Stephan Sielaff takes the helm of the Schill+Seilacher Group
Zurich, Switzerland – Stephan Sielaff took over as Chief Executive Officer of the Schill+Seilacher Group on October 1. In the rubber and tire industry, the Group is best known for its STRUKTOL® additives. As CEO, Sielaff intends to make greater use of the Group’s international footprint and further strengthen collaboration with customers.
For natural and synthetic rubber, STRUKTOL offers a broad portfolio including dispersing agents, homogenizers, lubricants and processing aids, peptizers, plasticizers and tackifiers. These additives are designed to improve mixing and processing, promote more uniform filler dispersion and make production processes more efficient.
For Sielaff, this is at the heart of what successful specialty chemicals are about: not the chemical itself, but the impact it has on the customer’s process. “Our customers are not simply buying an additive. They are looking for a solution to a specific process challenge – better processing, consistent quality, higher productivity or more efficient use of resources. That is where the true value of specialty chemicals becomes clear.”
Sielaff intends to build on this strength. Through STRUKTOL, the Schill+Seilacher Group has been closely connected to the international rubber industry for decades, with extensive application know-how, established customer relationships and specialized expertise across multiple locations. Going forward, these capabilities will be linked even more closely. “We already have an international footprint. Now we want to make better use of the strength of our Group – thinking globally, acting together and staying closer to our customers.”
Sielaff brings around 30 years of industry experience. He began his career at Unilever, where he held roles spanning operations, innovation and product development, culminating in the position of Innovation and Engineering Director for Home and Personal Care Europe. After further roles at Symrise, he became Chief Operating Officer of Swiss specialty chemicals company Archroma. He subsequently served as CEO of Austria-based Lenzing AG and, most recently, as CEO of SSI SCHÄFER Plastics.
Dr Peter Dürolf, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Schill+Seilacher Group, says: “The world will not wait for us. In our markets, speed, international reach and the ability to turn good ideas into real business are becoming increasingly important. In Stephan Sielaff, we have appointed a CEO who has successfully navigated precisely these kinds of challenges and developed companies in demanding international markets. Together, we want to take the Group forward – with entrepreneurial courage, commercial discipline and a clear focus on our customers.”