Bruno Grandpierre * 26.06.1942 † 12.03.2026
Founder and Honorary President
Bruno Grandpierre is the founder and Honorary President of POK. He graduated from the École nationale supérieure d’électricité et de mécanique de Nancy (ENSEM) in Nancy, France, in 1967 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Nine years later, he founded POK with a start-up capital of just 100,000 French francs (equivalent to €15,244.90), virtually from scratch. With visionary entrepreneurial spirit and technical expertise, he developed a unique manufacturing facility and established POK as a globally recognized brand for firefighting equipment.
Bruno could rightfully be proud of his technical and entrepreneurial achievements. His greatest accomplishment, however, was probably giving hundreds of employees, over more than five decades, the opportunity to become part of an extraordinary personal and professional adventure. The development and fulfillment of his employees' potential was one of his most important missions and, at the same time, his greatest success.
Bruno Grandpierre knew POK, CRAN and OK METAL inside and out. He left his mark on every aspect of the companies, from the development of new and innovative products to technical purchasing and private-label and distributor-brand products, as well as mergers, company acquisitions, business transfers, takeovers, outsourcing, insourcing, spin-offs and joint ventures.
At heart, Bruno was first and foremost a brilliant and passionate engineer who loved developing new products. His particular strength lay in finding simple solutions to complex challenges, making decisions quickly and taking risks. These qualities were instrumental in transforming a one-man business into an internationally active global player that now sells its products in more than 150 countries.
Bruno regularly shared his thoughts and visions through letters to his employees. In these letters, he described the future of the company with a clarity and conviction that many employees still remember today, as his predictions often proved remarkably accurate in hindsight. He loved reading books, watching films and gaining new insights at trade fairs around the globe. Personal interaction with customers, suppliers and business partners was especially important to him. He naturally communicated in French, English and German.
Bruno Grandpierre left his mark on every area of POK, CRAN and OK METAL. Until the very end, he devoted himself with great passion to the strategic development of the group while remaining closely connected to the other departments and to the day-to-day life of the company.
In his memory, we established the “Bruno Grandpierre Movie Night.” Once a year, all employees and their families come together to enjoy an evening at the movies and spend time with one another, in the spirit of a man for whom community and the people of POK, CRAN and OK METAL were always of the utmost importance.
Alexandra Grandpierre Ph.D.
President and Managing Director
Phone: +33 (0)3 25 39 84 78
Email: alexandra.grandpierre [at] pok-fire.com
Dr. Alexandra Grandpierre is President and Managing Director of the POK-CRAN-OK METAL Group. She graduated from Lehigh University (LU) in Bethlehem, USA, in 2002 with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Electrical Engineering. In 2007, she earned a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Human Resources from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in London, United Kingdom.
Five years later, she took over the management of the Group, which has since continued to grow through additional companies and shareholdings. As President and Chief Executive Officer, her objective is to ensure the long-term future of the Group and to lead it to the next stage of its development. Above all, people are at the heart of her vision.
She considers one of her most important responsibilities to be supporting employees in developing their skills, discovering new opportunities, and reaching their full potential. At the same time, she aims to attract talented individuals to the POK-CRAN-OK METAL family, people who possess the right skills, are willing to take on responsibility, and are ready to face the challenges of the future together with the Group.
Her international education and experience are also reflected in her strong language skills: Dr. Alexandra Grandpierre is fluent in French, English, and German. This multilingual ability enables her to communicate directly and personally with employees, customers, suppliers, and partners on an international level.
For Dr. Alexandra Grandpierre, the continued development of the Group is inseparably linked to the development of its employees. In her view, sustainable growth is achieved where people are able to develop their strengths, take responsibility, and work together toward a successful future.
