ZURICH — October 7, 2026 — Stephan Sielaff took over as Chief Executive Officer of the Schill+Seilacher Group on October 1. A chemical engineer by training, he brings around 30 years of experience in specialty chemicals and related industries. His career includes senior roles at Unilever and Lenzing AG, and most recently at SSI SCHÄFER Plastics. At Schill+Seilacher, Sielaff will lead the next phase of development for the internationally active specialty chemicals Group.
For manufacturers and processors of man-made fibers, the Group offers high-performance process auxiliaries for staple fibers and continuous filaments, as well as solutions for the targeted functionalization of nonwovens.
Tailored spinning finishes support reliable, efficient processing while giving fibers the specific properties required for their end use – from a pleasantly soft handle to controlled water absorption or repellency.
The result is a broad range of solutions designed for diverse requirements and applications, from apparel and hygiene products to technical uses in mobility, construction and infrastructure.
For Sielaff, this business exemplifies one of the key strengths of successful specialty chemicals companies: combining decades of experience with the ability to keep adapting to new requirements. “Tradition becomes a competitive advantage in specialty chemicals when experience is continuously translated into new solutions. Schill+Seilacher has extensive application expertise across the production and further processing of man-made fibers. The key is to turn that knowledge into tailored solutions together with our customers.”
Customer proximity will therefore be a key priority for Sielaff. He intends to sharpen the organization’s focus on markets, customers and partners while strengthening international collaboration across the Group. “We already have an international footprint. Now we want to make better use of the strength of our Group – thinking globally, acting together and staying closer to our customers,” says Sielaff.
Sielaff began his career at Unilever, where he held roles spanning operations, innovation and product development, culminating in the position of Innovation and Engineering Director for Home and Personal Care Europe. After further roles at Symrise, he became Chief Operating Officer of Swiss specialty chemicals company Archroma. He subsequently served as CEO of Austria-based Lenzing AG and, most recently, as CEO of SSI SCHÄFER Plastics.
Dr Peter Dürolf, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Schill+Seilacher Group, says: “The world will not wait for us. In our markets, speed, international reach and the ability to turn good ideas into real business are becoming increasingly important. In Stephan Sielaff, we have appointed a CEO who has successfully navigated precisely these kinds of challenges and developed companies in demanding international markets. Together, we want to take the Group forward – with entrepreneurial courage, commercial discipline and a clear focus on our customers.”
Posted: October 26, 2026
Source: The Schill+Seilacher Group
