Evonik has a new CEO for the Central and South America region

The Evonik Group has made changes to several senior management positions. One of the aims was to further promote the diversity of cultures and international experiences in key functions.

In view of this, Hendrik Schoenfelder assumes the position of CEO for Central and South America, while Elias Lacerda, who until then presided over the region, assumes global responsibility for the Coating Additives business line.

The handover process is very well aligned with Evonik's worldwide growth strategy. “I am very happy to take on the management of Central and South America, which has unique and fantastic opportunities. The speed of business and projects underway in the region is impressive and I want to maintain the level of success achieved so far. The challenge will be to take the company towards the next level of growth. Focusing on sustainability will be a key driver for many of the future initiatives to fuel that growth”, says Schoenfelder.

The executive's passion is sustainability, in particular the transitions to climate neutrality and circular economy, after having had valuable experience related to these topics in the Middle East, where many players are committed to replacing oil and gas with clean energy such as solar power. He points out that Evonik's products and technologies serve customers interested in this change and can improve their own production environmental footprint, making them ever more sustainable.

“I look forward to combining existing experiences with the unique opportunities that the Central and South America region has to offer with its fantastic agricultural capabilities and renewable energy alternatives.”

Hendrik Schoenfelder holds a doctorate degree in Chemical Engineering and has a solid international career in the chemical industry, in which he has acquired a wealth of extensive technical, business management and sales and marketing experience, covering several links in this value chain.

After serving at BASF and LyondellBasell for years, working in Europe in the areas of Research & Development, Business Management and Capital Investment Projects, he spent most of his professional career in Sales & Marketing in the automotive and plastics segments.

Schoenfelder joined Evonik Industries in 2013, when he assumed the position of Sales Director EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa). Between 2016 and 2017, he led special projects in the area of Mergers and Acquisitions and Taxes and then assumed the presidency of the Middle East and Africa region, managing from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.