Rejig at Lanxess as Zachert takes over

ERJ staff report (PR)

Matthias Zachert has taken over as chairman of the board of management of specialty chemicals company Lanxess AG, the company announced 1 April.

Zachert was previously chief financial officer of Lanxess, before moving to take up the same role at Merck KGaA. He replaces Axel Heitmann, who had led Lanxess since its establishment in 2004 as part of a realignment of the Bayer’s chemical and plastics businesses.

Heitmann's departure was announced on 26 January - Lanxess citing the need for new leadership to overcome the "significant challenges" facing the company in terms of market capacities and business portfolio.

"In the coming weeks and months, we will work hard together to find solutions on how we will tackle the challenges lying ahead of us. With the support of all employees, I am sure we will return Lanxess to winning ways soon," said Zachert.

Alongside Zachert’s chairmanship, Lanxess also announced leadership changes at two business units and country entities, as well as one group function.

Jorge Nogueira, currently head of the company’s functional chemicals (FCC) business unit, will take over responsibility for the performance butadiene rubbers (PBR) unit, based in Fribourg, Switzerland, from Joachim Grub as of 1 May. Grub will take a one-year sabbatical.

Anno Borkowsky, in addition to being head of the business unit Rhein Chemie (RCH) in Mannheim, Germany, will temporarily be responsible for functional chemicals.

At Lanxess innovation & technology (INN), meanwhile, Par Singh, currently the company’s country representative in Singapore, will take over from Paul Wagner, who is retiring. Effective 1 May, Fiona Wu will be the new country representative of Singapore. She is currently responsible for human resources at the butyl rubber (BTR) business and will continue to perform this role parallel to her new tasks.

Joerg Strassburger, country representative in India since 2005, will leave the company as of April 30, 2014, to pursue new opportunities outside of the company. Jacques Perez will take over this role, while continuing his current role as chief financial officer in India.

Lanxess is a global supplier of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals, generating sales of €8.3bn in 2013.

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