OL Legends launched, honouring over a century of employees who helped shape the Group

OL officially launched the OL Legends Alumni Programme on 5 June 2026, at a dedicated inaugural event held in Windhoek. The programme formally recognises previous OL employees who contributed to the Group’s growth across its operating companies and establishes an enduring structure through which that connection can continue.

In her welcome address, Chief Experience Officer Franziska Rüeck said that OL Legends represents the Group’s commitment to honouring its history, preserving its culture and ensuring that the actions taken today extend beyond employment and across generations. She noted that long before the OL Persona was formally defined, many of the programme’s inaugural members were already living its values.

Delivering the keynote address at the launch, Sven Thieme, Executive Chairman of OL, expressed his delight with this new milestone programme: “For more than 106 years, generations of people have given a part of their lives to the OL Group. I see people. I see relationships. I see stories. I see sacrifices. And I see lessons passed from one generation to the next. People brought us here — Authentic people, Caring people, Passionate people. And that is how OL Legends was born. You helped build our businesses. You helped shape our Persona. And you remain part of our future. Welcome home.”

Former OL Human Capital Director Berthold Mukuahima advised that the programme carries a powerful message, namely that contribution matters, that people are remembered and that relationships do not end when employment does. Fellow former OL leader and Group COO Günther Hanke added that experience is one of the most valuable assets an organisation can hold and that OL Legends creates a meaningful bridge between those who built the foundation and the generation now responsible for the future. Both speakers highlighted mentorship as a central opportunity and as the act of listening, sharing and encouraging.

Ellen Geingos, a current OL employee and the 2025 Group’s Overall Persona Champion for OL Centre, spoke on behalf of the younger generation. She reflected that culture is not built in boardrooms but through people, in every daily interaction and that her generation has inherited something meaningful, shaped by those in the room. She expressed sincere gratitude to the inaugural OL Legends for the standards they set and the stories they carry and looked forward to the day she and her fellow colleagues would be counted among them.