SARIA today announced a change in the setup and responsibilities of its Executive Board to strengthen leadership and streamline decision-making. In the new setup, the Board members Harald van Boxtel and Tim Schwencke (formerly the Chief Financial Officer of the SARIA Group) will assume the roles of co-CEOs. Harald van Boxtel continues to be responsible for all operations in natural and collagen casings as well as pharmaceutical products (SARIA Food & Pharma), while Tim Schwencke will manage activities related to sustainable ingredients and energy solutions (SARIA Ingredients & Energy). Joining them, Egbert Bernsmeister has been appointed as the new CFO. The Executive Board is completed by Lars Krause-Kjær, Nicolas Rottmann, and Franz-Bernhard Thier, who will contribute their expertise as operational Board members.

The move from five equal board members to this new structure is designed to enhance SARIA’s agility and customer focus as the Group navigates dynamic and rapidly evolving markets. The two co-CEOs will jointly oversee the company’s strategic direction and entrepreneurial leadership, while the new CFO will provide financial oversight and drive long-term financial sustainability. The three operational board members will continue to manage key business areas, ensuring that SARIA remains at the forefront of innovation and operational excellence in the valorization of animal co-products and other organic materials.

“SARIA’s new setup and structure of responsibilities is a proactive step to align our leadership structure with our strategic goals,” said Dr. Martin Rethmann, Chairman of the SARIA Supervisory Board. “This new structure will empower us to respond more effectively to industry challenges and opportunities and ensure the customer focus we need in our activities. I am convinced that Harald and Tim, as well as the other colleagues on the Board, will do their absolute best in each of their roles and we will reach successful outcomes as we move forward together as a Group.”

The SARIA Supervisory Board has appointed Egbert Bernsmeister as the new Chief Financial Officer of the SARIA Group. He will assume responsibility from September 1, 2024, taking over from Tim Schwencke who, after more than ten years as CFO, will then move on to his new position as co-CEO of the Group.

Since 2011, Egbert Bernsmeister has been CFO of SARIA’s sister company Rhenus. Before that, he held senior executive positions in other large family-owned businesses, including the German chemical and consumer goods company Henkel, the dairy company Sachsenmilch, and the Dutch multinational clothing retailer C&A. His many years of experience show a proven track record of success and stability in financial leadership as well as global expansion and other projects to drive the strategic transformation, profitable growth and efficiency increases of international groups.

“I am very glad that we could win Egbert Bernsmeister as the new CFO for SARIA. He already knows our RETHMANN Group very well, and his extensive experience and deep commitment to our values will undoubtedly allow us to continue our successful path. Egbert’s leadership will be instrumental in guiding the business through the next phase of growth and ensuring that we continue to build on our legacy of excellence. He is taking over a well-ordered house and can built on an excellent ground which Tim together with his team had prepared over the last years”, says Dr. Martin Rethmann, Chairman of the SARIA Supervisory Board, on the appointment. He further comments: “In addition to his function as CFO of SARIA, Egbert will contribute his excellent knowledge to other key areas of the RETHMANN Group, e.g. as a future member of the Supervisory Board of Transdev.”

Egbert Bernsmeister comments on his new role: “I am excited about this new challenge. After 13 great years at Rhenus, I look forward to learning more about one of the other companies in the RETHMANN universe and bringing my international experience to the table at SARIA. My goal is to further promote the successful development of the Group together with my new colleagues, some of whom I already know and have worked with in the past. I am convinced that we as a team will be able to address the dynamic markets and manage to make strategic and financially sound investment decisions for future growth.”

Dr. Robert Figgener was formally sworn in as the new EFPRA President during the 22nd EFPRA Congress in Amsterdam on Friday 14 June.
The European Fat Processors and Renderers Association (EFPRA) is an umbrella organization that represents the broad base of European processors of animal by-products. The national rendering associations throughout Europe organize themselves in EFPRA to pool their interests at European level and thus form a common voice within the EU. All members share the goal of continuously improving the safety, health and sustainability of European food production through the efficient processing of animal fats and other by-products. As an international company, SARIA is directly involved in EFPRA’s work via several national associations.

Dr. Robert Figgener, who has held a management position at SARIA for 17 years, represents the interests of the SARIA Group in the areas of biofuels, animal by-products and animal fats through participation in various trade associations and industry networks. With his expertise and many years of industry knowledge, he not only successfully represents SARIA’s business activities in the various political associations but is also a committed ambassador for cross-industry networking and cross-company collaboration. He has been Vice President of EFPRA since 2018.

Dr. Robert Figgener about his election: “I am very honored to have been elected and I am very much looking forward to serving our industry for the next years! The challenges our industry is facing in Europe are not getting any less. Regulatory requirements in the course of the energy transition, consolidation pressure in the meat industry and legal hurdles in the use and processing of animal by-products and the export of safe animal feed components are just a few examples that we need to tackle collectively. As a truly committed industry, we need to work even more closely together to shape a sustainable future for everyone, together with politicians and society.”

After four years on the Executive Board, Dr. Peter Hill has decided to leave SARIA on May 29, 2024, to seek new opportunities outside the Group.
Peter Hill has been a member of the Board since September 2020 and was responsible for SARIA’s global activities in the pet food, aquafeed, and animal feed industries.

With his passion, strategic vision, and cooperative leadership style, Dr. Peter Hill has played a key role in successfully repositioning SARIA’s pet food & feed business activities, laying an important foundation for the Group’s sustainable future success and growth.

Dr. Martin Rethmann, Chairman of the SARIA Supervisory Board, thanks Dr. Peter Hill for the valuable collaboration over the past years:
„Thanks to his work, SARIA has been able to strengthen its role over the years as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of sustainable ingredients for the pet food, aquafeed, and animal feed industries, as well as for the oleochemical and renewable energy markets. With Peter’s commitment and expertise, he has both professionalized and decisively developed SARIA’s activities in this area, concentrating them in the Sinova division. Under his dedicated leadership, this important part of our SARIA Group activities was refocused to meet dynamic market developments and customer requirements. We would like to thank Peter for his work and wish him all the best for the future.”