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Dr. h. c. mult. Sybill Storz

Responsibility That Endures Across Generations

Sybill Storz’s legacy is defined by a clear ambition: to build on existing achievements and to embrace responsibility, extending far beyond the boundaries of the company itself. The deep recognition she has received reflects this exceptional accomplishment, as does her biography, which offers a personal perspective on her remarkable journey. It is the story of an entrepreneur who, with conviction, courage, and passion, pursued her own path with determination and tireless dedication, leading our company to great international success as the second generation of the family business. 

BIOGRAPHY

STYLE. STRENGTH. STORZ. | SYBILL STORZ

Published in 2019, the biography of Sybill Storz presents a compelling account of eight decades of an extraordinary life. Combining personal insights with the defining milestones of her entrepreneurial journey, it offers a deeper understanding of the values and convictions that have shaped her thinking and actions. At its core are her perspectives on the advancement of endoscopy, the visionary decisions she made, and the encounters that have shaped her in lasting ways. 

KARL STORZ FOUNDATION

The future is not chance: shaping responsibility sustainably

For Sybill Storz, social responsibility was always an integral part of entrepreneurship. This commitment is also reflected in the establishment of the KARL STORZ Foundation, which she founded together with her son, Karl-Christian Storz, in 2023. The foundation continues the values and initiatives that were close to her heart for decades. As a charitable grant-making foundation, it supports medical progress and human health, education, international development cooperation, as well as nature and environmental conservation, with a particular focus on families, children, and young people. One project especially close to her heart is the TUTORAMA Museum in Tuttlingen, which supports young people on their educational journey and opens up new perspectives through interactive learning. 

TRIBUTES Honors and Recognition

Throughout her life, Sybill Storz was honored many times for her entrepreneurial achievements and her social commitment. National and international honors recognize both her contributions to the advancement of medical technology and her personal dedication to people and medical progress worldwide. The selected examples below illustrate the wide range of recognition she has received.

2005

Among her entrepreneurial honors is the Prix Veuve Clicquot, awarded to her as Business Woman of the Year in 2004. 

Smiling woman in a red jacket holding a bottle of sparkling wine.

2005

Internationally, she was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2005 by the then French President Jacques Chirac. 

Two elderly people in formal attire smiling and greeting each other.

2010

Her wide-ranging commitment to both business and the common good was recognized in 2010 with the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. 

Woman in a navy blue suit with a medal, smiling and standing with hands clasped.

2016

In recognition of her pioneering support for medical education, she received the prestigious Pioneer in Endoscopy Award in 2016. 

Woman in a blue dress holding an award plaque and smiling at the camera.

 

Selected Recognition of Her Legacy

  • Commendable Service Medal of the Uniformed Services, University of the Health Sciences and the Department of Defense, USA.
  • 1998 - Badge of Honor of the German Association of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hanover, Germany.
  • 2002 - Honorary membership of the European Rhinologic Society, Ulm, Germany.
  • 2002 - "Lifetime Achievement Award for Services to Education" of the International Society for Gynecologic Endoscopy (ISGE).
  • 2004 - "Promoter of Urological Science Award" from the German Society of Urology, Wiesbaden, Germany.
  • 2004 - Diesel Medal of the Diesel Board of Trustees of the German Institute for Inventions, Munich, Germany.
  • 2004 - Honorary membership of the International Nitze-Leiter-Research-Society for Endoscopy, Vienna, Austria.
  • 2005 - Prix Veuve Clicquot "Business Woman Award 2004", Munich, Germany.
  • 2005 - Seal of the German Society of Surgery, Munich, Germany.
  • 2005 - Awarded the honorary doctorate "pocetnyj doktor" from the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
  • 2005 - Honorary member of the Russian Association of Gynecologic Endoscopists (RAGE), Moscow, Russia.
  • 2005 - Honorary member of the Russian Association of Urologists, Moscow, Russia.
  • 2005 - Admission to the French Legion of Honor as "Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur" as decreed by the French President Jacques Chirac, Paris, France (official presentation of the decoration by President Jacques Chirac in March 2007).
  • 2005 - "Kannitverstan" gift of honor of the city of Tuttlingen, Germany.
  • 2006 - Presentation of the "2006 Business Woman of the Year Award" by the Conseil Européen Femmes Entreprises et Commerce (CEFEC) (European Council for Women, Businesses and Commerce) and presentation of the French President Jacques Chirac's award for the Best Woman Entrepreneur of Europe.
  • 2006 - Award of an honorary doctorate of medicine (Dr. med. h. c.) from Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Germany.
  • 2006 - Award of the honorary doctorate "Doctor of Laws honoris causa" (LL.D. h. c.) from the University of Dundee, Scotland.
  • 2006 - "2006 Social Market Economy Award" of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
  • 2007 - Honorary membership in the European Academy of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Vienna, Austria.
  • 2007 - Presentation of the royal Thai award "Direkgunabhorn" as decreed by His Majesty King Bhumipol Adulyadej, Bangkok, Thailand.
  • 2007 - Awarded the honorary doctorate “Doctor honoris causa” from the Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacia “Victor Babes”, Timişoara, Romania.
  • 2010 - Award of the Pichlmayr Medal for supporting the German Society for General and Visceral Surgery (DGAV), Berlin, Germany.
  • 2010 - Award of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Stuttgart, Germany
  • 2010 - Appointment as honorary citizen of Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich, Germany.
  • 2011 - Appointment as honorary member of the Urology Faculty of Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Pakistan.
  • 2012 - Baden-Württemberg Award for Competence in Innovation and Quality in the category "Entrepreneurial personality"‘, Stuttgart, Germany.
  • 2012 - Baden-Württemberg Founder's Award for the lifetime achievement of Dr. h. c. mult. Sybill Storz, presented by Baden-Württemberg Sparkassenverband (Association of Savings Banks), Stuttgart, Germany.
  • 2012 - Award of the honorary doctorate "Doctor honoris causa" from Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacia "Iuliu Haţieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
  • 2012 - Inclusion in the roll of honor of the Polish Gynecological Society, Katowice, Poland.
  • 2012 - Presentation of the Humanitarian Award of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), Washington, USA.
  • 2013 - Honorary membership of the German Association of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Nuremberg, Germany.
  • 2013 - Appointment as honorary member of the Polish Videosurgery Society, Warsaw, Poland.
  • 2013 - Award of the DAS Medal by the Difficult Airway Society, Ascot, UK.
  • 2013 - Appointment as honorary member of the Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons of Great Britain & Ireland, Ascot, UK.
  • 2014 - Admission to the Court of Patrons of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK.
  • 2014 - Order of Merit of the state of Baden-Württemberg, Ludwigsburg, Germany.
  • 2015 - Presentation of the "Médaille de l'innovation en chirurgie" (Medal of Innovation in Surgery) by the Académie Nationale de Chirurgie in Paris, France.
  • 2016 - Presentation of the "Pioneer in Endoscopy Award" by the Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), USA.
  • 2017 - Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) Medal of Merit, Tuttlingen, Germany
  • 2017 - Investiture as a Dame of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • 2018 - Honorary Member of the Asia-Pacific Association for Gynecologic Endoscopy and Minimally Invasive Therapy (APAGE), Tuttlingen, Germany
  • 2018 - Vice-Chancellor’s Medal of the University of Cape Town, South Africa
  • 2019 - Medal of Honor of the Pan Arab Rhinology Society (PARS), Cairo, Egypt
  • 2020 - 2020 Inaugural AGA-ENT Award, London, United Kingdom