August 7, 2024 | David Wawer, CPMA Executive Director
Last month I had the privilege of attending the Eurocolour International Technical Conference where, Stefan Sutterlin, long-time Chair of the Eurocolour Board of Directors, announced his retirement from Sun Chemical, where he served as President of Sun Chemical’s Global Pigments Business for the past three years.
I first met Stefan in June 2014, at the Eurocolour International Technical Conference in Lyon, France. At that time, I had just joined CPMA as Executive Director, and was attending my first Eurocolour Conference along with retired CPMA President Larry Robinson. The following year, Mike Klein, long-time President of Dominion Colour Corporation in Canada, contacted Stefan on my behalf, to encourage an expanded partnership between Eurocolour and CPMA to collaborate on EU and North American regulations affecting the global pigments industry. This expanded collaboration and partnership began with the 2015 Eurocolour International Technical Conference in Manchester, UK. Thanks to the leadership of Stefan Suetterlin, this global partnership has grown exponentially, featuring presentations by Eurocolour Executive Director Dr. Heike Liewald at CPMA Board of Governor meetings in 2018 and 2022.
The many positive impacts by Stefan Suetterlin to the growth of the global pigments industry cannot be understated. Stefan began his career with BASF in 2001 and was promoted to Head of Global Business Management for Pigments in 2004. During the period 2009 to 2015, Stefan integrated and managed Englehart’s pearlescent performance pigments business and Ciba’s high performance organic pigments businesses into BASF. When BASF divested its global pigments in 2016 into Colors & Effects, Stefan was named Managing Director for the new business entity. After Sun Chemical acquired BASF’s Colors and Effects in 2021, Stefan was named President of Sun Chemical Performance Pigments
Stefan served as President of Eurocolour, the European pigments, fillers, and additives industry association, and Chair of its Board of Directors for 14 years. A key highlight of his tenure as Chair was establishing a stronger bond and working relationship between Eurocolour and CPMA. Growth of this partnership between the two organizations accelerated significantly during 2019-2023, when Ron Levi, President of Bruchsaler Farbenfabrik GmbH & Co KG, served as Chair of the CPMA Board of Governors.
Although Stefan is officially retired, he will continue to serve in a consulting capacity for Sun Chemical and remain Chair of Eurocolour Board of Directors until the end of 2024. The global pigments industry will miss his visionary leadership.
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