Swiss specialty chemical company Clariant announced that Christian Kohlpaintner, who is a member of the company’s executive committee, decided to resign from his position effective June 30, 2019.

Kohlpaintner led the business units Care Chemicals, Catalysis and Natural Resources and was accountable for the regions Greater China, India, Japan, and South East Asia & Pacific. In addition, he was responsible for Group Technology & Innovation and Corporate Sustainability & Regulatory Affairs.

“We very much regret the decision of Christian Kohlpaintner to leave Clariant”, said Hariolf Kottmann, chairman of Clariant’s board of directors. “He made significant contributions to shaping the company into the leading specialty chemicals player it is today. From business turnarounds and acquisitions to innovations, he has created substantial value for Clariant over the past 10 years. It is largely thanks to him that Clariant is inextricably linked to topics such as sustainability, innovation and our China growth strategy. We wish him all the best for his future endeavors.”

For the time being, Kohlpaintner’s responsibilities will be assumed by the remaining members of the executive committee, the company said.