German specialty chemical company Evonik has appointed Claus Rettig to its Executive Board and named him deputy chairman effective Sept. 1, 2026, while CEO Christian Kullmann recovers from recent surgery, the company announced Aug. 27.

Rettig will assume Kullmann’s duties on an interim basis while continuing to oversee Evonik’s Asia business. He has been with the company for more than 30 years and has held management positions, including leadership of the Resource Efficiency segment and responsibility for the Asia-Pacific region. He previously served temporarily as head of Evonik’s finance department in 2025.

The company said Kullmann is recovering and is expected to resume his duties following rehabilitation.

The leadership change comes as Evonik continues a broader transformation of its business. Rettig said the company will continue pursuing its existing direction during Kullmann’s absence.

Also on Aug. 27, Evonik announced plans to invest more than C$150 million (about $108 million) in a new GMP manufacturing facility for lipid-based drug delivery in Vancouver, Canada. The project is supported by up to C$68 million (about $50 million) in funding from the Canadian federal government’s Strategic Response Fund.

According to Evonik, the new facility will more than triple the manufacturing capacity of its existing Vancouver operation and add expanded quality control and microbiological testing capabilities. Drug product production is planned to begin at the end of 2029.

The facility will support development and manufacturing of lipid-based drug delivery systems for pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers. Evonik said its Vancouver operation currently provides formulation development and GMP manufacturing services for lipid nanoparticle and liposomal delivery systems.

The Vancouver investment is part of Evonik’s broader expansion of lipid and LNP manufacturing capabilities. The company is also building a global-scale lipid production facility at its Tippecanoe Labs site in Lafayette, Indiana, and operates related development, manufacturing and supply capabilities in the United States and Europe.

Evonik has also continued to expand its chemicals manufacturing and technology-licensing activities. Earlier this month, the company announced that a 200,000-metric-ton-per-year hydrogen peroxide plant in Leshan, Sichuan Province, China, had begun operations. The facility, operated by Fuhua using Evonik technology, supplies industrial-grade hydrogen peroxide to regional markets and provides feedstock for an Evonik-Fuhua joint venture producing specialty grades.

The company said the hydrogen peroxide plant reached in-specification production within days of starting commercial operations June 18. Evonik provided production technology, process equipment, catalysts and process chemistry under a 2023 licensing agreement.