Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Management Board 2015 was a year in which ALTANA once again demonstrated its flexibility and ability to change. In a challenging environment, our business, adjusted for acquisition and exchange-rate effects, declined slightly due to unexpectedly sluggish demand. Nevertheless we were able to increase our nominal sales once again, primarily thanks to positive currency effects, thus achieving sales of more than € 2 billion for the first time. ALTANA remains very well positioned for further profitable growth. We paved the way in 2015. The generation change at the helm of ALTANA initiated in 2015 reflects both our company’s sustainable development and its ability to change. Since August of last year, Stefan Genten has reinforced ALTANA’s Management Board as the new CFO, succeeding Martin Babilas, who became the Chairman of the Management Board at the beginning of January 2016, replacing Dr. Matthias L. Wolfgruber. With this move, doubtlessly an era came to an end, since Dr. Wolfgruber, who went into retirement at the end of 2015, had a significant influence on ALTANA. In the last 13-plus years during which he headed our chemical business, our company developed very successfully while continually undergoing change. At this juncture, we would like to express our great appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Wolfgruber. ALTANA is in a strong position because we have continually changed yet at the same time remained true to ourselves. The 2015 fiscal year saw many examples of this. Since its acquisition of Rockwood’s rheology business, BYK has not only invested in the new sites, but also adapted its organization and processes in many areas to its increased size and global requirements. Thus, the organizational and cultural integration of the busi- ness acquired in the fall of 2013 is nearly completed. Dr. Stephan Glander became the new Division President of BYK in July 2015. He is now in charge of a newly positioned and significantly strengthened organization.
E_ALT_GB15_160317_online
To see the actual publication please follow the link above