Evonik names Dr. Claus Rettig interim Deputy Chairman
The move, announced by Evonik’s Supervisory Board following an extraordinary meeting, underscores continuity at the top during a challenging period for the chemical sector.
GERMANY – Evonik Industries has appointed Dr. Claus Rettig to its Executive Board as Deputy Chairman, effective September 1, 2026, with immediate responsibility to lead the company on an interim basis while CEO Christian Kullmann recovers from surgery.
Dr. Claus Rettig, who has spent more than three decades with Evonik and currently serves as the company’s General Representative for Asia in Singapore, will continue to oversee the Asia-Pacific region while assuming interim chief executive duties.
He is stepping in for Christian Kullmann, who is expected to be away for several weeks following a serious, unplanned operation.
The Supervisory Board stressed that Kullmann’s procedure was successful and expressed confidence he will return to his role after rehabilitation.
Bernd Toenjes, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, said, “In these difficult times and amid the crisis in the chemical industry, Claus Rettig, with his experience, stands for continuity.”
“In numerous management positions, he has achieved great things for Evonik, and he has the full trust of the entire Supervisory Board.”
Rettig is no stranger to interim responsibilities at Evonik: in summer 2025 he temporarily led the finance function until Michael Rauch was appointed Chief Financial Officer in May 2026.
Rettig studied chemistry and has worked his entire career in the chemical industry.
He joined the Executive Board of Goldschmidt AG in 2003; Goldschmidt later became part of Evonik.
From 2015, he headed Evonik’s Resource Efficiency segment, joined the extended Executive Board in 2020, and in 2022 was appointed Chief Representative with responsibility for the Asia-Pacific region.
With Rettig’s appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board, Evonik ensures stable, experienced leadership at the top while maintaining regional oversight of its key Asia-Pacific operations.
The arrangement is explicitly interim, pending Kullmann’s return, and signals the Supervisory Board’s preference for continuity during sector-wide headwinds and Evonik’s ongoing transformation.
Meanwhile, Evonik has appointed Justine Cotton as its new Global Brand Partner and Claims Manager, a move that strengthens the company’s personal-care marketing and regulatory capabilities at a time when substantiation requirements for cosmetic claims are tightening globally.
Cotton joins the German specialty-chemicals group from Ashland, bringing more than two decades of experience in personal-care ingredients, brand partnerships and claims substantiation to support Evonik’s Beauty & Personal Care business line.
In her new position, Cotton is tasked with leading Evonik’s global brand-partnership strategy for personal-care ingredients, aligning marketing narratives with technical performance data and ensuring that product claims meet evolving regulatory standards in key markets.
As Claims Manager, she will oversee the development, review and governance of efficacy, sustainability and sensory claims across Evonik’s personal-care portfolio, working closely with R&D, regulatory affairs and commercial teams to translate laboratory results into compliant, market-ready messaging.
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