Corporate

Bernd Hirsch, CFO of Symrise AG, will leave the company at his own request at the end of 2015. He has decided for personal reasons not to extend his contract as a member of the Executive Board, which would be up for renewal on December 31, 2015. In order to ensure a smooth transition, he will continue to perform all his duties and responsibilities as CFO until the end of the contract period.

Dr Thomas Rabe, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Symrise AG, commented: "We very much regret Mr Hirsch's decision not to continue in his role as CFO of Symrise AG for personal reasons after the expiry of his contract. The Supervisory Board would like to thank him on behalf of the entire company for his hard work and dedication. He has made an essential contribution to the strategic development and the successful positioning of Symrise AG in the capital markets. We wish him all the best in his personal and professional future and very much hope that he will maintain friendly contacts with Symrise AG after his departure."

Bernd Hirsch was appointed CFO of Symrise AG as of December 1, 2009. In 2010, he was responsible for securing an early refinancing of Symrise AG with a total volume of more than €600 million including the first bond issuance by the company. In addition, Bernd Hirsch was involved in a number of acquisitions including the takeover of French Diana Group in April 2014. The financing for this acquisition with a total volume of €1.3 billion was fully secured by mid-2014. Symrise AG today has a solid capital structure on a long-term and broadly diversified basis. Before joining Symrise AG, Bernd Hirsch had been CFO of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG for seven years after serving as the Head of Merger & Acquisitions of Carl Zeiss Group.

The Supervisory Board will promptly initiate steps to find a successor for the position of CFO.

About Symrise:
Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances, flavorings, cosmetic active ingredients and raw materials as well as functional ingredients. Its clients include manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics, food and beverages, the pharmaceutical industry and producers of nutritional supplements and pet food. Its sales of more than € 1.8 billion in 2013 place Symrise among the top four companies in the global flavors and fragrances market. Headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, the Group is represented in over 40 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the United States and Latin America. Symrise works with its clients to develop new ideas and market-ready concepts for products that form an indispensable part of everyday life. Economic success and corporate responsibility are inextricably linked as part of this process. Symrise thus takes sustainability into account in every part of its corporate strategy. The company was awarded the German Sustainability Award in 2012. In 2013, Symrise was certified as a “Green Company” by DQS.

Symrise – always inspiring more…

Media Contact:
Bernhard Kott
Phone +49 (0)5531 90-1721
bernhard.kott(at)symrise.com

Investor Contact:
Tobias Erfurth
Phone +49 (0)5531 90-1879
tobias.erfurth(at)symrise.com