Born in Carthage on August 1, 1964, Karim Kilani died on April 16, 2019, at the age of 54. Respected businessman, passionate about music, sea, and to know, he leaves behind the memory of a deeply human, warm, and rare generosity man. With the approach of what would have been his 61st anniversary, his relatives, his collaborators and his friends remember a discreet builder, whose imprint remains in hearts as much as in the structures he helped to develop.
Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Karim Kilani played a central role in the transformation of the family group. Thanks to its long -term vision and its strategic qualities, it has changed a large company specializing in hardware store in a real structured group, bringing together several companies active in complementary sectors such as heating, household appliances, sanitary facilities or logistics. It has managed to anticipate market changes, stimulate new orientations, and federate legally distinct entities around a common strategy, thus ensuring coherent and sustainable growth.
Trained in economics, Karim Kilani had chosen a specialization in econometrics he had continued in Rabat, Morocco. But his interest did not stop in the business world or economic theory. A great reader, he had an impressive library, nourished over the years by his passion for history and more particularly the history of religions, with a marked fascination for the three monotheisms. His readings were not simple hobbies: they reflected a quest for understanding, an open-mindedness, and a deep respect for the diversity of cultures and beliefs.
This humanism was also reflected in its way of being. Very sociable, good living, deeply generous, Karim Kilani was recognized for his availability towards others, listening, and his spontaneous tendency to support people or charitable associations, always in discretion. His first name, which means “generous”, seemed to go perfectly, as he embodied this quality in all aspects of his life.
Musician at heart, he was also passionate about sounds and rhythms. DJ Amateur, he hosted many evenings in Tunisian clubs, especially at Calypso in Hammamet, where he shared his passion with talent and enthusiasm. His sets were known for their eclecticism, their communicative energy, and his skill to make the crowds dance, always with a smile.
In addition to his professional activities, Karim Kilani also chaired the Sporting Club of Ben Arous, contributing to the influence of this local structure. He did not practice sport himself, but he firmly believed in the importance of the associative fabric and the unifying role of sports clubs in society. His involvement in this club, as in everything he undertook, was motivated by the desire to support, encourage, and build.
He was also a founding member of the CJD Tunisia (Center for Young Managers), through which he encouraged a new generation of business leaders to combine economic performance and social responsibility. His ideas on the company were resolutely modern, combining rigor, creativity and respect for others.
The sea also occupied a special place in its life. He liked to find silence, horizon, raw beauty. He often went fishing, a passion he lived with the same intensity as his readings or music. He was also buried in the Sidi Bou Said marine cemetery, overlooking the blue waves he cherished so much.
Six years old from his disappearance, the memory of Karim Kilani remains vivid. Not only in the companies he has built or accompanied, but also in the minds of those he supported, encouraged, made people laugh or helped to dream. In the pages of his books, the records he mixed, the associations he supported or the projects he launched, he sowed the traces of an intense, generous, and deeply human life.
