MOSCOW (MRC) -- Christian Kullmann, chairman of Evonik Industries, has been appointed president of German chemical industry association VCI (Frankfurt) with immediate effect, said Chemweek.
Kullmann succeeds Hans Van Bylen, chairman of Henkel, as VCI president. Markus Steilemann, CEO of Covestro, has assumed the role of VCI vice president. VCI says that due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, the VCI presidential council made the two appointments in a written circulation procedure. They will be endorsed by the VCI general assembly due to be held in Dusseldorf, Germany, in September 2020.
"The corona epidemic is a fundamental change and a test for our country and for all of us,” Kullmann says. “In this exceptional situation, our companies are doing whatever they can to supply the public and the health system with medical goods without thinking of profits. We are pooling our resources to develop virus tests, vaccines, and medicines and to make available disinfectants and plastics for protective clothing and medical equipment."
According to Kullmann, it is now essential to secure jobs and stabilize the economy. “Together with politicians and trade unions, we need to create the prerequisites for our economy to return to growth as soon as possible,” he says. “In particular, this applies to the Mittelstand, the medium-sized enterprises which have been forming for decades the reliable backbone of the German economy, especially in the chemical industry."
Seeking and driving forward an open and objective dialogue with politicians and society is one of the central tasks of Kullmann’s presidency, he says. “In order to strengthen the performance of the chemical-pharmaceutical industry, we need business-friendly framework conditions in Germany so that we can hold our own and grow in international competition,” Kullmann says. “After all, the chemical industry is an essential starting point of much-needed value and supply chains. Right now, it becomes apparent that our researchers and developers are carrying out immense tasks for humankind, for example in medicine, nutrition, and the fight against climate change. Chemistry is the only way towards a sustainable society, as we are the engineers of the future."
Kullmann became an Evonik board member in 2014 and was named the company's chairman in 2017.
As MRC informed earlier, Evonik has fully resumed operations in its 10 factories and four offices in China. The company did not indicate the level of production load, and whether all employees returned to work. The Chinese government instructed companies to return to work on February 10 after the New Year holidays were extended by 10 days to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, which is thought to have originated in Wuhan in central China.
The company added that not a single employee of Evonik has contracted the virus in China or elsewhere.
It was previously reported that in June 2018, Evonik Industries launched the production of a new generation of phthalate-free plasticizers of PVC with a capacity of 40 thousand tons per year at its production complex in Marl, Germany.
Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-oriented innovative prowess and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world with more than 36,000 employees.
MRC