MAGAZINE FOR EMPLOYEES 04/2024 | English Edition SPECIAL BUSINESS EXCELLENCE ISSUE Clever Procurement Digital mass requests for quotes (RFQs) and e-auctions are helping reduce purchase prices. PAGE 14 INNOVATIVE ON THE GO Saltigo developed an app that increases productivity. Innovation Excellence wants to see more projects like this and therefore launched the Innovation Award. The other Business Excellence Streams are also reporting their first measurable successes. PAGE 6 Continuous Improvement The Baytown site is our stronghold in America, says CEO Matthias Zachert. A report. PAGE 20

04 LANXESS Worldwide FOCUS BUSINESS EXCELLENCE 06 We’ve Already Achieved a Lot With its different Streams, the Business Excellence program touches every cor- ner of the group. As a result, new ways of working, tools, and technologies have been rolled out. According to Board Member Ol- iver Stratmann, these changes should also be accompanied by a new mindset. 08 “Everyone Will Feel the Energy” Roy van Griensven is the new head of the Commercial Excellence Stream. His vision for the company is shaped by his belief in LANXESS employees. 10 Negotiate Like a Pro Contract negotiations are tricky. Have I thought of everything? Are all the potential risks factored into the price? Salespeople have to pay attention to a lot of different PRODUCTS & QUALITY 20 Site Profile: Flourishing off the Beaten Path CEO Matthias Zachert visited Baytown in October. He was thrilled: “This site is a LANXESS stronghold in the US.“ We spoke with Site Manager Jürgen Müller. 23 Puzzles & Competitions 23 Lancer/Success 24 Quality Works Vanilla crescent cookies are an absolute favorite at Christmastime. The Lewatit® ion exchange resins from the LPT BU are used to purify a key ingredient: sugar. things – but they now have a clever toolbox to help them. 12 “We’re Banking on the Future” Polymer Additives was the first BU to com- plete the customer segmentation project. Now it’s on to implementation. BU Head Karsten Job reveals exactly how he intends to do it. 13 Tracking Transparency Supply Chain Excellence is constantly im- proving the supply chain. The track & trace system should be up and running by the end of the year. From then on, customers will always know exactly where their goods are at any given moment. 14 Bid, Win, Repeat? E-auctions and digital mass requests for quotes (RFQs) are set to become part of day-to-day purchasing practices in the future. Why? Because they save money. Sabine Deppe from the GPL team explains how. 16 Winners in the Making Innovation drives growth. The group will be promoting it more in the future. The road- map for this is already in place. 17 “We’ll Be Even More Efficient” Huber Fink visited the site in El Dorado, Ar- kansas, USA, with Frederique van Baarle. The Operational Excellence team currently there optimizing the plant. PEOPLE & TEAMWORK 18 A SMAART Move Julian Stiller and his team developed an app that helps Saltigo save money – and can do the same for other locations. 04/2024 | Xpress 3

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN! Italy/Lazio. LANXESS Italy has been working with the ITS mechatronics school in Lazio since 2019. Marco Galim- berti, head of maintenance at the LANXESS site, shares his knowledge with the young vocational trainees in different courses. In this way, he passes on the theoretical knowledge to them that he has gained from his experience as an engineer at LANXESS. As one of the first LANXESS employees to benefit from this program, Lorenzo Riccioni has now successfully completed his vocational train- ing: “What I learned at ITS and LANXESS is not only helping me professionally, but will also help in my future degree program. I will now head off to university with a solid wealth of knowledge. A program like this is quite unique in Italy. I am very grateful to have had this opportunity.” Proud graduate Lorenzo Riccioni (center), Vincenzo Trabace, LANXESS Country Representative for Italy (left), and Marco Galimberti (right) from the LANXESS site. THREE QUESTIONS FOR ULRIKE ROCKEL, Head of Treasury and Investor Relations Management, TIR GF “A Strong Signal” Mrs. Rockel, LANXESS recently secured a new line of credit that is closely tied to our sustainability goals. Why does this represent an achievement for us? Ulrike Rockel: This line of credit is the most important source of liquidity for us. And we secured it for the long term and at highly attractive terms. We are also sending a signal to our employ- ees, customers, suppliers, and the capital market that we are making sustainability a top priority across the company – including in our financing – and are willing to be judged on it. Can you briefly explain the criteria that the current project is based on? We negotiated two specific targets with the banks: the successful reduction of Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions, and an increase in the percentage of women in management posi- tions. Both of which are goals that we have firmly enshrined in our corporate strategy. If we meet the targets, the negotiated interest rate improves in our favor; if we fail to meet them, it gets worse. This will be reviewed annually on the basis of set milestones. When it comes to these objectives, we are already very well positioned in both respects, stand out from our competitors, and can also prove this with verifiable data. Will the topics of sustainabil- ity and financing continue to merge in the future? Yes, because capital market participants don’t just want to read about sustainability goals in a sustainability report; they demand concrete evidence that a company truly stands behind them. As an important signal in this regard, LANXESS has linked the variable compensation paid to the members of the Board of Management to the achievement of our climate targets for several years now. In addition, we are making every effort to provide the agencies that issue the renowned ESG* ratings with important key figures and information. This is because their analyses serve as an objective decision-making tool for investors and banks. We are particularly proud of the fact that LANXESS has once again had its climate targets verified this year by the renowned Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This sets us apart from many other compa- nies – and sends a signal to the capital market. *ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. It refers to a set of criteria used to evaluate corporate sustainability and business ethics. 04/2024 | Xpress 5

OLIVER STRATMANN Chief Financial Officer (CFO) EMBRACING A NEW MINDSET The Business Excellence program also calls for us to adopt a new mindset. What does this mean exactly? Oliver Stratmann: Through this program, we are laying the foundation for a fundamental transformation of LANXESS. In doing so, it’s important to look at figures and processes as well as at how we are driving progress in the re- spective areas as a company – in other words, it’s about holistic advancement. In this context, our mindset plays a key role. What mindset do we need to adopt in order to become even more excellent? Our focus should be on a positive and growth-oriented view. This also means being open to change. We – and I include myself in this – must once again demonstrate a greater willingness to embrace new ideas and ways of thinking, to evolve, and also to create process- es for improvement. How are you going about this? I am trying to be a role model when it comes to feedback, for example, both in terms of seeking and giving constructive feedback. Feedback helps us recognize what we can do differently and better. In addition, I always try to remain open to change and to set an example in this regard. What can each of us do to develop a new mindset? We can, for example, promote an exchange of ideas and opinions, even outside our own area of expertise, and use the feedback process to strengthen our no-blame culture. Each of us can contribute to a more positive work environ- ment in which thoughts are openly shared and in which a “yes, but...” mentality is replaced by a focus on moving forward together. Innova- tion, for example, urgently demands such an open-minded mentality. A good example of this is the development of Saltigo’s SMAART app (for more on this, see page 18). 04/2024 | Xpress 7

WHAT’S BEEN ACHIEVED! Commercial Excellence has either completed or launched the following projects so far: Short-Term Price & Volume Gains: The Rollout is Progressing Well • The project is currently underway in six BUs: an automated process continuously analyzes cost, revenue, and margin data, as well as competitor and customer data, to provide margin management recommendations. • The goal is to include all relevant BUs in which we believe the process has potential by early 2025. Customer Segmentation • The segmentation concept was developed during a pilot project with the PLA BU. The next step is implementing the concept by providing differentiated levels of service and opti- mizing the channel approach. • The findings from the first pilot project are now being applied in the F&F BU. IPG is on the verge of launching a segmentation approach for its distributors that has been developed over the past few months. Contract Management: Successfully Completed • • Events focused on implementation in the BUs have begun. • Application training is planned. Value-Based Pricing • The first pilot projects to identify value potential are currently being developed. Learning Academy for Sales & Marketing • Concept development completed; target audiences and learning path have been defined; rollout will begin in the first quarter of 2025. Improving Customer-Related Processes • Improvement of internal customer-related processes is in progress. ...and many more will follow... PEOPLE FIRST “They are the ones who will make this company a success. We’re currently still laying the groundwork and are at the beginning. But at some point everyone will feel the energy that comes from our fresh start, and then the process will take on a life of its own. I look forward to leading part of that and working with many talented team members to write the next chapter in the story of LANXESS.” ROY VAN GRIENSVEN now reached a point where we recognize our potential, although there are still many challenges to overcome. We still have a lot to discover on our journey to becoming a pure-play specialty chemicals company. We need to identify more products in all areas of the business – either on our own or with partners – that offer our customers added value in a variety of ways. When will these developments be reflected in our financial results? We are already seeing the first positive ef- fects. This is an ongoing process. And if we now operationalize our new ways of working, increase transparency in all our processes, and at the same time invest in our business expertise as well as market and customer centricity, we are certain to see the positive results month after month. 04/2024 | Xpress 9 ity for the coming period is to operational- ize what we’ve started. We want to trans- form the initial positive effects of the pilot projects into lasting, long-term success. And to achieve that, we need to step things up a notch in order to strengthen the fun- damentals. This means we now have to cre- ate the necessary structures, we need cer- tain skills, we have to make tools and technologies available, and much more. We’re in the process of developing a clear roadmap for all of the BUs. It lays out how to collaborate and how to enable each of the individual BUs to achieve lasting success. This requires a great deal from many em- ployees at the management and operation- al level. That’s why it is important that we build a large network of ambassadors for this transformation. What do you mean by that? When it comes to transformation, it usually also includes a focus on digitalization or the use of the latest technologies. They are im- portant, of course, but they are only tools. In my experience, real transformation (and growth) only occurs when we inspire peo- ple – they have to be truly convinced of why they should now take action together. Through best practices, we have to demon- strate what needs to be done. And in the end, we have to tirelessly focus on support- ing the teams in how it is done. We will only succeed in the latter if we continuously learn from our day-to-day work. That is why passionate employees are such valuable ambassadors. They create a sense of credi- bility that inspires others. And we need ev- eryone on board in order to achieve lasting success. Where do we currently stand in this process? We have set out on this path, and once a company embarks on such a journey, it nev- er really ends. This approach constantly yields new growth opportunities. We have

and then, in most cases, to automatical- ly generate a draft contract. In addition to saving time, such software would also help minimize financial risks. How? With the help of AI. It will automatically verify whether the customer is complying with the contract terms and draw attention to impending loss- es of revenue in a timely manner. This and other features are expected to improve EBIT by at least 20 million euros over the course of several years. But despite all the standardization and the upcoming use of highly intelligent software, one thing remains clear: we always enter into contracts individually with each customer. The sales representatives in the BUs know just how delicate their specific situation is, CONSCIOUS DECISIONS “Contracts are always also individual agreements between the parties. In the end, you and your BU have to decide what risks you’re willing to take.” STEFAN MARQUART they know their counterpart, and they are in the best position to assess what is possible in which case and what might be worthwhile for the BU despite all the risks. “In the end, the employee and their BU will make the fi- nal decision,” Marquart points out. After all, there are always influencing factors that lie beyond the scope of a model or checklist. “The most important thing is that we make our decisions conscientiously.” BEST PRACTICES WITH THE NEW TOOL- BOX “I think the tool is extreme- ly well done. It allows us to quickly and efficiently check whether all the relevant provisions are included in a draft contract. In addition, the toolbox supports structured and efficient collaboration be- tween the BU and LEX – both here in Ger- many and with our US colleagues. In negotiations, the focus is always on two questions: What do I want? And what can I actually get? Being clear about your own negotiating posi- tion is very important. The toolbox can also help in this regard.” ANNA SCHMIDTLEIN-HELLMANN Global Marketing Director, Chlorobenzenes & Derivatives, AII BU 04/2024 | Xpress 11

tomers with low growth potential. This is how we will reduce the amount of direct sales re- sources we allocate to this group. However, the remaining 500 or so customers require such a high level of attention, especially in the Grow group, that in the future some sales reps will only be responsible for four to eight customers. This will allow us to focus on the group in which we see the greatest value. Won’t the teams need training for such a major change? Our entire team is experienced and quali- fied. I have no doubt in my mind that every- one on the team will get on board with our concept. We also have clear guidelines for what we expect from each customer con- tact and what our objectives are for them. We make distinctions here, too – does the customer require personal visits or are they more interested in communicating via digital channels? The employees who take care of the “digital” customers are part of the Inside Sales team and, of course, are responsible for a larger number of customers. Overall, we will be emphasizing the service aspect in the future. When it comes to our customers with growth potential, we will increase the avail- ability of our technical support and market- ing employees as needed. We want to be our customers’ partner and support them in their endeavors to the best of our abilities. How is your team responding to these drastic changes? The feedback has been extremely positive. We got everyone involved in this process from the start. We will now be holding three large meetings with the teams in the Ameri- cas, APAC, and EMEA regions by the end of the year where will present and discuss our concepts. Incidentally, they can also be im- plemented in the other BUs. To ensure that our concept is implemented optimally, it is important that the teams use the customer relationship management system. We are currently in the process of developing new features for it. They will enable us to define our objectives at the customer level based on the available data and then implement them as efficiently as possible. This way, we will learn much more about our customers and the market. As a result, this expanded knowledge will not only help us, but also everyone in the other departments or even other BUs with their projects. TRACKING TRANSPARENCY Knowing the exact delivery status of an order at any time is a service that customers truly value. This is now being implemented in the EMEA region in a pilot project. SUPPLY CHAIN EXCELLENCE Perfecting the supply chain: track & trace is in place. This means that in the EMEA re- gion alone, 45,000 to 47,000 deliveries by truck annually have to be tracked so that custom- ers always know the exact location of their goods. To accomplish this monumental task, LANXESS is work- ing with an external service provider. Data from logistics partners and ship- ping companies comes together on a central platform. It provides custom- ers with information on the where- abouts of their goods. Using the new system, not only can LANXESS track deliveries to its customers, it can also provide real-time updates. LANXESS is leveraging this informa- tion to optimize its supply chain and processes – risks on the supply route can be identified at an early stage and countermeasures can be taken, if necessary. The pilot project, which all of the BUs are participating in, is scheduled to go live by the end of the year. It will take until the second quarter of 2025 before all of the de- tailed information and data can be seamlessly accessed on the platform, however. Once the project is completed, de- liveries via rail, air, and sea will also be integrated into the system for the EMEA region, with an expansion to the NORAM and India regions also planned. Hanna Hertel, one of the project managers and Head of Perfor- mance Management & Data Analyt- ics, notes: “We’ve received a tremen- dous response to our pilot project and our collaboration with all of the- BUs is going extremely well.” 04/2024 | Xpress 13

fort – everyone involved did a great job in a short time,” says Deppe. “And the suppliers, especially the chemical distributors, welcome this unprece- dented level of global transparency.” Software Successfully Used The team used a digital solution, the Coupa Sales Optimizer, to share data with suppliers and evalu- ate their quotes. “This software enabled us to effi- ciently evaluate the more than 6,300 price points we received.” This worked extremely well – it would never have been possible to evaluate such a large amount of data so quickly using Excel. “We were able to recreate the different contract awarding scenarios quite well in the software.” The solution provides customized analyses based on the criteria specified. For example, it weighs the cost of the necessary requalification of a sup- plier against the supplier’s price advantage. The results generated by the application were verified by the buyers. If new suppliers had to be qualified, for example, they passed this information on to the BUs. “Some of them were old acquaintances who came back into the picture as suppliers as a result of this RFQ,” says Deppe. Psychological Effect: Lower Prices Interestingly, simply initiating a global digital RFQ alone caused existing suppliers to lower their pric- es: “Doing this put pressure on them,” she says. In total, the team identified potential savings of around 20 million euros. 10 million of this total was generated faster than planned. “That was due to the excellent collaboration with the BUs,” she says. The team is currently planning the next regional RFQs for Europe, North America, and Asia. “We want to keep the pressure on the mar- ket high and initiate further RFQ rounds.” In the future, the team also wants to use AI-based tools. These could be particularly useful for sending au- tomated replies to suppliers in the event of que- ries regarding the digital interface. “In this regard, the IT GF team is providing us with outstanding support.” She is extremely satisfied with the re- sults so far. “We’ve seen that both methods – the digital mass RFQ and the e-auctions – work and also benefit the BUs financially. We’ve also gained new insights that are valuable for our colleagues in marketing and sales throughout the group.” Who knows what else will be possible once the GPL GF team has mastered the full range of digital RFQ strategies. We look forward to finding out! “The digital mass RFQ resulted in immediate savings for us. Our existing suppliers sim- ply included their latest prices in their quotes. These then served as the starting point for two further rounds of negotiations. This en- abled us to achieve bet- ter prices for some raw materials. Furthermore, our pool of suppliers has grown as a result of the RFQ – particularly in China and India. We do now still have to assess the quality of their raw materials, but this could prove beneficial to us as well.” STEFAN TIEBACH, Head of Global Marketing, Polymer Additives BU “The mass RFQ process for tail-end raw mate- rials is tailored to the needs of our business line. Around 1,000 products are manufac- tured worldwide in the company’s own pro- duction facilities and continuously adapted to current customer and market needs. The associated range of required raw materials is complex and consists of numerous individual items. The RFQ process not only helps us man- age this complexity, but also has the potential to cut costs.” HOLGER MERSMANN, Head of the Specialty Rubber Products Business Line, RCH BU “This year, we integrated digital mass RFQs and e-auctions into our pur- chasing process as new tools. In par- ticular, the combination with conven- tional RFQ techniques proved to be successful. That’s why we are working closely with the Commercial Excellence team. We are going to use both methods regularly for even more raw materials and packaging. This will ultimately lead to further savings.” MATTHIAS GOTTA, Head of Direct Materials, GPL GF 04/2024 | Xpress 15

called ‘Business Reviews’ – between the Board of Management and each BU. This makes it easier to manage innovation activ- ities. And that also brings the development pipeline, which should act as an enabler of future growth, into focus,” explains Früh. This alone shows how seriously the compa- ny is taking the issue. The new spirit that is sweeping through the group is also evident in other groundbreak- ing decisions. For example, an innovation hub is being set up in Thane, India, similar to the AADC, the APAC Application Devel- opment Center, in Shanghai. The aim is to make this hub a central location where in- novative ideas can be developed, tested, and applied both at the BU and GF level and across departments. “The focus is on an in-depth exchange of ideas and opinions as well as collaboration – we’re creating a platform for innovation activities with state- of-the-art laboratory equipment here. It will serve as a forum where experts from the var- ious BUs and departments can regularly dis- cuss and share and develop new solutions that initially seemed impossible. Available knowledge will be shared as best as possi- ble and made available for everyone to use. At the same time, the Innovation Hub offers an attractive workplace for talented individ- uals and gives LANXESS the opportunity to participate in the growth opportunities in India,” says Christian Sturm, Head of Corpo- rate Development. With this in mind, the Innovation Excel- lence team is building a global community of experts that will collaborate more closely across BU/GF boundaries in the future. In this context, the conventional Innovation Excellence Community Meetings will be supplemented by more modern formats. Similar to the “workdates,” innovators can meet virtually or in person for a coffee or lunch to get to know each other and benefit from each other’s respective skills. “We have many highly qualified and dedicated em- ployees who have also expressed a desire for more opportunities to exchange ideas in relevant formats,” says Yan Zhang, who is building the community as part of the Inno- vation Excellence team. She is now inviting everyone to connect via the community. “Once this happens, it is bound to give rise to many new initiatives and ideas,” Zhang is convinced. Front left: Board Member Hubert Fink; front right: his colleague Frederique van Baarle in El Dorado, where the Operational Excellence team is hard at work. “WE’LL BE EVEN MORE EFFICIENT” Board Member Hubert Fink visited the PLA site in El Dorado, Arkansas, USA, which the Operational Excellence team is currently analyzing for optimization potential. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE Leveraging the latest technologies and AI to increase efficiency. Board Member Hubert Fink is banking on the bromine plant in El Dorado, Arkansas, USA: “Fol- lowing our pilot project in Mannheim, the Operational Excellence team is now in El Dorado. Our goal there is the same: to optimize the plant and elevate it to a new level of efficiency, professional production, and compet- itiveness.” The MEX initiative back in 2014/2015 already showed that data analysis leads to more efficient production pro- cesses. “Thanks to AI, today we have new analytical tools available that will further increase productivity and ener- gy efficiency. We will also be able to reduce production costs with these new technologies, says Fink, who is responsible for the Operational Excel- lence Stream in addition to Procure- ment. He used his visit to the US in Oc- tober to fly to El Dorado with his fellow Board Member Frederique van Baarle and selected PTSE representatives. The group met with site management and other staff to tour the facility and discuss the planned measures. All in all, the Operational Excellence team is focusing on ten sites. At each location, the team will develop initia- tives to increase competitiveness and reduce costs. The approach is based on the core principles of manufactur- ing excellence and is complemented by artificial intelligence, network anal- yses, and long-term master plans for each site. At the same time, the team also reviews and optimizes the site structure in the various business areas or plants. 04/2024 | Xpress 17

point in the process, and employees immedi- ately came up with a suitable solution. “This is a typical example of how SMAART creates transparency that previously didn’t exist,“ said Stiller. In this case, they only needed to adjust one temperature in the formulation – a job that took just a few minutes. Another great thing about the app is that it makes such optimizations measurable. This allows the team to make adjustments later on, if necessary. Word of the app’s benefits spread quick- ly: “Many were curious and wanted to try it out,” says Stiller. He and his team seized the opportunity and offered regular training sessions. “They are the key to our success,” he says. The team members also offer short training sessions that don’t go into every little detail. “This is how we get a lot of people on board.” And they’ve been quite successful in doing so – more than 150 employees, from deputy shift supervisors to process experts to project managers, now use the app. “The app now covers 12 of SGO’s most im- portant products,” says Boris Bosch, Head of Project Portfolio and Execution. “We intend to carry on until all the relevant products are available in SMAART.” Last year, Mar- cel Dembek and Rasit Faller from the IT GF joined the development team. “They’ve been an incredible help,” says Stiller. Eight of the ten SGO plants are now already using the app. Preparations for the remaining two sites are in progress. And our colleague has even more ideas for improvements, with the next app from the cross-BU team already in the pilot phase – it’s called SMAILE. But Stiller doesn’t want to reveal any more than that just yet. THE APP’S ACHIEVE- MENTS AT A GLANCE! Using SMAART to optimize process- es led to increases in system ca- pacity of 10 to 34 percent in sev- en projects focused on throughput times. This enabled the plants to pass on the higher production quan- tities achieved in this way to cus- tomers. “SMAART has far exceeded our expectations,” says Julian Stiller. “And the best thing is that this in- novation can, theoretically, be scaled to all batch processes.” He has already received the first calls from other business units. THREE QUESTIONS FOR JULIAN STILLER, Business Unit Saltigo “The Right Mindset Was the Key to Our Success” Mr. Stiller, did you ever think that your app idea would be such a resounding success? Julian Stiller: I was pretty sure that SMAART had a lot of potential, especially when I saw the first pilot version that Tobias programmed. But at the time I didn’t expect things to turn out like this. What pleasantly sur- prised me was just how many of my colleagues were interested in it and how many have now naturally integrated SMAART into their daily work. These users, with their expertise, are what made the app so success- ful in the first place. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for this! What has most contributed to its success? From my point of view, the right mindset throughout the entire project was the key to success – I had an idea and was open to assigning Tobias, as a student working for us part-time, the task of programming the app. My superior trusted me and gave us the time we needed. Matthi- as was the first user to give us constructive feedback and point out bugs in the app. We support the use of SMAART in day-to- day work with training sessions tailored to specific groups. And we offer teams the opportunity to present their successes and inspire each other as part of an exchange of best practices. In my view, all of these aspects play a crucial role in successfully implementing innovative ideas. The app was a project con- ducted across BUs and GFs. How did working with the other teams go? Extremely well! When the momentum grew stronger and stronger due to SMAART, we were no longer able to keep up with the demand, but Marcel and Rasit from IT stepped in quickly and effectively. They rapidly familiarized themselves with various areas of the app and have been providing valu- able support ever since. The two complement our team perfectly and, in addition to their profes- sional expertise, the team spirit is fantastic. They also gave us a great platform for the app in DIAP. This has truly made work a lot of fun! 04/2024 | Xpress 19

OFF THE BEATEN PATH Group photo with the CEO: Employ- ees showed and explained the plant to Matthias Zachert (third from left). A slice of cake with the CEO: Müller on the left, Zachert in the middle, to the right Harold Solomon and Claus Zemke, Communications GF. A BIG IMPACT With just 40 employees, the site is the second largest producer of maleic anhy- dride in the United States. 75 to 90 percent of the plant’s output is sold in the United States. dride in the United States and can maintain a capacity utilization rate of 85 to almost 90 percent, even in difficult times. “We even continued producing at almost full capacity during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, with an output of 68,000 metric tons,” says Müller. That was quite a challenge. The production of maleic anhydride doesn’t sound easy: “It is generated from the aerial oxidation of n-butane in an explosive atmo- sphere.” At this point, the word “explosive” is all that remains in the layperson’s mind, and he once again understands why every- one there is so proud of their safety record. But what also stands out is the extremely S S E X N A L : s o t o h P 04/2024 | Xpress 21

PUZZLES & COMPETITIONS! 1. CAN YOU FIND YOUR WAY? Lost in a labyrinth. But there is a way out. Putting your pen down once and find- ing the exit without backtracking, that’s the challenge! 2. WHAT DO WE PRODUCE AT OUR SITE IN BAYTOWN, TEXAS? a. Flavors? b. Polymers? c. Maleic anhydride? 3. SPOT THE DIFFERENCES There are five differences between the two images. Can you find them? S S E X N A L : s o t o h P LANXESS MEANS... lancer Motivating each other, sharing tips and training plans, and meeting new coworkers around the world through a shared passion for sports – a cross-BU team has now launched the “Triath- lon@LANXESS” community on MS Teams for just this purpose. As part of a current chal- lenge, members have set themselves the goal of collectively completing 1,000 kilometers, whether by running, swimming, or cycling. “We want to make it clear that we aren’t just looking for experienced triathletes, but anyone who is interested in one of the three sports,” explains Nils Heinzmann, Saltigo BU. “In addition to connecting virtually, we also want to organize group training sessions and runs together in the future,” adds Anna Brehler, F&F BU, “and then hopefully complete the Cologne Triathlon in September 2025 with lots of col- leagues wearing a LANXESS jersey.” success It was a full house in Shanghai, China – around 170 participants, including 130 customers and partners, attended the first LANXESS Solution Day. The six business units LPT, MPP, F&F, SGO, LAB, and URE presented sustainable technologies that are tailored to the requirements of the Chinese market. “This event marks a milestone for us,” said Michael Rockel, Country Repre- sentative LANXESS Greater China. The day began with media interviews. The focus was on topics such as batteries and transporta- tion, E&E and semiconductors, as well as LANXESS’s sustainable Scopeblue™ prod- ucts. In the afternoon, there was an exhibition with technical seminars for customers and partners. The seminars were also available to watch online. JOIN IN AND WIN Want to listen to Silent Night really loud on Christmas while out and about? This mini speaker is small enough to fit in your pocket, making it easy to do just that. Join in and send an email with the correct answer to question 2 to xpress@lanxess.com. Participation is only open to employees of LANXESS and its subsidiar- ies (excluding Corporate Communications employees). Only one entry per participant allowed. All decisions are final. The solution will appear in the next edition of Xpress. The winner of the quiz in Xpress 03/2024 was Stephanie Neal, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. The right answer to the second question was C. 04/2024 | Xpress 23