SKZ: Management of the Plastics Center restructured
The management of the SKZ Plastics Center has been restructured with effect from January 1, 2026. SKZ CEO Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Bastian is thus reacting to the significantly increased importance of the SKZ on the market.
Dr. Thomas Hochrein, previously Managing Director of SKZ - KFE gGmbH (business field education and research) and SKZ - Testing GmbH (business field product certification, monitoring and testing), is taking over the management of SKZ-Holding FSKZ e. V. with immediate effect, which was previously headed by Prof. Dr. Martin Bastian. While the management of SKZ - Testing GmbH will remain with Hochrein, he is handing over full responsibility for SKZ - KFE gGmbH to his former deputy, Dr. Benjamin Baudrit. In future, Martin Bastian will concentrate fully on his duties as Chairman of the SKZ Executive Board. Dipl.-Ing. Robert Schmitt will continue to manage the business of SKZ-Cert GmbH and will remain responsible for the business area of management system certification." Dr. Giovanni Schober, previously Head of Customer and Project Management at SKZ - Testing GmbH and with extensive experience as a division manager in research, is a new member of the management board. In future, he will support Hochrein as Managing Director in the business area of product certification, monitoring and testing.
Long-standing managers take over responsibilities
"Responsibility for the management of SKZ-Holding FSKZ e. V. will be transferred to Dr. Thomas Hochrein, a managing director who has proven himself in other SKZ companies," explains Bastian. "I am very pleased that all positions have been filled with long-standing employees from our own ranks." In addition to Martin Bastian, Robert Schmitt and Thomas Hochrein, Benjamin Baudrit and Giovanni Schober have also been with SKZ for many years. Thomas Hochrein is also delighted with the choice of his successor in Research and Education and his deputy in Testing, Monitoring and Certification: "Both Benjamin Baudrit and Giovanni Schober have shown in their previous activities that they will fulfill their new areas of responsibility excellently and with great commitment for the benefit of the SKZ. I look forward to tackling the upcoming challenges together with my colleagues and our CEO Martin Bastian in order to generate successes that will continue to drive the SKZ forward successfully."