This morning we have returned from Gartner’s Symposium to a shocking sadness. Thorsten Wichmann, co-founder and managing director of the German analyst firm Berlecon Research, has died after a short and serious illness.

Dr. Wichmann was a brilliant analyst and a thoughful and sensitive human. We valued our opportunities to speak with him whenever he was in London or we were in Berlin. Last summer, I and one of Lighthouse’s board members, Dr. Junge, spent an unforgettable afternoon talking with him in the Literaturhaus, one of Berlin’s most remarkable villas. We will miss his wisdom, friendship and counsel.

Thorsten was an unusual analyst in that he was both sharply analytical and his collegial preference for co-operation. He defended his views self-critically and open-mindedly. The value he set on straight-talking, independent-minded research has been shown continuously by Berlecon Research since it was established in 1997.

Dr. Wichmann’s emphasis on high quality was aided by his unusual good sense in the selection of coworkers. Within a short time he made Berlecon a successful enterprise renowned in the German, and European, market. His values — Independent thinking and analysis as a ‘team sport’ — shaped and sharpened the esprit de corps inside Berlecon.

Thorsten’s considerably demanding expectations were directly linked to the personal support he gave to colleagues. He gave his colleagues at Berlecon many years of intense and friendly co-operation in a building an exceptional enterprise. Berlecon Research was in some way his life’s work, which they will continue and develop.

We send our heartfelt thoughts and sympathy to Silke Toerpsch, Traute and Dieter Wichmann, Sven Wichmann, Kerstin and Joerg Greshake and to the coworkers of Berlecon Research – Philipp Bohn, Nicole Dufft, Ute Herbst, Karen Manzano, Patrizia Pesce, Joachim Quantz, Susanne Schmidt, Andreas Stiehler.

P.S. Tekrati has published an obituary notice from Thorsten’s colleagues.