New president appointed at BASF Japan
Tokyo, Japan – December 14, 2017 – Mr. Hiroki Ishida, current Vice President of BASF Japan Ltd., has been appointed as the new Representative Director and President of BASF Japan Ltd. He will succeed Dr. Joerg-Christian Steck, who will become, as Senior Vice President, Head of the Sub-region South West Europe, BASF, located in Paris/Levallois. In the sub-region BASF employs around 7,400 employees working in more than 10 countries including France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In addition, Steck will also be responsible for the global integration project for the acquisition of Solvay’s polyamide business.
Ishida started his career with BASF in 1994 and has held several business management positions within the company over the past 23 years, including overseas assignments in Germany, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. Ishida assumed his current position as the Vice President of BASF Japan Ltd. in 2012. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Kitasato University in Tokyo.
Steck joined BASF in 2009 upon the company's acquisition of Ciba. He has led the company as the Representative Director and President since 2012. Prior to this appointment, Steck was Vice President of BASF Japan Ltd. in 2010. He received his doctorate in chemistry in 1992 at Karlsruhe University, and also holds an MBA in Marketing from TU Berlin (Technical University Berlin).
About BASF in Japan
BASF has been a committed partner to Japan since 1888. Activities cover four business segments including chemicals, performance products, functional materials & solutions and agricultural solutions. The main production sites are in Totsuka (coatings), Chigasaki (admixtures for concrete, construction materials), Kitatone (personal care ingredients), and Yokkaichi (thermoplastic polyurethanes and polymer dispersions). Admixture plants for the Construction Chemicals division are also located nationwide. BASF maintains a strong research and development presence in Japan including the BASF Asia Composite Center, established in the Yokohama Innovation Center (engineering plastics), and the Research and Development Laboratory and Application Technology Center for Battery Materials in Amagasaki, as well as Chigasaki Technical Development Center in Kanagawa. As of the end of 2016, BASF employed 1,167 employees in Japan, and achieved sales of about €1.6 billion to customers in Japan. For further information please visit: www.basf.com/jp.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.
