Dr. h.c. Dipl.-Ing. (ETH) Willi Liebherr, President of the Administrative Board of Liebherr-International AG, received the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur on 20 May in Paris. The insignia were presented at the Elysée Palace by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy in person.

The Légion d'honneur is the highest decoration in France for military and civilian achievements. It was established by law on 20 May 1802 on the initiative of Napoleon Bonaparte and has been recognised by all political systems and governments since then. The bearers of the decoration form an order, of which the President of France is the Grand Master.