Eva Mayr-Stihl was born in Stuttgart on 4 January 1935. After studying business administration and languages in Munich and Stuttgart, she joined her father's company in 1959 as the first of the second generation to join her father's company. She quickly took over responsibility for advertising and market research, and in 1969, as a member of the management team, she also took over the marketing department. From 1975, she was Managing Director of Finance / Controlling and Deputy Chairwoman of the Management Board. In 1989, the legal form of the company changed, so Eva Mayr-Stihl became Deputy Chairwoman of the Executive Board and Chief Financial Officer / Controlling / IT of ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG. With the withdrawal of the owners from the operative business, she became Deputy Chairwoman of the Advisory Board of STIHL HOLDING AG & Co. KG and of the Supervisory Board of STIHL AG.

In 1986, together with her husband Robert Mayr, she founded the charitable Andreas-Stihl- Foundation, which was renamed the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation in 2004. She endowed it with private funds. Her aim was always to give something back to society. Because in her principle applies: Property obliges. The town of Waiblingen was particularly close to her heart.

Big words were not her strong point, she focussed on action: Without Eva Mayr-Stihl and her foundation, there would be no gallery in Waiblingen; there would be no artworks by Eliasson, Rehberger or Balkenhol. Stuttgart Hospital has benefited from her commitment for example with the establishment of the Stuttgart Cancer Center - Tumour Centre Eva Mayr-Stihl but also personalised medicine, pneumology and support for the liver centre. She is also committed to supporting young academics, be it in the area of various sustainability topics at the University of Freiburg, the Germany Scholarships or the Eva Mayr-Stihl Young Talent Award. Eva Mayr-Stihl died on April 9, 2022. The Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation and its work are her legacy.