In Memoriam Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Jürgen Zimmermann 

With deep sorrow and great respect, we bid farewell to our company founder, academic teacher, and esteemed companion, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Jürgen Zimmermann, who passed away peacefully at the age of 92 in the presence of his family.

Prof. Zimmermann was an engineer and economist, a researcher, an entrepreneur, and a person of extraordinary vision, warmth, and humanity. After studying industrial engineering and earning his doctorate from the Technical University of Berlin in 1962, he shaped the field of Operations Research for decades and became one of its most important representatives in Germany.

As a professor at RWTH Aachen University, he founded INFORM GmbH in 1969. His goal was to bridge science and practice in order to solve complex challenges in business and industry through Operations Research. In the years that followed, INFORM developed into a leading provider of intelligent decision-support solutions.

Prof. Zimmermann’s pioneering academic achievements were always inseparable from his humanistic values. Alongside his analytical brilliance, he was distinguished by a deeply humane and unifying spirit. As a mentor and trusted companion, he inspired, supported, and shaped the lives of countless people.

For him, INFORM was always also a community of people working together with joy, responsibility, and trust. A family-friendly culture, mutual respect, and an awareness of the meaning of one’s work were not mere ideals to him, but convictions he lived by.

He remained closely connected to INFORM GmbH until his death, as its principal shareholder, advisor, and guiding presence. His interest in people and in the company’s development continued to resonate throughout the organization until the very end.

In Prof. Zimmermann, we lose not only the founder of our company, but also a formative figure whose thinking and values continue to guide INFORM to this day. He was a man who gave trust, sparked enthusiasm, and brought out the best in others: a pioneer in his field and, at the same time, a model of composure, courage, and humanity.

Our deepest sympathy goes to his family, especially his wife, his children, and his grandchildren. We will remember Prof. Zimmermann with profound gratitude and admiration, and will carry forward his life’s work with care and responsibility.