Schoeller Textil AG announced a shift in leadership as Joachim Kath takes over as CEO. Following a 10-year career at the global textile solutions brand, CEO Siegfried Winkelbeiner will retire later this month. Kath, who comes from the chemical industry, has worked closely with Winkelbeiner as COO at Schoeller for the past year and a half.
Winkelbeiner said, “Throughout the years, we have compared Schoeller to a ship under sail and have had to weather many a stormy challenge.” The team successfully pulled together and has been able to strengthen the company’s reputation as an innovation leader. On more than one occasion, exciting collaborative projects with both existing and new customers opened up previously untapped business fields and markets. Under the management of Siegfried Winkelbeiner, Schoeller has successfully weathered even the enormous appreciation of the Swiss franc and the current pandemic. His primary focus has always been to create a working environment in which staff and management have the opportunity to exercise their talents and skills for the benefit of the Schoeller Group.
The transition comes after long-term planning.
Since February 2020, and in close partnership with Winkelbeiner, Kath has been preparing as Schoeller COO to take over its management. Kath originally comes from Flensburg (DE) and, following his studies of Chemical Engineering in Karlsruhe, honed his professional career in the chemical industry with Ciba (-Geigy) / BASF in Basel (CH). His more than 30-year career has incorporated engineering, production, marketing, and sales in diverse management functions.
Kath spent 12 years of his career in textile finishing, with a period of intensive travel in Asia and a three-year stay in the U.S.
Kath said: “The common thread running through all my assignments and business activities is process orientation, interest in new paths, and an instinct for what is feasible – with the goal of achieving customer benefits and satisfaction. Kath aims to ensure that Schoeller can continue to face the challenges of changing market requirements with outstanding and exceptional products while evolving and innovating to stay ahead of consumer needs for the future. High-performance capability, sustainable product development, premium quality, reliability, productivity, and keeping the customer as the central focus of all activities continue as essential keys to Schoeller’s business success.
Photo courtesy Schoeller Textil AG
