Clariant appoints new head of its Textile, Leather and Paper Chemicals Division

MUTTENZ, Switzerland, March 19, 2009 (Press Release) - At the same time the decision has been made to operationally separate the Textile, Leather and Paper Business Units from each other by the end of 2009. This move will enable each business to be managed as a stand alone unit, providing the operational and strategic flexibility required to improve their profitability. The three Business Unit heads as well as the heads of Controlling and Production and Technology of the current structure will report directly to Mathias Lütgendorf.

Mathias Lütgendorf was member of the Executive Committee of privately held textile dyes and chemicals producer DyStar until the end of 2008, where he was responsible for Global Operations. Prior to this he had held several management positions within DyStar and Hoechst. He holds a PhD in chemistry from the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Germany.

"I am very pleased with the appointment of Mathias Lütgendorf. He is a senior executive from the chemical industry. His skills and experience will ensure we navigate our Textile, Leather and Paper Businesses through difficult times while at the same time increasing our footprint in Asia", commented Clariant's CEO, Hariolf Kottmann. "In particular I want to thank Peter Brandenberg for his dedication and commitment throughout his lifelong career with our company. He successfully assumed many different management functions in four continents and leaves a strong impression in our company. Under his leadership the TLP Division has made significant progress in increasing its competitiveness."