Michael Friede has been appointed Symrise Executive Board Member and President Scent & Care

Press release
—
Holzminden, July 30, 2025

• Michael Friede has extensive international management experience and significant industry-specific knowledge

The Supervisory Board of Symrise AG has appointed Michael Friede to the Executive Board. He will take over as President of the Scent & Care segment, which was ad-interim headed by CEO Dr. Jean-Yves Parisot. The Scent & Care segment, comprising Symrise 's activities in fragrance applications, aroma molecules and cosmetic ingredients, generates annual sales of approximately EUR 2 billion.

Michael König, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Symrise AG: "We are very pleased to announce that Michael Friede will join us as a member of the Executive Board. He brings many years of broad market knowledge and a high level of industry-specific expertise in various growth areas. Additionally, he has proven international experience, making him an excellent choice for Symrise as a fast-growing, globally operating company."

Michael Friede has been a member of the Management Board of Brenntag SE, Essen, Germany, since 2023, where he served as CEO of Brenntag Specialties leading the Life Science and Material Science specialty chemicals segments globally. Previously, he was a member of the Executive Committee of AkzoNobel N.V. Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Executive Vice President at Covestro AG, Germany, and CEO and President of Covestro Elastomers SAS in France. He began his professional career at Bayer AG, where he held various management positions in Leverkusen, Germany, and Pittsburgh, USA. In addition, he is a Supervisory Board member of Pearl Polyurethane Systems LLC, a leading producer of polyurethane systems, headquartered in Dubai.

Michael Friede (born in 1980), grew up in the county of Holzminden in southern Lower Saxony, studied in Madrid, Toronto, Essen, Oxford and London and holds both, a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He is married and has three children.

Michael Friede

About Symrise : Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances and flavors, cosmetic active ingredients as well as functional ingredients. Its customers include perfume, cosmetics, food and beverage manufacturers, the pharmaceutical industry and producers of dietary supplements and pet food. With sales of around €5 billion in the 2024 financial year, the company is one of the world's leading providers. The Group, headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, has more than 100 locations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, North and Latin America. Together with its customers, Symrise develops new ideas and market-ready concepts for products that form an indispensable part of everyday life. Economic success and corporate responsibility are inextricably linked. Symrise – always inspiring more...