Tobias Huylmans was appointed Managing Director of Heinrich Köhler Auktionen GmbH & Co KG and Heinrich Köhler Briefmarkenhandel GmbH & Co. KG on 6 February 2019. In his new role, he supports the two long-standing Executive Partners and Managing Directors of the holding, Dieter Michelson and Karl Louis.
The appointment of 35-year-old Tobias Huylmans is a consequence of the constant growth of the two Köhler companies within the German and international philatelic market over the years. He has been very successful as a philatelic expert with Heinrich Köhler for 11 years. In addition to philately, Tobias Huylmans has successfully promoted the development of the company's own IT auction programmes and online live bidding programmes as a senior project manager. The foreign auction companies of the Köhler & Corinphila Group in Switzerland, the Netherlands, the USA and Hong Kong, which operate internationally as the 'Global Philatelic Network', are also significantly supported by him in the areas of philately and IT.
Tobias Huylmans is highly regarded by customers and colleagues alike for his philatelic competence and his open nature. In recent years, his talents have led to acquisitions of significant consignments and contributed significantly to strengthening Heinrich Köhler in the market. His broad knowledge of philately and his very special know-how in various areas led to his appointment as an expert within the Federation of Philatelic Expertisers e.V. (BPP) a few years ago. Due to his dedicated work for the BPP, among other things as the Internet coordinator and as a consultation partner for newly admitted BPP federation experts, he is appreciated throughout the philatelic market.
Tobias Huylmans' areas of collecting and expertising in the BPP are the stamps and postal history of Memel, Lithuania 1918-1940, the occupation of Lithuania in the Second World War, Western Ukraine, Libau and the 10th Army messenger post. His extraordinary knowledge is documented in many expert contributions to magazines and working group newsletters as well as in his publication 'Memelgebiet - Handbuch der Stempel 1920-1925', a publication which has helped this field of collecting to achieve new popularity for many collectors. In addition, Tobias Huylmans is a member of the Association Internationale des Experts en Philatélie (A.I.E.P.) and of the Royal Philatelic Society London as well as various working and research communities.
With the appointment as Managing Director, an important step was taken towards further growth and thus securing the long-term future of the Heinrich Köhler companies as well as the sister companies abroad. In the tradition of company founder Heinrich Köhler (1881 - 1945), who wrote philatelic history as a stamp auctioneer, stamp dealer and stamp expert before World War II, Tobias Huylmans, in his new role as Managing Director, is an excellent protagonist to lead the companies into a successful future.
