WESEL, Germany, Oct. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The specialty chemicals company ALTANA is enlarging its Management Board. As of November 1, 2014, Dr. Christoph Schlunken, President of the BYK Additives & Instruments division, will be an additional member. In his new capacity, Dr. Schlunken will primarily be in charge of the BYK and ECKART Effect Pigments divisions, while Chief Financial Officer Martin Babilas will assume responsibility for the ACTEGA Coatings & Sealants and ELANTAS Electrical Insulation divisions. The Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Matthias L. Wolfgruber, will continue to oversee core functions such as Corporate Development, Corporate Innovation, and Corporate HR. "The expansion of ALTANA's Management Board accommodates the increasing size of our company," says Wolfgruber. "I am very happy about the addition of Dr. Schlunken, who has helped boost ALTANA's growth in different areas, most recently with the integration of Rockwood's rheology business into BYK."

Dr. Christoph Schlunken joined the ALTANA Group in 2001 as the Managing Director of ELANTAS GmbH, after holding various sales and marketing positions at Bakelite AG starting in 1994. In 2005, Schlunken, who holds a doctorate in chemistry, became president of the ECKART Effect Pigments division. Within the framework of the rotation of all four division presidents, Dr. Schlunken became president of BYK Additives & Instruments in November 2012. He will continue to head this division until a successor is found.

This press release and high resolution pictorial material can be found at www.altana.com/press.

About ALTANA:

ALTANA develops and produces high-quality, innovative products in the specialty chemicals business. The ALTANA Group, with headquarters in Wesel/Germany, is a genuine "global player" with about 85% of its sales generated by international activities. The ALTANA Group has four divisions: BYK Additives & Instruments, ECKART Effect Pigments, ELANTAS Electrical Insulation, and ACTEGA Coatings & Sealants. All of these divisions occupy a leading position in their target markets with respect to quality, product solution expertise, innovation and service.

ALTANA offers innovative, environmentally compatible solutions with the matching specialty products for coating manufacturers, paint and plastics processors, the printing and cosmetic industries, and the electrical and electronics industry. The product range includes additives, special coatings and adhesives, effect pigments, sealants and compounds, impregnating resins and varnishes, and testing and measuring instruments. At present, the ALTANA Group has 46 production facilities and more than 50 service and research laboratories worldwide. Throughout the Group more than 5,700 people work to ensure the success of ALTANA worldwide. In 2013, ALTANA achieved sales of about 1.8 billion euros. Its impressive earning power and high growth rate make ALTANA one of the most successful and innovative chemical groups worldwide.

www.altana.com

SOURCE ALTANA