Brenntag appoints Bjørn Andersen as new Chief Operating Officer
Andersen brings over 20 years of extensive professional experience.
GERMANY – Brenntag has officially announced the appointment of Bjørn Andersen as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective no later than April 1, 2026.
Andersen will report directly to Jens Birgersson, the CEO of Brenntag Group.
In his role as COO, Andersen will be responsible for overseeing key areas including supply chain, health, safety & environment (HSE&S), operational excellence, and capital expenditure (CAPEX).
Joining Brenntag from Rockwool Group, where he served as Senior Vice President of Group Operations and Technology and has held several senior leadership roles, such as Vice President and COO.
His appointment is seen as a strategic move to develop Brenntag’s global distribution supply chain further, aiming to enhance its competitiveness and scalability in the chemical and ingredients distribution market, where Brenntag is a global leader.
Berenntag Q2 FY25 financial highlight
Brenntag, a chemicals and ingredients distribution company, reported a challenging second quarter of 2025 as macroeconomic uncertainty, weak customer sentiment, and unfavourable EUR/USD exchange rates weighed on results.
Group operating gross profit declined 1.9% to EUR 974.3 million (USD 1,138 million), with operating EBITA down 13.9% to EUR 246.4 million (USD 288 million).
Both divisions, Brenntag Specialities and Brenntag Essentials, faced slowing demand and pricing pressure across key end markets.
Specialities, which includes high-value ingredients for Life Science and Material Science applications, posted an operating gross profit of EUR 278.2 million (USD 325 million), down 3.3% year on year.
Operating EBITA in Specialities dropped 11.2% to EUR 98.8 million (USD 116 million) despite improved gross profit per unit from active margin management.
The Essentials division, which supplies large-volume industrial and basic ingredients, achieved a slightly stronger gross profit margin relative to sales.
Operating gross profit declined 1.3% to EUR 696.1 million (USD 813 million) as pricing pressure offset modest volume gains in EMEA, Latin America, and APAC.
Division EBITA fell 13.1% to EUR 177.1 million (USD 207 million).
Despite the challenging backdrop, Brenntag maintained strong cash generation, with Q2 free cash flow at EUR 152.9 million (USD 179 million).
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