Careers at Celanese

Mission

Celanese’s mission is to be the first-choice chemistry solution source for its customers.

Business segments

Celanese is a provider of technology and specialty materials.  The firm operates four reportable business segments:

  • Advanced Engineering Materials – Includes the engineered materials business and certain strategic affiliates.
  • Consumer Specialties – Includes the cellulose derivatives and food ingredients businesses, which serve consumer-driven applications.
  • Industrial Specialties – Includes the emulsion polymers and EVA polymers businesses, which serve various industrial and consumer end-use applications.
  • Acetyl Intermediates – Includes the intermediate chemistry business, which produces and supplies acetyl products, including acetic acid, VAM, acetic anhydride, and acetate esters.

History

1863 saw the launch of Meister, Lucious and Company in the village of Hoechst in Germany. The firm was a producer of synthetic fuchsia dye, which was the first of many it would manufacture over the next few years. By the 1880s, after much success, the company had introduced many other product lines, most prominently analgesics, and became a major player in the pharmaceutical industry.

1918 saw the founding of American Cellulose & Chemical Manufacturing in New York by Camille and Henri Dreyfus. The firm was a producer of inexpensive fabric for airplane manufacturing. In the mid-1920s it was renamed Celanese Corporation. Around the same time, Meister, Lucious and Company merged with a chemical cartel to form Interessen Gemeinschaft Farbenwerke, or IG Farben.

IG Farben participated in World War II – providing chemical weapons, gunpowder, and synthetic materials for Adolf Hitler’s operations. However, once the war ended it was dissolved by the Allies. It emerged in a new form, a company called Farbwerke Hoechst AG, in 1953. It then began introducing several new products, including petrochemicals, to become a top player again.

In 1987, Hoechst merged its American subsidiary with Celanese, whose core businesses were in polyester and commodity-based chemicals. The result was  Hoechst Celanese Corporation. In 1998, Hoescht combined its industrial chemical operations in a new firm called Celanese and spun it off. In 2003 Blackstone Group took Celanese over, calling it Celanese Corporation. In 2005 it went public.

Benefits at Celanese

Business model of Celanese

Customer Segments

Celanese has a mass market business model, with no significant differentiation between customer groups. The company targets its offerings at firms in a wide range of industries that need materials – ranging from automotive to paints/coatings to consumer electronics to food/beverage.

Value Proposition

Celanese offers three primary value propositions: innovation, risk reduction, and brand/status.

The company has embraced innovation throughout its history. Examples of recent groundbreaking products include CelFX technology for tobacco filtration, TCX technology for ethanol creation, and the Sunsation platform for sweet-taste solutions.

The company reduces risk by maintaining high safety and security standards. It maintains an Ethics Helpline, through which it invites customers and employees to call and report any possible violations of company ethics. The hotline is supervised by an independent, third-party provider. All submitted reports are investigated by Celanese’s Compliance Office.

The company has established a strong brand due to its success. It is one of the largest producers of acetyl products and high performance engineered polymers in the world. It employs 7,000 employees and generated sales of $5.7 billion in 2015.

Channels

Celanese’s main channel is its direct sales team. The company promotes its offering through its website, social media pages, and participation in trade shows and conferences.

Customer Relationships

Celanese’s customer relationship is primarily of a self-service nature. Customers utilize its products while having limited interaction with employees. The company’s website provides access to an e-mail newsletter with information on new product releases and company news and events. That said, there is a personal assistance component in the form of phone and e-mail support.

Key Activities

Celanese’s business model entails designing, developing, and manufacturing its products.

Key Partners

Celanese’s key partners are the suppliers who provide the equipment and materials it needs to run its operations. The company also maintains important partnerships with “strategic affiliates”, firms that have similar business models, products, applications, and manufacturing technology. It works with these firms to expand its customer base and reduce costs. Specific affiliates include:

  • National Methanol Company
  • Korea Engineering Plastics
  • Polyplastics Co.
  • Forton Industries
  • Kunming Cellulose Fibers
  • Nantong Cellulose Fibers
  • Zhuhai Cellulose Fibers

Key Resources

Celanese’s main resources are its human resources, who include the scientists, engineers, product developers, and operators that design, develop, and manufacture its products. It depends heavily on physical resources in the form of its network of 27 production facilities located throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, in cities from Amsterdam to Dallas to Shanghai.

Cost Structure

Celanese has a cost-driven structure, aiming to minimize expenses through significant automation. Its biggest cost driver is cost of sales, a variable expense. Other major drivers are in the areas of sales/marketing, administration, and research development, all fixed costs.

Revenue Streams

Celanese has one revenue stream: revenues it generates from sales of its products to its customers.

Our team

Mark C. Rohr,
Chairman and CEO

info: Mark C. Rohr earned a B.S. in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Mississippi State University. He previously served as Executive Chairman and CEO at Albemarle Corporation, and also held executive roles at Dow Chemical and Occidental Chemical Corporation.

Christopher W. Jensen,
SVP and Chief Financial Officer

info: Christopher W. Jensen earned a B.S. in Accounting and Master of Accountancy degrees at Brigham Young University. He previously served as SVP of Finance, Treasurer, and Corporate Controller at Celanese, and worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Lori Johnston,
EVP and Chief Administrative Officer

info: Lori Johnston earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Central Oklahoma and a Master of Arts in Human Sciences at Our Lady of the Lake University. She previously served as SVP, Human Resources at Celanese.

Gjon N. Nivica,
SVP and General Counsel

info: Gjon N. Nivica earned a JD at Boston University Law School. He previously served as General Counsel of Honeywell Transportation Systems and Honeywell Aerospace Electronic Systems and as Deputy General Counsel for Honeywell International.