Rohit Aggarwal, managing board member and chief executive officer of Lenzing, has resigned for personal reasons, effective at the end of January.
“In the marathon of my life so far—after 35 remarkable years that carried me across continents and to more than 100 countries and with our family fortunate enough to call at least six of them home—it now feels like the right moment to pause,” Aggarwal wrote in a LinkedIn post shared earlier this morning. “To slow down, take a breath, and reflect before embarking on the next stretch of the run towards whatever the finish line may be; if such a thing even exists.”
Aggarwal, a “strategic business economist and global leader in the industry,” per Lenzing, took the helm last September as the successor to Stephan Sielaff, who left Lenzing at the end of August 2024 by mutual agreement with the supervisory board. The Vienna-based cellulosic fiber supplier said Aggarwal will remain with Lenzing as an advisor through the end of September 2026. Aggarwal confirmed the move “to support leadership transition both for the company and for me personally” on social media as well.
“My commitment to sustainability has been at the heart of my work for years, and the people at Lenzing have inspired me every day to keep rethinking what truly makes a meaningful difference,” Aggaral wrote on LinkedIn. “For me, more than the technology, it is always the people, and it has been a true honor to lead the incredible 7,800 Lenzingers who breathe and live their passion for sustainability every single day.”
Following Aggarwal’s departure, Lenzing will be jointly led by a three-member managing board on an interim basis until a new CEO is named. The trifecta includes chief financial officer Nico Reiner—though Lenzing previously reported that Reiner will not extend his management board mandate, set to expire on Dec. 31—as well as chief pulp and chief technology officer Christian Skilich and chief operating officer Georg Kasperkovitz.
At the same time—and as part of the company’s “continued organizational development and in support of its refined premiumization strategy,” Lenzing will establish an executive committee (ExCo) consisting of six members. The ExCo includes the three aforementioned members of the managing board. It will be complemented by Lenzing’s senior commercial managers: Patricia Sargeant, covering nonwovens Fibers; Yann Lepage, covering textile fibers; and Anton Putz, covering pulp.
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The supervisory board thanked Aggarwal for the progress achieved under his leadership, said chairman Patrick Lackenbucher, including the “successful execution of the performance program, a sharpened strategic focus and improved profitability.”
“Structural profitability remains a key objective,” said Lackenbucher, the managing director of Austrian foundation B&C Group—aka the current majority stakeholder of Lenzing—that’s been supporting the Austrian producer through various efforts over the past 15 years. He was nominated for election to the Lenzing supervisory board in March, designated to serve as chairman on an interim basis.
“The managing board will continue its relentless focus on improving Lenzing’s competitive position, its financial performance and long-term value creation in order to strengthen Lenzing’s position as a global market leader in sustainable cellulosic fibers,” Lackenbucher said.
Changes aside, management maintained its forecast for the current financial year. For 2025, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) are still expected to be “above the previous year,” Lenzing said.
“Most marathon runners are aware of Galloway Run–Walk method. It is time for me to walk now,” Aggarwal said on LinkedIn. “This is my time to press the reset button, to recharge, to regenerate. I hope to emerge stronger and more adaptive than before.”
