Helsinki (News release) - Harald Dialer has been appointed Executive Vice President, Technology and UPM Biorefining. He will be a member of UPM's Group Executive Team and report to Massimo Reynaudo, President and CEO. He will assume his role as of 1 January 2025.

Harald Dialer, born 1970, joins UPM from HCS Group where he has held the position of Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer since 2020. He has a Ph.D. in chemistry and extensive experience spanning over 25 years in specialty chemicals and renewables technologies at BASF, Süd-Chemie, Scientific Design Co. and Clariant, where he has held both business management and corporate roles. He is a German and Austrian citizen, and will be based in Augsburg, Germany.

"I warmly welcome Harald to UPM and the Group Executive Team. His background in chemistry and solid track record in business development and generating profitable growth in specialty chemicals and renewables fits our growth strategy well, as we enter the biochemicals market with the start-up of our Leuna biorefinery," Massimo Reynaudo says.

Harald Dialer succeeds Winfried Schaur who has expressed his intent to leave the company for private reasons.

"On behalf of the entire company and the Group Executive Team I want to thank Winfried for his outstanding contribution to UPM. His career of 23 years at UPM perfectly reflects the transformation of the company. He was instrumental in maintaining our strong position and profitability in the graphic paper business, and for the past few years he has shaped our biorefining business and technology function towards the future," Reynaudo says.

Winfried Schaur will continue in his current position until the end of 2024.