Bayer Technology Services

Dr. Günter Bachlechner has led the Technology Development (formerly Process Technology) division of Bayer Technology Services since July, 2011.

Dr. Bachlechner was born in Villach, Austria, in 1956, and studied chemistry at the University of Vienna, where he also obtained his doctorate and served as Assistant. He began his Bayer career in 1987 with Bayer Crop Protection, Environmental Research, in Monheim (Germany). He joined Portfolio Management as a project manager in 1994; in 2000 he was appointed Operating Officer and Head of the Development Division at Nihon Bayer Agrochem in Tokyo, Japan. He then worked in Industrial Operations at Bayer CropScience before returning to Research, where he has been responsible for Research Product Technology since 2004 and Research Technologies since 2011.

Dr. Bachlechner is married and has three children.

Dr. Martin Franke has been Head of Bayer Technology Services Asia and Managing Director of Bayer Technology and Engineering (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, since August 1, 2009.

Dr. Martin Franke was born in Munich, Germany, on November 23, 1959. After obtaining his doctorate in process engineering at the RWTH University of Aachen, he joined Bayer AG in 1990. Until 1997 he was responsible for managing international projects in the field of environmental protection technology and logistics in the Central Engineering Division. He then took over as Head of the Corporate Engineering - Process Technology Department in Pittsburgh, PA, United States, and was responsible for all the North American Bayer sites for four years. On his return to Germany he was appointed Head of the engineering department at Bayer’s Dormagen site. After the foundation of Bayer Technology Services GmbH, he took over responsibility for all aspects of Global Key Account Management for the customer Bayer MaterialScience in 2002. In this function he also developed business relationships in China, India and the United States.

He is married and has two children.

Astrid Geissler has been head of the Human Resources sector of Bayer Technology Services as a Global HR//Business Partner since October 1, 2006.

Astrid Geissler was born in Leverkusen on July 22, 1962. After obtaining a degree in business studies, Ms. Geissler joined the Staff department of the then Plastics Business Group (KU) of Bayer AG in Leverkusen in 1989. After gaining experience in various controlling functions and projects, she became head of Central Controlling in Leverkusen in 1994.

During 1998/1999 she was involved in the introduction of SAP as project manager with responsibility for the business realignment of KU. She then transferred to Group headquarters where she took charge of the Controlling Concepts/Methods department of the Planning and Controlling sector. 4 years later she took over as head of the Personnel Policy department in the Corporate Center sector of Human Resources Germany.

Dr. Jürgen Hinderer has led the Project Management & Engineering (formerly Engineering) division of Bayer Technology Services since January 1st, 2011.

Dr. Hinderer was born in Welzheim in 1964, and studied chemistry at Stuttgart University. After obtaining his doctorate at the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg (TU HH), he began his career at Bayer in 1995 in the Technical Development-Formulating Technology department in Leverkusen. After working as head of the staff department in the Polyurethanes Technology segment in Dormagen he was appointed Head of Global Product Management Polyether-Polyols in Leverkusen. In 2002 he took over as head of Propylene Oxide Asset Management and Polyether Polyols Masterplanning in Pittsburgh (United States). Since 2006 he has had global responsibility for the Safety & Technology department in the Industrial Operations Business Unit of Bayer MaterialScience.

Dr. Hinderer is married and has one daughter.

Dr. Norbert Kuschnerus has led the Operation Support & Safety (formerly Process Management Technology) division of Bayer Technology Services since October 1, 2002.

Dr. Kuschnerus was born 1952 in Hamburg. He studied physics, received a Ph.D in chemical engineering, and began his professional career at Bayer in 1985.

He worked mainly in the polyurethane business group at Dormagen and Uerdingen. Dr. Kuschnerus also has extensive experience in Asia. He worked for Bayer Japan in Tokyo from 1992 to 1995. From 2000 to 2002, he headed the isocyanate technology center (TCI) and managed the polyurethane projects in Singapore and Caojing, Shanghai, China.

He is married and has three children.

Dr. Dirk Van Meirvenne is the managing director of the Bayer Technology Services GmbH.

Dr. Dirk Van Meirvenne was born on September 19, 1963 in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, and studied polymer chemistry at the University of Ghent, Belgium. In 1990 he joined Bayer Antwerpen N.V., Belgium, where he worked in titanium dioxide production until 1997, latterly as plant manager. He subsequently transferred to the plastics unit where he was responsible for polycarbonate production in Antwerp until 2001. Van Meirvenne subsequently served as site manager in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, which at that time was being expanded to become Bayer’s largest production center for polycarbonates in Asia.

Just over a year later he was appointed Head of Global Operations, Polycarbonates at Bayer Polymers in Krefeld-Uerdingen. When Bayer MaterialScience was formed in 2004, he was appointed Global Head of Production and Technology in the Polycarbonates business unit. Since 2007 Van Meirvenne has served as Global Head of Production and Technology, Isocyanates, at Bayer MaterialScience in Leverkusen. In this capacity he was responsible for the construction of the MDI and TDI facilities in Caojing near Shanghai, China.

Dr. Van Meirvenne is married and has three children.

Dr. Walter Schepers has led the Business Planning & Support (Business Planning & Services) division of Bayer Technology Services since October 1, 2002.

Dr. Schepers was born 1955 in Gladbeck, Germany. He studied mechanical engineering, specializing in thermodynamics, at RWTH Aachen. He began his professional career in 1986 in the plant engineering area of Bayer AG. In this position, he was responsible for a variety of projects, among them a major construction project in Tarragona, Spain, where he was the project engineer.

Dr. Schepers then moved into the energy supply area and managed several power plants in Leverkusen. In 1999, he was appointed head of staff of Bayer’s Central Technology Group.

Dr. Schepers is married with three children.

Dr. Klaus Sommer has led the Customer & Product Management (formerly Business Management) division of Bayer Technology Services since October 1st, 2002.

He studied physics in Bonn, Germany, and London and joined Bayer AG in 1987. His career began in the physics area of the central research department. During the first few years, he worked in product research and optimization and also handled process and production problems, such as on-line monitoring, production quality assurance, and process data analysis.

Dr. Sommer then moved to Pittsburgh, USA, to work in the polymers area of Bayer Corporation for seven years. His responsibilities there led to his appointment to head of research in the polyurethane business group. During this time he gained experience in the area of technical marketing. He was also responsible for process research, an area closely related to production.

In 2001, Dr. Sommer returned to the Bayer AG Central Research Department as head of the physics department.

Dr. Sommer is married with two children.

Jim Stephanou is Head of Bayer Technology Services Americas since January 1, 2011.

Stephanou was born in Athens (Greece) in 1965. He is a graduate of Drexel University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to joining Bayer, Jim was employed by ARCO Chemical Company (now Lyondell Basell Industries) from 1987 through 2000 in various engineering and manufacturing roles with increasing responsibility. These diverse assignments were in several locations within the U.S., including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Lake Charles Louisiana as well as Rotterdam (the Netherlands).

Stephanou joined Bayer MaterialScience in 2001 as Director West Virginia Maintenance and Engineering based in New Martinsville before he was appointed Vice President, Production & Technology TDI, NAFTA. He was based in Baytown from 2002 to 2005. In 2005, he was appointed Vice President, Propylene Oxide Global Asset Management for Bayer MaterialScience in Pittsburgh.

Stephanou is married with two children. He serves on the Board of Directors for Life´s Work, which is committed to helping others in need.