Heinz-Jürgen Bertram

Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram is a distinguished German business leader and former CEO of Symrise AG, one of the world's leading suppliers of fragrances, flavors, and cosmetic ingredients. Born in 1958, he holds a doctorate in chemistry and dedicated 37 years of his career to the chemical and fragrance industries. Bertram served as CEO of Symrise from 2009 to 2024, transforming the company into a DAX-40 member with revenues growing from €2.6 billion in 2015 to nearly €5 billion by 2024. Under his entrepreneurial leadership, Symrise expanded beyond traditional fragrances and flavors into nutrition, personal care, and pet food markets through strategic acquisitions including Diana Pet Foods (€1.3 billion), Pinova Holdings ($397 million), and Wing Pet Food. His vision focused on sustainable innovation, biodiversity conservation, and diversification into high-growth market segments. Bertram successfully steered the company through the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining consistent organic growth and strategic expansion. His leadership style emphasized combining innovation capability with operational excellence and sustainability, earning recognition from capital markets, customers, and employees alike. Today, Symrise stands as a global industry leader with operations in over 40 countries, serving customers across the perfume, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food, and beverage industries.