Sergio Giroldi emphasises "Together"

Sergio Giroldi was presented with the Global DIY-Lifetime Award at a grand gala dinner in Berlin last night. Giroldi headed Obi as CEO for almost 20 years and was president of the European DIY trade association Edra/Ghin for five years. The award ceremony was one of the highlights of the Global DIY Summit, which ends today.
The laudation for the award winner was given by Edra CEO John Herbert, who has worked closely with Giroldi in this capacity. "Sergio Giroldi was not everybody's darling," Herbert looked back, "but he says what he does and does what he says." Herbert described how the uncertainty with which the Obi franchisees initially met the Italian later gave way to a trusting cooperation; Paul Fassbender, one of the renowned franchisees, came to Berlin especially for the award ceremony. Giroldi, Herbert continued, is a man "who does what he says and says what he does" and always stands by his values: loyalty, trust and family.
In his acceptance speech to John Herbert, whom he described as a colleague and friend, Giroldi repeatedly emphasised the importance of dealers and manufacturers acting together. "We understood that ‘Together’ is much better," he reminded listeners of acting together during the pandemic: "There is no 'essential retail' without 'essential manufacturers'," he said.