the boss retires. In this context, she said, she wanted to expand the cooperation of the regional economy, with the University of Würzburg and the Technical University of Würzburg-Schweinfurt. In about ten years, she herself wants to retire from the executive board with her brother. The succession now already seems assured: Her son as well as her brother’s three children would now be prepared for leadership roles in the company with its good 200 employees after intensive discussions last year.
Top topic – shortage of skilled workers
Indeed, alongside business succession, digitization and the current crises surrounding inflation and energy prices, the shortage of skilled workers is considered a top business issue. As far as this ubiquitous shortage is concerned, the new IHK president sees Mainfranken on the right track. In her company itself, she says, it has not been a problem for years to bring in and retain engineers from abroad.
Well prepared for the IHK office
In general, the conditions are not bad: Caroline Trips has been involved with the chamber for a good 30 years in various honorary positions, most recently as vice president. It also retains Mapara, who, together with entrepreneur Stefan Möhringer from Wiesentheid (region Kitzingen), was elected by the plenary assembly as deputy IHK president.
Mapara’s four-year term of office included economic challenges such as the Corona pandemic and the consequences of the war in Ukraine. That’s why the head of the Krick publishing house in Eibelstadt (Würzburg district) also gave his successor the following advice: “One thing I don’t wish for you: so many crises.” On the fringes of the ceremony at the VCC, Caro Trips emphasized that the IHK must encourage companies to get down to business, especially in these times. The most intensive efforts are always made “when the pressure is on”.