Kottmann, who was CEO from 2008 to 2018 and thereafter chaired the board, moved back into the CEO slot, taking on a double responsibility following the unexpected resignation of Ernesto Occhiello. The latter, who led Clariant for less than a year, returned to his former employer, Saudi Arabia’s major shareholder SABIC, after the two companies scuttled plans to create a high-performance materials business group.

As CEO, German national Kottmann, who came from SGL Carbon and previously held management positions at Celanese and the former Hoechst, steered Clariant through the choppy waters ruffled up by the potential takeover by an activist investor, the failed merger with Huntsman of the US and SABIC’s subsequent purchase of a 25% shareholding in the Swiss company.

Conrad Keijzer also has a long history in the European chemicals sector, including 24 years at global paints and coatings manufacturer AkzoNobel, where he was a member of the executive board and CEO of Performance Coatings. Most recently, he was CEO at French minerals group Imerys.

Announcing the culmination of a two-year in-depth search for a new CEO, Kottmann described Keijzer is “an excellent choice to guide Clariant into a successful future,” while the CEO-designate said he looks forward to leading the company into the next phase of its “important transformation into a high-value specialty chemicals company.”

Keijzer will have his work cut out for him over the next two years. At the end of November, Clariant announced plans to realign its corporate structure to fit a smaller frame following several major divestments. In the process, the company plans to shed some 1,000 jobs in services and regional structures.

The new CEO will also oversee the sale of Clariant’s €189 million pigments activities. The sale plans had been put on ice earlier this year due to the coronavirus and concerns over diminished proceeds in the midst of the pandemic, but management recently confirmed plans to restart the process.