Visionary entrepreneur Klaus Grohe passes away at the age of 88

Hansgrohe Group is mourning the loss of Klaus Grohe, who passed away at the age of 88 on 3rd January 2026. The youngest and third son of company founder Hans Grohe was born on April 3, 1937, in Aachen, Germany. After studying business and economics in Bern, Switzerland, and completing numerous internships, he joined his father’s company in 1968 as authorised signatory and head of sales.

For nearly 5 decades, Klaus Grohe shaped the destiny of the Schiltach-based company – first as managing partner, then from 1999 as chairman of the executive board, and from 2008 to 2015 as chairman of the supervisory board. With his visionary ideas, drive, and customer focus, he transformed the family business into a global player in the sanitary industry. Innovative products with outstanding design were his particular passion. He also understood that high-quality products must be marketed effectively and integrated professional marketing into the company in the 1980s. 

“With Klaus Grohe, we are losing a pioneer who, until the very end, followed Hansgrohe’s development with great interest and commitment as honorary chairman of our supervisory board,” said Hans Jürgen Kalmbach, chairman of the executive board of Hansgrohe SE. “He laid the foundation for the global success of our Group and decisively shaped Hansgrohe’s DNA. We are deeply grateful to him and will miss his advice and guidance.”