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2026-08-27

Claus Rettig to serve as interim CEO of Evonik

  • Claus Rettig was appointed interim CEO of Evonik with immediate effect by the Supervisory Board.
  • Christian Kullmann is leaving Evonik by mutual agreement, and Claus Rettig succeeds him as CEO.
  • Evonik has already started the search process for a permanent successor to the CEO role.
  • Claus Rettig’s Supervisory Board chair mandate was suspended to separate management from oversight during the interim period.
  • Evonik describes Claus Rettig’s appointment as supporting continuity and stability during an important transition phase.

Claus Rettig will lead Evonik as interim CEO, effective immediately. He succeeds Christian Kullmann, who is leaving by mutual agreement. The Supervisory Board has started the search for a permanent CEO. To keep management and oversight clearly separate, Rettig’s Supervisory Board chair mandate is suspended during this interim period. Evonik says his appointment supports continuity and stability in an important transition phase.

  • Rettig, who runs Evonik’s Asia business, appointed to Executive Board

  • Chairman Bernd Toenjes places emphasis on continuity

  • Christian Kullmann on the road to recovery

Essen, Germany. At an extraordinary meeting, the Supervisory Board today appointed Dr. Claus Rettig to Evonik's Executive Board effective September 1, 2026, and appointed him Deputy Chairman. The 66-year-old has been with the company for more than 30 years and heads Evonik's Asian business as General Representative in Singapore. Until further notice, Rettig is taking over the duties of Christian Kullmann, who is recovering in the upcoming weeks from a recent serious, unplanned surgery. Rettig will continue to assume his responsibility for Asia as member of the Executive Board.

"We are all happy and relieved that Christian Kullmann’s surgery went well and, from the bottom of our hearts, wish him a speedy recovery," says Bernd Toenjes, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. "We are confident that he will resume his duties after his rehabilitation." 

In these difficult times and amid the crisis in the chemical industry, Claus Rettig, with his experience, stands for continuity, says Toenjes: "In numerous management positions, he has achieved great things for Evonik, and he has the full trust of the entire Supervisory Board."

Alexander Bercht, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board and member of the Executive Board of labor union IG BCE, emphasizes Rettig's balancing manner: "Claus Rettig has proven in various leading positions that he can consistently pursue the interests of the company without losing sight of the interests of employees."

In summer 2025, Rettig had already temporarily headed the company’s finance department until Michael Rauch was appointed Chief Financial Officer in May 2026.

"Evonik is in the midst of the biggest transformation in its history," says Rettig. "Together with our colleagues on the Executive Board, we will consistently pursue the course we have chosen. I would like to thank the Supervisory Board for the trust they are placing in me." 

After studying chemistry, Rettig spent his entire professional life in the chemical industry. In 2003, he was appointed to the Executive Board of Goldschmidt AG, which later became part of Evonik. From 2015, Rettig headed the segment Resource Efficiency at Evonik and has been a member of the extended Executive Board since 2020. In 2022, he was appointed Chief Representative and assumed responsibility for the region Asia-Pacific. Rettig is married and has a daughter.

Evonik: Leading beyond chemistry

Evonik goes beyond the boundaries of chemistry with its combination of innovative strength and leading technological expertise. The global chemical company, headquartered in Essen, Germany, is active in more than 100 countries and generated sales of €14.1 billion and earnings (adjusted EBITDA) of €1.9 billion in 2025. The common motivation of the approximately 31,000 employees: to provide customers with a decisive competitive advantage with tailor-made products and solutions as a superforce for industry, thereby improving people's lives. In all markets. Every day.

Disclaimer

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.