Actively
shaping
markets
Interview |
Jan-Peter Sander from
BASF explains how the company wants
to move the supply chain towards
sustainable palm products and drive
product development by supporting
new innovation platforms.
was marked by high volatility of
lauric oil prices. However, we
handled this challenge very well
and managed to increase our pur-
chasing volume of certified-sus-
tainable palm kernel oil up to
158,000 metric tons.
What sets BASF apart from your
competitors?
Strictly speaking, there isn’t a
competitor directly comparable
to us in terms of size, market ac-
cess, and product variety. Our
competitors focus heavily on ei-
ther specialties or commodities in
their portfolios, but rarely cover
both. With more than 2,000 in-
gredients in our personal care
business, we have the broadest
portfolio – a versatile product
cessful on the market. Currently,
the market is constantly moving
towards new business models
that are driven by digitalization.
Looking back to the past year,
what have been your major
achievements or challenges?
2016 was quite a successful year.
We were able to reach our ambi-
tious goals, especially our growth
targets for the emerging markets.
Our bio-actives business contin-
ued the positive trend after re-
structuring and we reached a
new global record in UV filter
business. We also saw a strong
business performance in our Oral
Care segment, where a promis-
ing R&D pipeline is waiting as
well. At the same time, the year
COSSMA: What do you like
about the cosmetics industry?
Jan-Peter Sander, BASF:
I like
the dynamics of this industry. It’s
a fast-moving market driven by
end-users. Being the biggest in-
gredients manufacturer, we offer
various business models with our
best offers to attract brands as
well as private labels. Innovation
cycles are short and competitive
advantage is usually short-lived.
So new products need a clear dif-
ferentiation potential to be suc-
PERSONALITIES & PROFILES
56
l
COSSMA 4 I 2017
Interview with:
Jan-Peter Sander, Senior Vice
President, Personal Care Europe,
BASF, Monheim, Germany
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