Trigema – best practice example
Embracing Expertise and Collaboration: Trigema’s Dual Leadership Approach
Key Insight: At Trigema, leadership flows both upward and downward—employees drive innovation from the bottom up with their deep, hands-on know-how, while Mr Wolfgang Grupp provides clear, top-down guidance through transparent decision-making and an open-floor communication policy.
1. Employee-Led Innovation (Bottom-Up)
Employees at every level are the true experts in Trigema’s production lines, design processes, and customer service channels. Their daily experience with fabrics, machinery, and market feedback makes them best positioned to:
- Identify process improvements and new product ideas
- Troubleshoot technical challenges before they escalate
- Share practical insights across departments
By actively soliciting suggestions and empowering teams to propose and pilot solutions, Trigema taps into collective intelligence—ensuring that each improvement is grounded in real-world expertise rather than purely theoretical directives.
2. Strategic Guidance from the Top (Top-Down)
Mr Grupp’s role is to set a clear framework and vision that channel employee ideas toward the company’s broader goals. He does this by:
- Defining transparent decision-making processes, so everyone understands how ideas are evaluated and approved
- Communicating strategic priorities and long-term objectives regularly
- Allocating resources to the most promising initiatives, based on data and employee input
This structured leadership minimizes ambiguity, aligns innovation with business targets, and delivers swift, authoritative decisions when necessary—without stifling grassroots creativity.
3. Open-Floor Policy: Bridging Bottom-Up and Top-Down
An essential pillar of Trigema’s culture is the open-floor policy, which invites ongoing two-way dialogue:
- Regular “town-hall” style meetings where any employee can raise questions or propose improvements directly to management
- Cross-functional workshops that bring together production, design, logistics, and sales teams
- An internal digital platform for submitting ideas, tracking their progress, and providing peer feedback
By encouraging open communication, small problems are addressed early and small-scale challenges never balloon into crises. This continuous feedback loop fosters mutual trust, quick resolution of operational hiccups, and a shared sense of ownership.
4. Benefits and Outcomes
– Faster cycle-times for product innovations and process optimizations
– Higher employee engagement, as staff see their ideas turned into reality
– Clear alignment between day-to-day operations and long-term strategy
– A resilient organizational culture that adapts swiftly to market or production challenges
Conclusion: Trigema’s success hinges on its dual approach: employees lead improvements through their specialized know-how (bottom-up), while Mr Grupp ensures clear direction, accountability, and resource allocation (top-down). The open-floor policy knits these two dimensions together, enabling rapid communication, preventing escalation of minor issues, and continuously driving the company forward.
Wolfgang Grupp Senior:
Profile, Leadership Style and Family Context
Key Takeaway: As the patriarch and driving force behind Trigema for more than five decades, Wolfgang Grupp embodies a hands-on, no-nonsense leadership rooted in responsibility, solidarity, and pragmatic discipline. His unwavering emphasis on in-house production, workforce loyalty, and regional engagement sharply contrasts with the more collaborative, digital-first approach of his daughter Bonita and the operational focus of his son.
1. Profile
Wolfgang Grupp Sr. (born 1942 in Burladingen) took over Trigema at age 27 following his father’s untimely death. Educated at the Jesuit boarding school in St. Blasien and holding a Diplom-Kaufmann from the University of Cologne, he rebuilt the indebted firm his father left him. Under his stewardship, Trigema became Germany’s leading sports- and leisurewear manufacturer, producing exclusively in-house—spinning, dyeing, cutting, and sewing all under one roof—and maintaining 100 percent “Made in Germany” production with 100 percent equity financing[ Managerismus][ Stuttgarter Nachrichten].
2. Working Style
Wolfgang’s managerial approach is defined by:
- Hands-On Leadership: He eschews elaborate consulting reports and computers, preferring direct oversight from his open-plan office desk, mere steps away from production and design teams. He insists on immediate problem-solving: “Every big problem was once small—and could have been solved earlier”[ Managerismus].
- Decisive, Top-Down Direction: Known for blunt one-liners—“If someone says they have no time, they simply aren’t doing anything”—he sets clear expectations, rewarding self-reliance and initiative while tolerating no excuses[ Managerismus].
- Uncompromising Quality & Flexibility: By keeping 78 percent of value creation internal and guaranteeing high delivery reliability through stock-based manufacturing, he balances innovation (e.g., compostable T-shirts under a cradle-to-cradle model) with rigorous process control[ Managerismus].
- Financial Prudence & Risk Bearing: Converting Trigema in 2011 into a sole proprietorship underscored his willingness to bear full liability rather than dilute control. He rejects the pursuit of size and bonuses, advocating “responsibility and liability” over market-share ambition[ Managerismus].
3. Personality & Regional Team Guidance
His personality and regional influence resonate through:
- Patriarchal Stewardship: As a visible, venerable “Papa” figure on the shop floor, he cultivates loyalty and trust: no layoffs or short-time work in 40 years, guaranteed jobs for employees’ children, and strong local ties[ Stuttgarter Nachrichten].
- Solidarity with Employees: He treats staff as a “Betriebsfamilie,” linking performance with fidelity. His Wolfgang und Elisabeth Grupp-Stiftung funds local sports facilities, the Red Cross, and regional aid—demonstrating commitment beyond mere philanthropy[ Managerismus].
- Straightforward Communication: He speaks candidly to regional managers: problems must be flagged early and tackled head-on. His funding of refugee employment during the crisis exemplifies “action over rhetoric” in shaping team conduct and community reputation[ Managerismus].
4. Distinction from Other Grupp/Trigema Family Members
| Family Member | Role & Focus | Leadership Style & Regional Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Wolfgang Grupp Sr. (Father) | Patriarch; sole proprietor & former CEO | Authoritarian, hands-on, quality-driven. Prioritizes on-site discipline, workforce loyalty, local community engagement. |
| Elisabeth von Holleuffer Grupp | Shareholder; styling & retail concept | Meticulous brand custodian. Manages in-store aesthetic and customer experience. |
| Wolfgang Grupp Jr. (Son) | Co–Managing Partner; Finance, Production, B2B Sales | Operational optimizer. Focuses on production efficiencies, logistics, and regional B2B partnerships. |
| Bonita Grupp (Daughter) | Co–Managing Partner; Marketing, HR, E-Commerce | Participative innovator. Champions digital transformation, flexible work models, and employee-centric culture. |
Wolfgang Sr.’s legacy is one of unyielding discipline, full in-house control, and regional stewardship, providing the bedrock upon which his children now build more modern, collaborative, and digitally oriented leadership styles.
Bonita Grupp – Profile, Leadership Style and Family Context
Key Takeaway: As co–Managing Partner of Trigema since January 2024, Bonita Grupp combines a deep respect for her family’s century-old “Made in Germany” heritage with a participative, employee-centric leadership approach that contrasts sharply with her father’s more authoritarian style.
1. Profile
Bonita Grupp (born October 8, 1989, in Tübingen) is the eldest child of Wolfgang Grupp and Elisabeth von Holleuffer. After attending an English-language boarding school in Switzerland, she earned a Master’s in Economic History at the London School of Economics in 2012.
In 2013 she joined Trigema’s e-commerce department. During the COVID-19 pandemic she spearheaded the pivot to face-mask production and accelerated online sales from 20 percent to about 40 percent of turnover by 2022. Today she oversees Marketing, Human Resources and E-Commerce for the family-owned textile firm, which generates roughly €130 million annually and employs 1,200 people.
2. Working Style
Bonita Grupp’s leadership is marked by:
- Participative Decision-Making: She involves shop-floor employees in process planning and goal-setting rather than issuing top-down mandates. Team leaders are accessible, and any employee can request a meeting with her at short notice.
- Modern “New Work” Adaptation: Unlike her father’s outright rejection of home-office (“If someone can work at home, they’re unimportant”), she has begun pilot programs for remote work in administrative functions and welcomes case-by-case home-office arrangements.
- Flat Hierarchies & Open Doors: Weekly leadership-team meetings foster cross-departmental alignment, while her open-door policy encourages employees to raise issues directly with senior management.
- Social Responsibility & Sustainability: She continues Trigema’s “Made in Germany” commitment and champions employee welfare (e.g., guaranteed apprenticeships for employees’ children, employee housing projects, and refugee employment initiatives).
3. Personality Traits Guiding Her Teams
Bonita’s personality resonates with her workforce through:
- Empathy and Care: She balances expectations with genuine concern, reflected in Trigema’s “Human Rights Declaration” and comprehensive social benefits for employees and their families.
- Visionary Pragmatism: She combines a respect for tradition with a clear digital-first vision, having successfully integrated new technologies and partnerships (e.g., Amazon, Otto) into Trigema’s sales channels.
- Collaborative Energy: Her approachable demeanor and insistence on co-creating solutions foster high morale and collective ownership of company goals.
- Courageous Stewardship: She upholds domestic production despite cost pressures and economic uncertainties, setting a powerful example of values-driven leadership.
4. Distinction from Other “Grupp/Trigema” Family Members
Bonita’s approach stands out by actively modernizing the family business through digitalization and human-centered management, whereas her father emphasized hierarchy, on-site discipline and conservative cost control. Her brother complements her by optimizing internal operations and external sales channels, together ensuring a balanced generational transition at Trigema.
Wolfgang Grupp Junior – Profile, Leadership Style and Family Context
Key Takeaway: As co-Managing Partner and personally liable partner of Trigema since January 2024, Wolfgang Grupp Junior brings a methodical, values-driven approach that combines operational expertise with a deep sense of responsibility for the company’s 1,200-employee “company family,” while balancing respect for tradition with strategic innovation and international expansion.
1. Profile
Wolfgang Grupp Junior (born April 25, 1991, in Tübingen) is the son of Wolfgang Grupp Senior and Elisabeth von Holleuffer. After attending an English-language international boarding school in Switzerland, he studied at Cass Business School in London and completed his Master of Science in Political Science at the London School of Economics in 2013.
He joined Trigema in 2014 as a trainee, initially working in purchasing before transitioning to B2B sales, where he has specialized in corporate fashion for industrial companies and the healthcare sector. Since January 2024, he serves as co-Managing Partner and personally liable partner, taking overall responsibility for business operations while focusing on B2B sales, logistics, and IT.
2. Working Style
Wolfgang Grupp Junior’s leadership approach is characterized by:
- Methodical Risk Management: He acknowledges thinking “with a different risk aversion” as a personally liable partner, understanding that he could personally feel the consequences of decisions. However, he maintains that his decision-making hasn’t fundamentally changed.
- Collaborative Family Leadership: He emphasizes the “great luxury” of having parents as advisors in the company, describing them as “very important counselors.” The family holds weekly meetings to discuss important matters and coordinate decisions.
- Values-Based Innovation: His management philosophy centers on “continuous innovation based on values” rather than revolutionary changes. He believes in maintaining Trigema’s proven formula while adapting strategically.
- Operational Excellence: He focuses on quality, speed, and flexibility as core competitive advantages, particularly leveraging Germany’s production advantages for faster responsiveness to market changes.
3. Personality Traits Guiding His Regional Teams
Wolfgang Grupp Junior’s personality resonates with his teams through several key traits:
- Deep Rootedness in Company Culture: Having grown up attending company celebrations, jubilee honors, and farewells, he embodies what he calls “company family life.” This authentic connection helps him relate to employees who have been with Trigema for decades.
- Humble Responsibility: He approaches leadership with “humility and respect” for the opportunity to continue his father’s life’s work, acknowledging the “very large footsteps” he must fill while creating his own path.
- Strategic Pragmatism: While respecting tradition, he aims to “look internationally at what markets exist” and “develop new customer groups,” showing his teams a vision for growth beyond Germany.
- Crisis-Tested Resilience: He understands that companies face “challenging times and better times,” emphasizing the importance of weathering difficulties like the New Economy crisis, COVID-19, and the Ukraine war with composure.
4. Distinction from Other Grupp/Trigema Family Members
Wolfgang Grupp Junior distinguishes himself through his systematic operational approach and his role as the personally liable partner, bearing full financial responsibility that his sister does not share. His focus on B2B markets, logistics optimization, and international expansion complements Bonita’s consumer-facing and HR innovations. Unlike his father’s highly visible, media-oriented leadership style, Wolfgang Junior adopts a more measured, behind-the-scenes approach focused on building sustainable business relationships and operational excellence.
His personality speaks to regional teams through his authentic understanding of the company’s multigenerational workforce – he genuinely appreciates employees who have been with Trigema for 40+ years and sees himself as their steward rather than their superior. This creates trust and continuity during the leadership transition while positioning the company for strategic growth beyond its traditional German market focus.
The Bertrams Transformation Framework Applied to Trigema
Phase 1: System Analysis & S&OP Aligned Design (90 Days)
The initial transformation phase would focus on analyzing Trigema’s existing dual leadership model and designing an integrated business planning framework that can function effectively regardless of leadership presence or geographic constraints.
Key Activities:
- Mapping existing decision-making processes between Bonita’s participative approach and Wolfgang Junior’s operational focus
- Identifying critical knowledge transfer gaps from Wolfgang Senior’s departure
- Designing S&OP frameworks that synchronize production, marketing, and e-commerce functions
- Creating financial project charter that defines transformation success metrics
Local Team Impact:
The Trigema workforce would experience structured engagement through cross-functional workshops that bring together production, design, logistics, and sales teams. This approach builds on the existing “Betriebsfamilie” culture while introducing systematic process documentation and clear role definitions.
Phase 2: Systematic Local Design for Pilot BI-Team (180 Days)
This phase establishes business intelligence capabilities that enable data-driven decision-making independent of individual leadership preferences or physical presence.
Implementation Focus:
- Creating hybrid teams combining Trigema employees with external specialists
- Developing process maps for critical business functions
- Implementing fit-gap analysis to identify operational vulnerabilities
- Training local managers in systematic problem-solving methodologies
Cultural Integration:
The transformation preserves Trigema’s open-floor policy while formalizing it through structured communication frameworks. Local teams would gain enhanced autonomy through clear responsibilities and decision-making authority within defined parameters.
Phase 3: Train & Develop Global Teams (270 Days)
The most critical phase addresses leadership development and knowledge transfer to prevent future succession vulnerabilities.
Capacity Building:
- Developing multiple leadership capabilities across different functional areas
- Creating mentorship networks that extend beyond family relationships
- Implementing cross-training programs to reduce dependency on individual expertise
- Establishing performance measurement systems with regular feedback loops
Technology Integration:
Introduction of digital communication platforms and automated workflow systems that maintain coordination effectiveness regardless of geographic distribution.
Specific Outcomes for Trigema’s Local Teams
Enhanced Decision-Making Autonomy
Local teams would transition from hierarchical approval systems to distributed decision-making frameworks. Research shows that organizations implementing S&OP methodologies experience 15-20% improvement in planning accuracy, enabling Trigema teams to respond more rapidly to market changes without requiring constant senior leadership input.
Systematic Knowledge Preservation
The “change-memory” concept that Bertrams employs would create institutional knowledge systems that capture Wolfgang Senior’s expertise and make it accessible to all team members. This addresses the tacit knowledge transfer gap that typically devastates family businesses during leadership transitions.
Cultural Reinforcement Through Process
Rather than abandoning Trigema’s unique culture, the transformation would systematize cultural practices. The participative innovation model would be formalized through structured idea management systems, ensuring that bottom-up suggestions continue to flourish even if leadership styles change.
Cross-Functional Integration
Local teams would develop enhanced collaboration capabilities through S&OP meeting structures that align sales, production, and financial planning. This creates operational resilience that can maintain business continuity during leadership disruptions.
Addressing the Geographic Displacement Challenge
Hybrid Leadership Models
The Bertrams methodology would establish distributed leadership capabilities that function effectively with remote participation. This directly addresses the scenario where Bonita’s marriage-related relocation would otherwise collapse the dual leadership model.
Implementation Features:
- Digital governance frameworks enabling effective remote leadership participation
- Automated milestone verification systems reducing dependency on physical presence
- Blockchain-enabled trust mechanisms for secure remote decision-making approval
Redundant Expertise Development
Instead of relying on complementary sibling partnerships, the transformation would create multiple team members capable of handling marketing, HR, e-commerce, and operational functions. This eliminates the single point of failure that characterizes traditional dual leadership models.
Resistance and Integration Challenges
Initial Team Resistance
Family business transformation research indicates that 63% of digitalization efforts require external consultants, but local teams often resist process changes that seem to challenge traditional working methods.
Bertrams’ Mitigation Approach:
- Preserving cultural integrity while introducing systematic improvements
- Gradual implementation with extensive team consultation and feedback integration
- Demonstrating immediate value through enhanced efficiency and reduced workload pressure
Cultural Adaptation Requirements
The transformation must balance process systematization with maintaining family business character. Research shows that successful family business consultants require empathy and cultural sensitivity to achieve stakeholder consensus.
Integration Strategies:
- Involving long-term employees in process design to ensure cultural continuity
- Creating psychological safety for teams to express concerns and suggest modifications
- Maintaining the “Betriebsfamilie” concept while introducing professional management practices
Long-Term Strategic Outcomes
Organizational Resilience
The transformed Trigema would achieve sustainable competitive advantage through systematic process excellence rather than depending on individual leadership capabilities. This creates long-term business continuity that survives leadership transitions, geographic relocations, and market disruptions.
Enhanced Performance Metrics
Organizations implementing integrated business planning typically experience:
- 20-30% improvement in forecast accuracy
- 15-25% reduction in inventory levels
- 10-15% increase in customer service levels
- Enhanced financial predictability and risk management
Future-Proofed Succession Planning
The systematic approach creates multiple succession scenarios rather than relying on predetermined family leadership arrangements. This addresses the fundamental vulnerability that characterizes traditional family business succession models.
The Synthesis Effect: Best of Both Worlds
The Bertrams transformation would achieve synthesis by combining:
Traditional Family Business Strengths:
- Employee loyalty and cultural cohesion
- Long-term thinking and stakeholder commitment
- Rapid decision-making and operational flexibility
Modern Process Excellence:
- Systematic knowledge management and transfer
- Data-driven decision-making capabilities
- Scalable operational frameworks
- Geographic distribution resilience
The outcome represents a transformed Trigema that maintains its essential character while achieving operational independence from individual leadership presence. Local teams would experience enhanced autonomy, clearer responsibilities, and systematic support for continuous improvement, creating a sustainable foundation for long-term business success regardless of family leadership dynamics or geographic constraints.
This transformation directly addresses both the leadership vacuum scenario and the geographic displacement challenge by creating institutional capabilities that transcend individual contributions while preserving the cultural values that have made Trigema successful across generations.