Prior to the Global ManuChem Strategies 2014, we spoke to Marc Setzen, Vice President Operations, Europe & Asia, Klöckner Pentaplast GmbH / Germany

1. Interview
Klöckner Pentaplast GmbH / Germany
Marc Setzen
Vice President Operations, Europe & Asia
Prior to the Global ManuChem Strategies 2014, we spoke to Marc Setzen, Vice President Operations,
Europe & Asia, Klöckner Pentaplast GmbH / Germany
we.CONECT:
In your opinion: What are the main
current
challenges
and
trends
regarding
management
and
optimization of chemical production
and what are the specific challenges
related to your company?
Marc Setzen: I would not call it a trend
but it seems that people need motivation
and empowerment to unleash their full
organizational potential. To motivate and
foster the working people becomes a
growing challenge in management,
especially in regards to retention and
attraction of talents.
we.CONECT:
Looking to volatility in commodity
markets, which role plays operations
management, specifically S&OP and
plant capacity management?
Marc Setzen: Commodity markets are
mainly cost driven as certain quality
levels are given; hence if you want to be
cheap you have to be cheap. Bearing
this in mind it becomes even more
crucial to do things “First time right”.
S&OP does help to become more
predictable and to gain reaction time,
which is substantial for leveled
production.
we.CONECT:
Do you use and / or plan to implement
new technologies like MES, Big Data
& Cloud Technologies?
Marc Setzen: No, not up to now at
Klöckner Pentaplast.
we.CONECT:
Do you use mobile technologies to
optimize operator management and
operator mobility?
Marc Setzen: No, not yet.
we.CONECT
Which role plays the topic critical
infrastructures in relation to cyber
security in your plant?
Marc Setzen: Well, in the past years
shop floor IT was not really a focus but it
becomes clear that new measurement
and control systems do require different
infrastructure. This is why it is a growing
topic for us.
we.CONECT:
According to your presentation
“Getting it right – Use of Human
Capital as a Competitive Advantage in
Process Industries”, could you briefly
introduce us to the project and what
is important about this topic?
Marc Setzen: The presentation is
supposed to give a live example on how
it is possible to create value with existing
resources by managing the key driver of
all improvement activities and value
creation steps in the right way: human
capital.
An
established
learning
organization is a sustainable asset to
value creation and a source for
outstanding results, but it is still pretty
rare in the industry.
we.CONECT:
How different will the Chemical
Operations/Manufacturing of the year
2020 be from today’s ones?
Marc Setzen: I strongly believe that the
current path of automation and control
will have the same effect on operations
than electronics had on cars and car
mechanics.
However, for me it will be more an
evolution than a revolution.
we.CONECT:
Thanks a lot for this interview!
Interview Partner: Peter Haack and
Marc Setzen.
Marc Setzen is currently Vice President,
Operations Europe & Asia of Klöckner
Pentaplast GmbH. He received his Chemical
Engineering Diploma from University of
Aachen in 1997 and his Executive MBA from
the ESSEC-Mannheim Business School in
2010. He worked at Hutchinson Sealing
Systems, Polyone, IAC and nkt cables in
various positions
and was Senior Vice
President Central Europe before leaving to
work for Klöckner Pentaplast in 2011.
Global ManuChem Strategies brings together
industry leaders to discuss the current state of
the industry, the impact of new regulations and
the challenge to increase efficiency in chemical
operations and technical assets.
Information about the event and
we.CONECT can be found at:
http://production-chemicals2014.weconect.com
about
Contact:
Henry Fuchs
Managing Director / Product Management &
Marketing
Phone: +49 (0)30 52 10 70 3 – 44
Fax: +49 (0)30 52 10 70 3 – 30
Email: henry.fuchs@we-conect.com
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