Christoph Kowitz appointed CEO of Wacker Chemical Corp.

Christoph Kowitz. Photo Credit: Wacker Chemie AG

Munich-based specialty chemical maker Wacker Chemie AG has named Christoph Kowitz as the new president and CEO of its U.S. subsidiary, Wacker Chemical Corp., effective May 1.

Kowitz, who currently heads Wacker’s corporate R&D department, will succeed David Wilhoit, who has led Wacker’s business in North and Central America since 2015 and is set to retire.

Kowitz’s career began at BASF AG in Ludwigshafen, Germany, in 1996 as a product developer after obtaining his doctorate in organic chemistry and polymer chemistry. He later served as a management consultant for McKinsey in Asia and Europe, and held various management roles in the chemical industry, including at Germany-based specialty chemicals manufacturer Cognis, before joining Wacker in 2013. Since 2018, he has been at the helm of Wacker’s corporate R&D, overseeing innovation management within the group.

Wacker Chemical Corp., headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., oversees Wacker’s operations in North and Central America and the Andes region. The subsidiary is a hub for administration, marketing, sales, and technical competence centres servicing the healthcare, pharmaceutical, construction, automotive, and food industries.