Hans-Dieter Seghezzi, the doyen for quality management, is dead
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c.. Hans-Dieter Seghezzi, the mastermind of quality management in the German-speaking world and founder of SQS, has died at the age of 88.
On February 7, 2022, just a few weeks before reaching the age of 89, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hans-Dieter Seghezzi. He was probably the most important pioneer of quality management in the German-speaking world.
Active in industry, research and teaching
Hans-Dieter Seghezzi, born in Besigheim, Germany, on March 23, 1933, first studied physics at the University of Stuttgart, where he obtained his doctorate in 1959. He then worked at the Max Planck Institute and subsequently in the Research & Development Department at Hilti AG in Schaan, Liechtenstein, becoming a director in 1968 and Executive Vice President of the company from 1976. From 1977 to 1987, he was a professor at the University of St.Gallen, where he reformed the Chair of Technology. In connection with this task, he also founded the Institute for Technology Management ITEM.
Hans-Dieter Seghezzi: Thought leader in quality management
A defining element of his life in industry and research was quality management. Based on this motivation, Hans-Dieter Seghezzi founded the Swiss Association for Quality and Management Systems (SQS), which he also headed from 1983 to 2003. He was also president of the European Organization for Quality from 1986 to 1988 and a pioneer of IQNET, the global network for management system certification. With the book "Integrated Quality Management", Seghezzi and his co-authors created a standard work in which the trend-setting St.Gallen management approach is combined with quality management.
Committed to quality even in retirement
The Seghezzi Prize, which the Swiss Foundation for Research and Education "Quality" (SFAQ) will award every two years, for the last time in 2021, is also named after him. Unfortunately, Seghezzi, who was still a regular guest at SQS and SAQ events such as the "Swiss Quality Day" at an advanced age, was no longer able to attend this event for health reasons. Now the voice that always stood up for the topic of "quality" throughout his life has fallen silent forever. Hans-Dieter Seghezzi leaves behind a wife as well as two sons and two daughters.
