German speciality chemicals company Lanxess has appointed Michael Pontzen as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Pontzen currently heads Lanxess’s Corporate Controlling Group Function. He will succeed Bernhard Düttmann, who is leaving the company effective March 31, 2015, to take on new career challenges. Düttmann has been CFO at Lanxess since 2011.
Michael Pontzen was born in Mönchengladbach, Germany, in 1969. After studying business administration, he held various positions at Ferrostaal, MAN and EADS. He joined Lanxess in November 2004 as head of the Investor Relations Group Function. In October 2008, he became head of Corporate Finance within the Treasury Group Function. He additionally assumed responsibility for Risk and Cash Management from spring 2009. Pontzen has been head of the Corporate Controlling Group Function since January 2012.
Other nominations were for Lawrence A. Rosen, member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Post, and Dr. Matthias Wolfgruber, Chairman of the Management Board of Altana, to the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting on May 13, 2015, for election as members of the Supervisory Board.
Supervisory Board members Rainer Laufs and Robert J. Koehler will both be leaving the body upon expiration of their current terms of office.
Supervisory Board Chairman Dr. Rolf Stomberg: “Laufs and Koehler are due the thanks of the entire company. They have significantly contributed to Lanxess having developed well within a decade. I am pleased that we have been able to attract two further proven experts as their successors. The work of the Lanxess Supervisory Board will be enhanced especially by Wolfgruber’s experience as the CEO of a leading global specialty chemicals company and Rosen’s international background and profound knowledge of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.”