Christian Kohlpaintner, Clariant

To make a conscious decision to become a member of an association or society is always - even if it is an important term - a commitment. A commitment to the goals and values, to their organization, to the committees, but also to their members and, to a large extent, to their tradition.

The GDCh as a scientific community allows a trained chemist like me to make numerous of these avenues of commitment. Diversity, importance, image and tradition, but also professional representation, make the GDCh an association for me to which I am happy to belong.

My recently started work on the Board of trustees of Angewandte Chemie, the flagship journal of the GDCh, is for me an honor, distinction and assignment at the same time - an obligation in the best sense that I am very happy to fulfill.

Although globalization does not leave scientific associations completely untouched, the GDCh offers a particular home for members from German-speaking countries as well as it unites the academic and industrial worlds equally and ensures fruitful exchange. To accompany this network from abroad and also to access it - I am also looking forward to this after the upcoming relocation of the center of my life to China.

It is precisely this diversity, the opportunities and the networks that find a framework in the GDCh that have an enriching and stimulating effect on me - and that is precisely why I am happy to be part of it.

Dr. Christian Kohlpaintner, Member of the Executive Committee, Clariant
Brenntag has appointed Christian Kohlpaintner as the new CEO with effect from January 1, 2020, and appointed him as a member of the Executive Board.

This testimonial was published in July 2016 - it can be accessed online.