Brenntag, the global market leader in chemical distribution, is to expand its Management Board to five members effective July 1, 2015. This was announced earlier today by Stefan Zuschke, Chairman of the Brenntag AG Supervisory Board. In addition to serving members Steven Holland (CEO) and Georg Müller (CFO), Brenntag managers Karsten Beckmann, Markus Klähn and Henri Nejade were appointed to the Board. William Fidler is to retire from the Management Board when his service contract expires on June 30, 2015.

Karsten Beckmann has been with Brenntag since 2002 and is Chief Executive Officer of Brenntag Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). In the Management Board of Brenntag AG, he will be responsible for the Europe region.

Markus Klähn, who has been with Brenntag since 1994, is Chief Executive Officer at Brenntag North America. In the Management Board, he will take over from William Fidler the responsibility for the North America region.

Henri Nejade, Chief Executive Officer at Brenntag Asia Pacific, joined the Group in 2008. In the newly formed Management Board, he will be responsible for the Asia Pacific region.

All three top managers will pursue their previous responsibilities and functions in the regions while being promoted to the Management Board of Brenntag AG with serving members Steven Holland (CEO) and Georg Müller (CFO).

Steven Holland came to Brenntag in 2006, was appointed to the Management Board of Brenntag AG the following year and took over as CEO in 2011. In addition to his existing responsibilities, he will take over from William Fidler the responsibility for the Latin America region.

Georg Müller has been with Brenntag since 2003, holding the position of Chief Financial Officer at Brenntag AG since 2012.

Supervisory Board Chairman Stefan Zuschke commented on the expansion of the Management Board as follows: “This step reflects the ongoing global growth of Brenntag which continues to expand across all regions, industry sectors and applications. The new Management Board members bring extensive additional expertise and capacity to the existing Board to allow the Group capture and accelerate its full growth potential. The Supervisory Board believes the expansion of the Management Board provides even more focus for the strategic development of the Group. It is particularly pleasing that the long term investment in the development of our senior management team has allowed these three positions to be filled from internal resources.”

CEO Steven Holland: “We are delighted to welcome Karsten Beckmann, Markus Klähn und Henri Nejade to the Brenntag AG Management Board which follows a planned evolution of the Management Board and successful development and implementation of succession planning throughout the regions, designed to support our ambitious growth plans. All members of the new Management Board have many years experience at a senior level in the company and we expect a seamless transition to the new structure.”

Stefan Zuschke paid tribute to William Fidler on his retirement from the Management Board: “In his decades of service at Brenntag, William Fidler witnessed at first hand many important phases in the company’s history and was instrumental in driving forward its development in the North America region in particular. With his outstanding expertise and excellent management skills, he played a significant part in Brenntag’s international success. The Supervisory Board, Management Board and the Executive & Senior Management Team thank him for his sterling work and his commitment to the Group and wish him all the best for the future.” William Fidler joined Brenntag in 1970. Since March 2011, he was a member of the Management Board responsible for the North and Latin America business.

About Brenntag:
Brenntag, the global market leader in chemical distribution, covers all major markets with its extensive product and service portfolio. Headquartered in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, the company operates a global network with more than 490 locations in 72 countries. In 2014, the company, which has a global workforce of more than 13,500, generated sales of EUR 10.0 billion (USD 13.3 billion). Brenntag connects chemical manufacturers and chemical users. The company supports its customers and suppliers with tailor-made distribution solutions for industrial and specialty chemicals. With over 10,000 products and a world-class supplier base, Brenntag offers one-stop-shop solutions to around 170,000 customers. This includes specific application technology, an extensive technical support and value-added services such as just-in-time delivery, product mixing, formulation, repackaging, inventory management and drum return handling. Long-standing experience and local excellence in the individual countries characterize the global market leader for chemical distribution.