Change in corporate communications at Beiersdorf AG

Beiersdorf AG has begun to carry out its plan to pass leadership of the company’s corporate communications to a new generation. At the same time, the entire Communications and Sustainability department is being restructured in order to underscore the high priority of both areas.

Anke Schmidt (50) will become Head of the newly created Corporate Communications and Government Relations unit at Beiersdorf AG on September 1, 2020. She will succeed Inken Hollmann-Peters (60), who will retire at the end of August following a 32-year career at the company.
Anke Schmidt is currently the Head of Corporate Communications and Government Relations at BASF SE. In her new position, she will report to Stefan De Loecker, CEO of Beiersdorf AG.

“During the last three decades, Inken Hollmann-Peters has held a number of important managerial positions in the areas of marketing, sustainability, and corporate communications and accomplished much for our company. Beiersdorf would like to thank her for all of the extremely successful work she performed and wishes her all of the best in the future,” Stefan De Loecker said.

He continued: “We are very pleased that we could attract such an exceptional communications manager as Anke Schmidt to succeed her at Beiersdorf. Drawing on her expertise and international experience, Anke Schmidt will move our C.A.R.E.+ agenda forward in years to come.”

Schmidt worked at BASF for more than 24 years. During her career there, she held a number of managerial positions in communications and human resources both inside and outside Germany, including eight years in Asia. She became Head of Corporate Communications & Government Relations at the BASF Group in 2016.

As part of the generation change at Beiersdorf, the Group Sustainability department that is currently being led by Inken Hollmann-Peters will become an independent department on July 1, 2020, and be overseen by Zhengrong Liu, the member of Beiersdorf AG’s Executive Board responsible for human resources. The new department will be led by Jean-François Pascal, who has been Beiersdorf Managing Director for France, Belgium, and the Netherlands since 2014. Stefan De Loecker said: “The new structure reflects our determination to offer more than first-class skin-care products. We want to further strengthen and expand our commitment to society, the environment, and people. Our new Sustainability Agenda is an ambitious holistic program that will be systematically carried out. It will not be affected in any way by the corona crisis.”

About Beiersdorf AG
Beiersdorf AG is a leading provider of innovative, high-quality skin care products and has over 135 years of experience in this market segment. The Hamburg-based company has around 20,000 employees worldwide and is listed on the DAX, the German benchmark equities index. Beiersdorf generated sales of €7.7 billion in fiscal year 2019. Its product portfolio comprises strong, international leading skin and body care brands including NIVEA – the world’s largest skin care brand* – Eucerin, Hansaplast/Elastoplast, and La Prairie. Millions of people around the world choose these Beiersdorf brands every day for their innovative, high-quality products. Further renowned brands such as Labello, Aquaphor, Florena, 8x4, Hidrofugal, atrix, Maestro, and Coppertone round off the extensive portfolio.
Beiersdorf’s wholly owned affiliate tesa SE, another globally leading manufacturer in its field, supplies self-adhesive products and system solutions to industry, craft businesses, and consumers.