Under his leadership, through the focused streamlining of the portfolio and by identifying new market segments, Symrise has substantially expanded its leading position and tapped into market segments beyond the traditional flavors and fragrances business. The reaffirmation of Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram as CEO ensures leadership continuity and creates the foundation for further profitable growth.
The Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Thomas Rabe, said: "We've been working with Dr. Heinz- Jürgen Bertram very successfully and in a spirit of trust for many years. We are therefore pleased to reaffirm his appointment as CEO for a further five years before his contract is up for renewal. Dr. Bertram has been part of the Executive Board for more than ten years and has worked with Symrise for nearly three decades. He has accelerated the pace of the Company's international development and diversification. Symrise has an excellent reputation among its customers and in the capital market. With the early renewal of Dr. Bertram's contract, we are ensuring the Group’s continued successful development."
In recent years, Symrise AG has established new business areas and increased its competitiveness through strategic acquisitions, in particular with regard to functional product solutions in the fields of nutrition and personal care. Moreover, the Company has increased its access to sustainable and renewable key raw materials for the production of fragrances and flavours. Symrise has been cooperating, for instance, with vanilla farmers in Madagascar for many years.
Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram (58), who has a doctorate in chemistry, has performed in various management functions at the Bayer Group, the Haarmann & Reimer Group and Symrise since 1985. Since 2003, he has held several senior positions with Symrise, and was appointed to the Executive Board in 2006. Since August 2009, he heads the Company's business activities as CEO.