Rainier van Roessel elected new Chairman of the Supervisory Board of LANXESS 

Cologne, May 24, 2024 – Rainier van Roessel (66) is the new Chairman of the Supervisory Board of LANXESS AG. At its constituent meeting, the Supervisory Board of the specialty chemicals company elected the business graduate and former member of the Board of Management of LANXESS AG as successor to Dr. Matthias Wolfgruber (70), who resigned from office at the end of today's Annual Stockholders' Meeting. Wolfgruber has been a member of the Supervisory Board as a shareholder representative for almost ten years, six of them as Chairman. 

Rainier van Roessel has been a member of the Supervisory Board of LANXESS AG since 2022. He started his professional career at Bayer and has worked for LANXESS AG since it was founded in 2004, serving as Labor Director and member of the Board of Management since 2007. He left the LANXESS Board of Management at the end of 2019. 

"I am delighted that Rainier van Roessel will succeed me as Chairman of the Supervisory Board," said Matthias Wolfgruber. "LANXESS is currently operating in an economic environment characterized by a weak global economy for the chemical industry. In these exceptionally difficult times, personnel continuity and a profound knowledge of the chemical industry have top priority in succession planning. With more than 35 years of experience in the industry and a deep understanding of the company, Rainier van Roessel is ideally qualified for this position."  

Rainier van Roessel: "In recent years, we have consistently transformed LANXESS in the direction of specialty chemicals. In its current structure, the company has enormous potential for success. In the current crisis, LANXESS has taken early and courageous countermeasures. We are therefore well on the way to picking up speed again as soon as the markets recover. I look forward to accompanying the Group on this path as Chairman of the Supervisory Board."

Matthias Zachert, Chairman of the Board of Management of LANXESS AG, thanked Wolfgruber in his speech at the Annual Stockholders' Meeting: "In recent years, you have played a key role in writing our history and have shaped the far-reaching transformation of LANXESS - from a high-volume synthetic rubber supplier to a genuine specialty chemicals company. I would like to thank you - also on behalf of my colleagues on the Board of Management and the entire LANXESS Group - for our trusting cooperation, for your commitment and your support, which have helped to make LANXESS what it is today."

Dr. Hans-Joachim Müller (65) will join the LANXESS Supervisory Board as a new member. He was elected by the shareholders at today's Annual Stockholders' Meeting. Dr. Müller, who holds a doctorate in chemistry, was most recently Chairman of the Board of Management of Azelis Group N.V. As a member of the Board of Management of Clariant AG and in management positions at BASF AG, he has gained extensive experience at international chemical companies.