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24.06.22 | Corporate

Zschimmer & Schwarz initiates management change

  • Dr Christoph Riemer joins the General Management on 1 August and becomes CEO of the Lahnstein-based chemical company on 1 January 2023
  • Dr Martin Haberl will leave the company in 2023, entering retirement
  • Wolfgang Nowak is leaving the company at the end of the year at his own desire

Speciality chemicals supplier Zschimmer & Schwarz is reorganising the company's management. The Advisory Board of the family-owned company with a long tradition has appointed Dr Christoph Riemer to the General Management as of 1 August 2022. On 1 January 2023, he will also take over the management of the company as CEO. While Dietmar Clausen, with his experience and expertise, will remain with the company as General Manager, Wolfgang Nowak will leave the company at the end of the year at his own request and take on a new professional challenge.
Dr Martin Haberl will retire in mid-2023 and, together with Dr Christoph Riemer, will ensure a smooth transition until then.

Zschimmer & Schwarz has grown strongly over the last 15 years, with turnover increasing by 500 million to almost 700 million euros. The main drivers were the consistent internationalisation of the business and the high level of expertise in application technology. "Today, the company stands on a strong foundation. This is largely thanks to the General Management around Dietmar Clausen,
Dr Martin Haberl and Wolfgang Nowak. All three have made these successes possible through excellent teamwork and built one strong industrial company out of a number of individual companies," explains Dr Bernd Reckmann, Chairman of the Advisory Board. "We are convinced that with Dr Christoph Riemer, we are now taking the next step in the further development of Zschimmer & Schwarz. With his many years of experience in the chemical industry and his entrepreneurial approach, he can build on the transformation that has already started and give our company new impetus. This concerns new technologies and applications as well as the question of new business models and sustainable products."

Dr Christoph Riemer has many years of experience in the chemical industry, having held positions at Süd-Chemie, McKinsey and Wacker Chemie. Most recently, he led Wacker Chemie's polymer business in Europe and the Middle East as Vice President. He is regarded a strategist with a deep understanding of production and innovation. "For me, it is a privilege to work for a company like Zschimmer & Schwarz, which has stood for innovation, proximity to customers and value-based business for over 125 years. It is important to me to promote a culture where entrepreneurial behaviour is given top priority. This includes openness to ideas and other perspectives, transparent and hierarchy-free communication and a spirit of cooperation that allows mistakes and learns from them. I look forward to accompanying Zschimmer & Schwarz in this spirit and to growing together with the company and its employees," emphasises Dr Christoph Riemer.

Commenting on the changes in the General Management and his retirement next year, Dr Martin Haberl says: "It is with great pleasure that I look back on the last years and my time at Zschimmer & Schwarz. Together, we have built a multinational company without developing the anonymity and characteristics of a big corporation. We know our customers, are fast and think in solutions. I would like to thank all employees and my colleagues in the General Management and look forward to working with Dr Christoph Riemer in the coming months."

The decision for the personnel changes at the top of the company was prepared and unanimously taken by the shareholders and the Advisory Board. Christian Schwarz, shareholder and member of the Advisory Board: "On behalf of the shareholders and the Advisory Board, I would like to thank the General Management for their commitment and dedication to our company. Together, we have grown strongly in recent years. Despite all our economic success, we have preserved what makes us a family business. Growth and values are not mutually exclusive. This is also the achievement of the General Management and we as shareholders stand for this path – now and in the future. We will actively accompany the further growth course and are convinced that in Dr Christoph Riemer, we have found a personality who will give us important impulses for the strategic further development. We believe in the long-term success of Zschimmer & Schwarz as a family business."



Head of Corporate Communications

Hedwig Blomeier

Zschimmer & Schwarz
Corporate Communications
Max-Schwarz-Strasse 3-5
56112 Lahnstein | DE

T +49 2621 12-201
F +49 2621 12-507
h.blomeier@zschimmer-schwarz.com