German specialty chemicals producer Lanxess is taking steps toward diversity with the appointment of its first female managing board member. On Jan.1 2020, Stephanie Coßmann, head of the company’s Human Resources group function since July 2017, will take a seat on the board and assume the function of labor director.

The 46-year-old manager with a doctorate in law joined Lanxess in 2004. On the board, she will succeed Rainier van Roessel, who will retire at the end of 2019. Katja Conner, currently Senior Director HR EMEA at US chemical producer Celanese, will become the new head of Human Resources.

In one of her first responsibilities after joining Lanxess, Coßman was in charge of establishing the internal legal framework required of a listed company ahead of the Bayer spinoff’s stock market debut in January 2005. From 2014, she headed the General Law department prior to assuming the Human Resources position.

Rainier van Roessel, a member of the managing board since 2007, joined Bayer in 1988 after completing a doctorate. He became head of the Rubber Chemicals business unit at the newly independent Lanxess in 2004 and in 2006 added the position of managing director of its Belgian subsidiary.

Lanxess recently agreed a new €1 billion syndicated credit facility carrying interest conditions that are linked, among other things, to increasing the proportion of women on its top three management levels.