Chair of the Institute’s Board of Trustees passed to Dr. Carla Seidel (BASF)

Institute’s Committee meets for the 34^th time

September 23, 2022

On August 31^st, the Board of Trustees of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research met for the 34th time. Due to the contact restrictions due to the Corona pandemic, the board was able to meet in person again for the first time in three years. Important points of discussion included rising energy costs and the new orientation of the department "Theory of Polymers".

The Board of Trustees of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research is a board composed of members and decision-makers from industry, politics and science. The board’s most important role is to advise the Institute's governing board of directors on strategic direction as well as science policy, economic and organizational issues affecting the Institute.

The Board of Trustees of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research.1st row (front): Prof. Georg Krausch (President of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz)- Dr.Kurt Wagemann (Dechema) - Dr. Carla Seidel (BASF SE) - Inga Schäfer (Secretary General of GWK) - Dr. Simone Schwanitz (Secretary General of the Max Planck Society) - Prof. Tanja Weil (Executive Director MPI-P) - Prof. Katharina Landfester (Director MPI-P).2nd row: Prof. Michael Dröscher (ChemSite Initiative) - Clemens Hoch (Minister of Science and Health) - Michael Ebling (Mayor of the City of Mainz) - Dr. Jürgen Barwich (formerly BASF) - Dr. Wolfgang Baiker (Founder and CEO) - Prof. Kurt Kremer (Director MPI-P)3rd row: Prof. Gerhard Wegner (former Director MPI-P), Prof. Klaus Müllen (former Director MPI-P)4th row: Prof. Mischa Bonn (Director MPI-P), Prof. Paul Blom (Director, MPI-P), Prof. Jos Lelieveld (Executive Director MPI for Chemistry), Ursula Groden-Kranich (Former Member of the German Bundestag)5th row: Prof. Andreas Walther (Johannes Gutenberg University), Prof. Bert Meijer (External Member of MPI-P, TU Eindhoven), Prof. Hans-Wolfgang Spiess (Former Director, MPI-P), Dr. Martin Vollmer (Clariant International) — The Board of Trustees of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research. **1^st row (front):** Prof. Georg Krausch (President of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz)- Dr. Kurt Wagemann (Dechema) - Dr. Carla Seidel (BASF SE) - Inga Schäfer (Secretary General of GWK) - Dr. Simone Schwanitz (Secretary General of the Max Planck Society) - Prof. Tanja Weil (Executive Director MPI-P) - Prof. Katharina Landfester (Director MPI-P). **2^nd row:** Prof. Michael Dröscher (ChemSite Initiative) - Clemens Hoch (Minister of Science and Health) - Michael Ebling (Mayor of the City of Mainz) - Dr. Jürgen Barwich (formerly BASF) - Dr. Wolfgang Baiker (Founder and CEO) - Prof. Kurt Kremer (Director MPI-P) **3^rd row:** Prof. Gerhard Wegner (former Director MPI-P), Prof. Klaus Müllen (former Director MPI-P) **4^th row:** Prof. Mischa Bonn (Director MPI-P), Prof. Paul Blom (Director, MPI-P), Prof. Jos Lelieveld (Executive Director MPI for Chemistry), Ursula Groden-Kranich (Former Member of the German Bundestag) **5^th row:** Prof. Andreas Walther (Johannes Gutenberg University), Prof. Bert Meijer (External Member of MPI-P, TU Eindhoven), Prof. Hans-Wolfgang Spiess (Former Director, MPI-P), Dr. Martin Vollmer (Clariant International)

The Board of Trustees of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research.

**1^st row (front):**
Prof. Georg Krausch (President of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz)- Dr.
Kurt Wagemann (Dechema) - Dr. Carla Seidel (BASF SE) - Inga Schäfer (Secretary General of GWK) - Dr. Simone Schwanitz (Secretary General of the Max Planck Society) - Prof. Tanja Weil (Executive Director MPI-P) - Prof. Katharina Landfester (Director MPI-P).

**2^nd row:**
Prof. Michael Dröscher (ChemSite Initiative) - Clemens Hoch (Minister of Science and Health) - Michael Ebling (Mayor of the City of Mainz) - Dr. Jürgen Barwich (formerly BASF) - Dr. Wolfgang Baiker (Founder and CEO) - Prof. Kurt Kremer (Director MPI-P)

**3^rd row:**
Prof. Gerhard Wegner (former Director MPI-P), Prof. Klaus Müllen (former Director MPI-P)

**4^th row:**
Prof. Mischa Bonn (Director MPI-P), Prof. Paul Blom (Director, MPI-P), Prof. Jos Lelieveld (Executive Director MPI for Chemistry), Ursula Groden-Kranich (Former Member of the German Bundestag)

**5^th row:**
Prof. Andreas Walther (Johannes Gutenberg University), Prof. Bert Meijer (External Member of MPI-P, TU Eindhoven), Prof. Hans-Wolfgang Spiess (Former Director, MPI-P), Dr. Martin Vollmer (Clariant International)

Discussion again on site

For the first time in three years, this important board was able to meet in person at the Institute again. At the meeting, researchers from the Institute presented the latest scientific results with particular relevance for the research location. Furthermore, the participants discussed the effects of the Corona pandemic as well as the upcoming challenges regarding rising costs for energy, wages and materials in the context of increasing international competition.

The Chair of the Board of Trustees changes

Prof. Tanja Weil, Executive Director at the MPI for Polymer Research, Dr. Carla Seidel, the new Chair of the Board of Trustees (BASF SE), and Dr. Wolfgang Baiker, former Chair of the Board of Trustees (former President and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.).

© MPI-P

Prof. Tanja Weil, Executive Director at the MPI for Polymer Research, Dr. Carla Seidel, the new Chair of the Board of Trustees (BASF SE), and Dr. Wolfgang Baiker, former Chair of the Board of Trustees (former President and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.).

© MPI-P

At the end of the 34^th meeting of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Wolfgang Baiker, former President and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc, USA, handed over the chair to Dr. Carla Seidel of BASF SE. The Board of Trustees confirmed her in a unanimous election.

Dr. Seidel was born in Osnabrück, Germany, and obtained her PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Hanover, Germany. In 1996, she joined BASF, where, after holding several positions, she is now Senior Vice President in Research responsible for analytics, materials physics and formulation. Since 2020, Dr. Carla Seidel has also been a board member of the German Chemical Society, and since 2019 she has been a member of the Strategic Advisory Board Energy of the Helmholtz Society. We thank Dr. Seidel for having overtaken this important task and we would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Baiker for the many years of his support.