CONTENTS EDITORIAL EVERYTHING KEEPS FLOWING – ALBEIT WITH OCCASIONAL ROUGH WATERS DEAR READERS! At many town hall meetings, we introduced you to the newly formed joint venture between LANXESS and Advent. Under this umbrella, HPM has found a new home together with DEM, a leading global supplier of high-performance spe- cialty materials. HPM Managing Director Frederique van Baarle used to work for the Dutch corporation. She knows DEM and is convinced that this alliance will result in numerous positive synergies. In response to fears about the companies having a different culture, she said, “the mentality of both companies is very simi- lar.” We’re still waiting for the authorities to approve the deal – after that, the joint Similarly, the global rollout of Mic- rosoft 365 is intended to make work (and collaboration) more efficient. The plan is to update all of the computers to the new system by the end of the year. To ensure that you’re perfectly pre- pared, experts from the “My Workplace Community” reveal their tips and tricks for Outlook, Teams, and the rest of the application on pages 16–17. Finally, a message for our male readers: you should all become fem- inists! This is because it wouldn’t just improve our working relationships within venture can get up and running. the company, but could perhaps even extend your life. At least that’s what Disrupted supply chains around the world and the war in Ukraine remain two the Berlin-based pair of activists Herr & Speer think. For more on this, see pages other dominant topics. The lockdown in Shanghai, which lasted until June 1, further exacerbated the logistics issues, and the war has caused energy prices 14–15. to skyrocket. At the same time, FIT HAPPY READING! was rolled out in Germany, putting the system landscape on a completely new footing. Read about how our coworkers are trying to master the challenges and what amazing things they have already achieved in our cover story starting on page 6. 02 Xpress | 02/2022 MIRKA STEIN, HEAD OF INTERNAL RELATIONS Publishing Information Publisher: LANXESS AG, Corporate Communications Person responsible pursuant to German press law: Claus Zemke, Corporate Communica- tions, 50569 Cologne Editorial team: Mirka Stein, Annette Westhoff, Kathrin Achenbach Layout and production: Westhoff Corporate Publishing, Bonn Printing: Küpper Druck GmbH & Co. KG, Cologne Cover photo: Adobe Stock Xpress will be released Please send your ideas The next issue of in September. for topics or your feedback to: xpress@lanxess.com Xpress editorial office, LXS-COM-ICOM, Kennedyplatz 1, 50969 Cologne, Phone +49–221–8885–2587, Fax +49–221–8885–6022, xpress@lanxess.com Xpress is printed on 100- percent recycled paper; only mineral oil-free inks are used. factors could cause Forward-looking statements: This periodical contains forward-look- ing statements including assump- tions and opinions on the part of the company and reproduces the assumptions and opinions of third parties. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other the actual results, financial position, development, or performance of LANXESS AG to differ materially from the estimations expressed or implied herein. LANXESS AG does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors, nor does it accept any responsi- bility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this state- ment or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. LANX- ESS AG makes no representation (either directly or indirectly) as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, ex- pectations, or opinions expressed herein. LANXESS AG assumes no responsibility for any errors, omis- sions, or incorrect statements in this publication. Accordingly, no representative of LANXESS AG or any of its group companies or any of their respective bodies accepts any responsibility whatsoever aris- ing directly or indirectly from the use of this document.

04 LANXESS WORLDWIDE NOW UNITED: HPM FINDS NEW PARTNER GERMANY/USA. When the contracts were signed on May 31, it filled Chairman of the Board of Management Matthias Zachert with pride. The High Performance Materials busi- ness is now well positioned for the future. LANXESS is contributing HPM to a joint ven- ture for high-performance engineering poly- mers that the company is establishing together with the US private equity investor Advent In- ternational. In addition, both companies signed an agreement to acquire the DSM Engineering Materials (DEM) business from the Dutch cor- poration Royal DSM, which will also be contrib- uted to the new joint venture. DEM is one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-performance specialty materials. “The two businesses are a great fit. Their product ranges, value chains, and global positioning complement each other perfectly,” Zachert says. The transactions are still subject to regulatory approval and are ex- pected to be completed in the first half of 2023. The purchase price stands at approximately 3.7 billion euros. LANXESS will receive a payment of 1.1 billion euros and a stake of up to 40 per- cent in the joint venture. “We’re an amazing team and we’re now going to continue our successful journey. The strength of any team depends on each individual, and I con- tinue to ask for your support as we work together to move the new joint venture forward.” Frederique van Baarle, Managing Director of the HPM BU Virtual Days Global with 14,000 Participants Worldwide. The Virtual Days Global opening event on June 9 with Chairman of the Board of Management Matthias Zachert attracted around 3,000 visitors. His talk was entitled “Industry Outlook – Mastering the Crisis, Shaping the Future.” This year, the focus of the two-day online event was on specialty chemicals for the consumer care sector and sustainability. In total, the organizers counted 14,000 par- ticipants over the 48 hours at 40 different events. More than 60 experts shared their insights from the industry and showed how LANXESS products and solutions can meet the various markets’ current re- quirements and challenges. The webinars were conducted for the EMEA, Asia, India, and Americas regions at different times and in different languages, with content tailored to their specific needs. For the first time, LANXESS was represented in a total of nine different time zones worldwide. LANXESS experts were on hand to an- swer questions on topics such as biosafe- ty, personal care, battery technologies, recycling packaging materials, and water treatment. The attendees also showed in- terest in overarching industry topics such as climate neutrality and restructuring sup- ply chains due to the coronavirus pandem- ic and trade disputes. S S E X N A L : s o t o h P 04 Xpress | 02/2022

FOCUS High energy prices, gridlocked supply chains, and the largest system changeover in LANXESS history are demanding a lot from the entire team. The company is now relying entirely on the creativity and dedication of its employees to get through this phase in the best possible way. OVERCOMING OBSTA- 06 Xpress | 02/2022

FOCUS NO EFFORT TOO GREAT and replaced the two products that were manufactured from them with others (see the interview on page 21). The situation is similar at many LANXESS sites. The Supply Network Was Already Strained Before Sahil Kaushik is head of the site in Mem- phis, Tennessee, Material Protection Prod- ucts BU. His team produces Oxone™, an important active ingredient for LANXESS disinfectants. Part of what the site produc- es is sent to the plant in England, where the Oxone is processed further and then shipped to customers all over the world. In this context, China, of all countries, is one of the most important main consum- ers of Virkon™ and Rely+On™ disinfec- tants. “The supply network was already strained even before the lockdown,” Kau- shik says. Now the situation has become even worse. The longer shipping lead times mean that he has to maintain strict Sahil Kaushik inventory control. “We coordinate week- ly and hold conference calls with Supply Chain, Marketing, and Operations. This is the only way to assess the current situa- tion and correctly estimate stock levels, production needs, or maintenance re- quirements. This is our basis for develop- ing strategies that we always adapt to en- sure that operations are effective. Above all, we can’t let our inventory bleed out.” That’s why Matthias Arnold, Vice Presi- dent of the Actives & Disinfection busi- ness line, was more than relieved when the lockdown in China was finally lifted at the beginning of June, because stock Katherine Down commodities, and there was a short- age of truck drivers. This is impacting LANXESS – since April of this year, do- mestic shipments and exports from Shanghai and the surrounding area have fallen by 50 to 60 percent. Imports fell by 30 percent and inventories shrank by half. Now raw materials and intermedi- ates are often in short supply worldwide, and production facilities are waiting for goods. Katherine Down, site manager in West Hill, Canada, sources two specific raw materials from China. “It’s going to be a while before they get here, though,” she says. She decided to be proactive 08 Xpress | 02/2022

FOCUS tomers all over China,” Arnold says. He praises the team on site, saying they were extremely creative and obtained some of the rare special permits so that some de- liveries went out after all. Sylvia Gu “When the situation came to a head, we formed a logistics crisis team,” explains Sylvia Gu, head of the team. “This group brings together all of our employees’ lo- gistics expertise – including external ex- pertise – and we continue to meet to this day.” Immediately after the lockdown, for example, the GBS and GPL teams had to figure out which shipments were still al- lowed at all. Employees gathered togeth- er the latest regulations. “There was a lot of uncertainty on all sides in this regard,” Gu says. LANXESS was not on the white list. Only companies from key industries or those that were actively fighting the pan- demic were able to apply for logistics per- mits and therefore transport goods. “Be- cause customers of ours belonged to one of the two groups, we saw an opportunity to apply for the logistics permit for some of them.” Among the lucky ones was the MPP BU, which was therefore still able to supply its customers with disinfectants. The logistics team communicated only in online meetings or via WeChat groups. “We kept in touch all the time – even on weekends,” Gu says. This was challeng- ing, but their success proved that it was worth it – every LANXESS production site in China was able to continue operating during the hard lockdown. Preparation Is Key This was certainly also thanks to the quick response of the teams on site. For exam- ple, in early April, measures to combat the spread of the virus in Nantong gradually ramped up. The plant immediately formed a cross-departmental team of around 30 employees. When the lockdown was announced, they stayed at the plant 24 hours a day for eight days to keep produc- tion running smoothly. “At first it was hard to be away from home, but in the end, we almost became a kind of family,” shift su- 10 Xpress | 02/2022 In 2021, LANXESS shipped the following through Chinese ports: Exports: 4,399 containers Imports: 2,344 containers pervisor Genlong Zhou says. That time, he says, was his most formative profes- sional experience to date. Genlong Zhou Trucking operations were severely re- stricted at the LANXESS site in Wuxi, but the plant still managed to keep delivery levels at around 60 percent of normal. This only worked because the warehouse KEY INDUSTRYGermany is still an important location for the chemical industry, both as an employer – in 2021, the industry had around 430,000 employees – and because entire sectors de-pend on the chemical industry.

continue to be built even if courts have yet to rule on possible lawsuits. “The first sections will probably enter service by the spring of 2023,” Bohnen says, pleased. Direct Connection for Brunsbüttel The gas in the terminal will be fed into the European gas network. “But here in Brunsbüttel, we’ll have a direct connec- tion. This means our energy supply is se- cure,” Bohnen says. This would also ap- ply to the employees of the Rhein Chemie business unit at the site. Bohnen is cur- rently planning backup measures in case a gas embargo is imposed unexpectedly. “We still have to acquire some permits for this, but we’re prepared and not too worried about it,” he says. An oil embargo would only indirectly affect his operations. “It’s going to drive up prices, of course, but it’s not going to stop production,” he says. The Board of Management shares his assessment of the oil embargo – in- cluding with regard to the other German sites. Matthias Zachert trusts in his team: “When problems arise, we tackle them head on. You have all proven that over the past few months. As long as we contin- ue to face whatever adversity comes our way as a team, I’m optimistic that we’ll get through these times as well.” Critical: Around 95% of all industrial goods require chemical products in their production process. FOCUS gas shortage crisis team. LANXESS also needs gas to operate dryers and furnaces in the AII and IPG business units. However, natural gas plays an even more important role in steam generation for the produc- tion facilities and, above all, for the thermal flue gas treatment systems. They remove pollutants from flue gases generated by LANXESS and other companies and can only be operated with natural gas. If such a plant were to stop operating, production would come to a halt – there are strict limits in place when it comes to the abate- ment of pollutants in flue gas. team Impact of the War Impossible to Predict The crisis is currently running through scenarios in which it assumes a 25 and 50 percent reduction in the gas supply. “The challenging thing is that we’re all interconnected within the chem- ical parks. This is a consequence of the production network in the parks, with secondary products often serving as pri- mary products for other companies. This network, with its many advantages, now means that we have to coordinate very closely with each other,” Wolf explains. It’s a complex system. Viewed in isolation, one of 53 plants in North Rhine-Westpha- lia would have to be shut down completely and production would have to be scaled back at several of them. Overall, this would result in 80 to 120 million euros in lost profits. “But the indirect effects would be far more severe,” Zachert says. It’s hard to say what the impact of a lack of interme- diates and possible acceptance problems on the part of customers might be. Ulti- mately, Zachert says, all the consequenc- es of war are impossible to predict. But an initial assessment is that an embargo would be catastrophic, but not an existen- tial threat to LANXESS. Solid LNG Supply in the Netherlands and Belgium And what about the company’s large plants in Antwerp? These sites enjoy a few advantages thanks to their location – Lillo has a low net steam demand, and Kallo is supplied with steam from a nearby waste incineration plant. The Botlek site in the Netherlands also gets steam from a waste incinerator, but requires natural gas for its own flue gas treatment. “In both countries, the situation is less dramatic than here in 12 Xpress | 02/2022 28 MM tons of natural gas are used as feedstock by the chemical and pharmaceuti- cal industries. Germany thanks to an ample supply of liquefied natural gas,” Wolf explains. The Netherlands also has the largest natural gas reserves in Europe after Russia and Norway and is now considering expand- ing production once again. Securing New Sources of Energy From the Board of Management’s point of view, it is important that Germany finally invests in alternative energy sources and diversifies its sources. The cost of energy is currently skyrocketing to unprecedent- ed levels. While LANXESS already paid 500 million euros for energy in 2021, which was 200 million euros more than normal, the company would have to pay around 850 million euros to cover its en- ergy costs alone this year at the current rates. Frank-Michael Bohnen The fact that policymakers are taking action is evident at the LANXESS site in Brunsbüttel. One of the four planned liq- uefied natural gas (LNG) terminals is now slated to be built at the ChemCoast Park port. “We’re thrilled,” says Frank-Michael Bohnen, head of MEA operations, Ad- vanced Industrial Intermediates business unit. The LNG terminal has been in the planning stage for about ten years. Chem- Coast Park is conveniently located near the Elbe River and the Kiel Canal. It also benefits from its close proximity to Ham- burg. Now the construction of the LNG terminal has gained new momentum as a result of the Ukraine war – at the end of April, a broad majority of the state parlia- ment in Schleswig-Holstein voted in favor of amending the state’s water law. This means that the planned LNG terminal can

PEOPLE & TEAMWORK THE FUTURE IS CLEAR! Where do I really want to go? And what more do I want to achieve? Among other benefits, the LANXESS mentoring program helps you gain a clearer picture when it comes to planning your career. A mentor-mentee pair reports on why both sides benefit from this. Create a digital profile, filter by similar interests, and then se- lect the right partner from the list of results. What might sound like online dating can also work in a pro- fessional context. At least that was Anna Föllmer’s experience, who is an engineer at PTSE. She registered for the mentor- ing program at LANXESS via the myHR platform – and found the right mentor in Dirk Müller, Head of Global Technology & Innovation. “When I heard about the program on Xnet about two years ago, it piqued my interest right away,” Föllmer recalls. This is be- cause she had already gained experience with mentoring during her studies at TH Köln – and received helpful assistance in launching her career. “After about three years on the job, I was once again looking for guidance when it came to my future ca- reer plans,” she recalls. “So the opportuni- ty to participate in the mentoring program here at LANXESS came at the perfect time.” While she was going through the list of potential mentors, one face looked familiar: “I had already met Mr. Müller at an event on our Performance Culture and found him to be a very approachable per- son.” So she didn’t have to think twice about asking him to be her mentor. Müller was happy to accept the role – because the topics she entered as her interests, namely technology, production, and digitalization, were a perfect match for his professional focus. He also had experience with supporting young talent before he started mentoring. “The Glob- al Technology & Innovation unit at PTSE, which I head, is a typical entry-level unit for young engineers. Consequently, HR devel- opment has always been a high priority in my job.” 14 Xpress | 02/2022 “Our conversations help me reflect on my thoughts and ideas – and then follow up in a structured way.” Anna Föllmer, Safety Expert in the GF PTSE

PEOPLE & TEAMWORK “MEN SHOULD BE FEMINISTS” Gender equality is increasingly becoming a success factor for companies. In this interview with Xpress, the activist team Herr & Speer explains how men can help make everyday (working) life more equitable. I believe that women and men think in a fundamentally different way. I THINK MOTHERS ARE MORE FOCUSED ON THEIR FAMILIES THAN THEIR JOBS. I’ve been irritated by the fact that a woman was attractive and intelligent at the same time. I interrupt women more often than men. WOMEN ARE MORE EMOTIONAL THAN MEN. I think men are more assertive than women. 16 Xpress | 02/2022

PEOPLE & TEAMWORK The integrated solutions that comprise Microsoft 365 offer a wide range of new possibilities. To help you begin working in your new digital environment, check out the “My Workplace Community” for tips and tricks. Here are a few examples. UPDA IN THE NAME OF COLLABORA WELL-ORGANIZED The to-do lists in Outlook are a great way to keep track of dead- lines and tasks. Here’s how it works: • To convert emails into a task, simply drag the corresponding email to the task icon. • A window will open where you can customize the subject, the due date, the priority, as well as set a reminder. When you’re done, click Save & Close. • To create a new task – e.g., after a meeting – select the task icon and click New Task. Now also add a subject, due date, and priority. • You can also create a reminder here by selecting the Reminder checkbox and selecting a date. PLAY BY THE RULES Whether through automatic forwarding, moving, or replying, Outlook’s email rules will help keep your in-box organized. Here’s how it works: • Right-click an existing mes- sage and select Rules and then Create Rule. • First select a condition and then what you want to happen to the email – e.g., always move messages from a specific send- er to their own folder. • To do this, select From Name under the list of conditions, then select Move the item to folder, select or create a New folder, and then select OK. Information on the Roll- out, Training, and More • You’ll find everything you need to know about switching to Microsoft 365 on a page in Xnet (For My Work –> My Workplace –> Microsoft 365). • The Knowledge Portal offers a wide range of learning opportunities – from compact to in-depth. You can search for specific topics using the search tool in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. • You’ll also find a variety of training options on LinkedIn Learning. After first signing up, employees around the world can use the platform free of charge. 18 Xpress | 02/2022

PRODUCTS & QUALITY/SITE PROFILE MORE SAFETY FOR GREATER PR The site in West Hill, Canada, has been the talk of the town lately. First it received the Performance Culture Champion Award and most recently also the coveted CEO Safety Award. In this interview, Katherine Down, who has been Plant Manager, Lubricant Additives BU, for a year and a half, explains how they achieved this. 20 Xpress | 02/2022 Cum re eturi velis ex eossit que nia dolor accus molum, si voloria voluptaquae volorestium dolenisAt essit facestio volupta volorempo- rum quos aborep

PRODUCTS & QUALITY/SITE PROFILE On the daily walk through the facility. The team is proud of the new plant section. Now it can produce 50 percent more Hybase calcium sulfonate, its main product. and are still feeling the effects of the lockdown in Shanghai. We source two key raw materials from China, which are shipped to Vancouver and from there travel overland to us in Toronto. When this supply chain is disrupted, delivery is delayed by a few weeks. How do you respond to this? Very directly – we produce about a dozen products here, which are our main prod- ucts, and directly replaced the products whose raw materials come from China with others for this period of time. This obviously isn’t perfect, but we’ve found a solution that is appropriate for the sit- uation. Overall, production is currently running smoothly. What are your next goals? Our primary goal is to maintain our strong safety and production performance and not become complacent. This is a real challenge. I also hope to find more good team members. What conditions do they have to meet? That’s not so easy to answer. I want to have a diverse team. And I don’t just mean diversity in terms of gender. That doesn’t go far enough. I’d like to estab- lish a diversity of opinions. This is be- cause I’m convinced that we’ll only be able to improve over the long run if we have multiple different viewpoints and approaches. One Concept for All It was no coincidence that the West Hill concept was chosen at the Safety Awards ceremony. Head of Xact Zelesny summed up the rationale as follows: “In this project, operational excellence and safety improvements go hand in hand. It’s a blueprint for dealing with similar challenges that are now affecting more and more sites. Indeed, based on the initial successes at West Hill, Can- ada has now expanded the program to the Elmira plant.” It would be hard to receive much higher praise than that. Particularly due to the demographic changes affecting production facilities in all industrialized nations, West Hill’s knowledge transfer concept is groundbreaking. The team truly earned the 10,000 euros in prize money. 22 Xpress | 02/2022

QUALITYWORKS. All Inside – Thanks to Tepex® & Durethan® Extremely durable yet slim, pref- erably light as a feather, sensitive and flexible on contact, yet easy to handle – that’s how the perfect electric skateboard should be. After all, it’s often carried around by its owner, subjected to severe wear and tear on rough off-road terrain, and pushed to its maxi- mum speed in competitions. “De- signing an electric skateboard like this is a challenging task,” says Jean-Marie Olivé, technical man- ager, application development, High Performance Materials BU. But this application is opening up new possibilities for the Tepex® range of continuous fiber-rein- forced thermoplastic composites. The French family-owned compa- ny EMI SAS is now using it for its OKMOS SL-01 e-skateboards. Except for the motors, which are www.tepex.com mounted on the back of the skate- board, the tub-shaped deck of the e-board contains all the electrical and electronic components, in- cluding the battery. A cover clos- es the deck. This is where Tepex® comes into play: “With its high torsional stiffness and bending ri- gidity, Tepex® is extremely strong yet very light. The entire deck weighs no more than 2.5 kg,” Jean-Marie Olivé says enthusias- tically. Despite being only three millimeters thick, the interior is securely protected from impacts and moisture. tub-shaped The composite component is manufactured in a single production step using the hybrid molding process. It consists of two types of polyam- ide 6-based material: Tepex® and Durethan®. S S E X N A L : o t o h P