Dr. Katja Scharpwinkel, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE
Who we are

“The topic of change has always had a strong influence on me. I learned how important communication and transparency are. Change brings uncertainties with it. But it also comes with opportunities.”

Dr. Katja Scharpwinkel

Who we are

Dr. Katja Scharpwinkel
Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE

Dr. Katja Scharpwinkel is Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE as well as Industrial Relations Director and Site Director of BASF’s largest Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Katja Scharpwinkel was born in 1969 in Hagen, Germany. She studied chemistry at Münster University and received her diploma in 1994, followed by her PhD in 1996.

In 2010, she joined BASF following the acquisition of the former Cognis. Since then, she has successfully led various businesses. She headed, for instance the Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions business for Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA), as well as BASF’s European distribution organization BTC Europe, which supplies products and solutions to medium-sized customers. She also led BASF’s Region EMEA. In 2024, she was appointed as a member of the Board of Executive Directors.

She is responsible for the divisions European Site & Verbund Management; Global Engineering Services; Corporate Environmental Protection, Health, Safety & Quality; Region Europe, Middle East, Africa.

   
2024 Member of the Board of Executive Directors, Industrial Relations Director, Site Director of BASF Ludwigshafen, BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany
2020 President Region EMEA, BASF SE, Ludwigshafen
2016 Senior Vice President Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions EMEA, BASF Coatings GmbH, Münster, Germany
2012 Vice President Distribution Business Europe & Managing Director, BTC Europe GmbH, Monheim, Germany
2011 Head of Sales Formulation Technologies Europe, BASF Personal Care and Nutrition GmbH, Monheim
2009 Regional Sales Director Functional Products Europe, Cognis GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany
2006 Regional Marketing Director Care Chemicals North Europe, Cognis GmbH, Düsseldorf
2001 Director Global Key Account Management, Cognis GmbH, Monheim
2000 Global Marketing Manager Fatty Alcohols, Cognis GmbH, Düsseldorf
1999 Head of Sales Lubricant Additives Central Europe, Ciba Spezialitätenchemie GmbH, Lampertheim, Germany
1997 Account Manager Lubricant Additives Germany, Ciba Spezialitätenchemie GmbH, Lampertheim