Sympatex Promotes Kim Scholze To CEO

Sympatex Technologies, the German manufacturer of membranes, laminates and textiles used in outdoor apparel and footwear, has promoted Kim Scholze to chief executive officer.

Dr. Rüdiger Fox, who has served as the company’s CEO since 2016, is stepping down from the management board.

Scholze joined Sympatex in 2021 as chief sustainable community manager and head of storytelling and has been chief marketing and sales officer since January 2023.

“We want to use this moment of change to initiate the next steps for the company and make Sympatex even more future-ready, in close collaboration with our partners, with innovative products and with a clear focus on circularity,” said Scholze.

Scholze will retain her former responsibilities as chief sales and marketing officer while also assuming responsibility for corporate strategy and development.

“We look ahead with optimism and are setting a course for growth and transformation. At the same time, we would like to express our sincere thanks to Rüdiger. With his expertise, courage and tireless commitment, he has been a defining force behind Sympatex and laid a foundation that we can build on,” said Scholze.

During his tenure, Fox guided Sympatex through a period of transformation, positioning the company as a “pioneer of sustainability in the textile industry. He drove Sympatex’s complete avoidance of PFAS in product, development of mono-material and Fiber2Fiber laminates, as well as cross-industry circularity collaborations,” the company said in a media release.

“With Kim Scholze at the helm, Sympatex is reinforcing its profile for the future as a pioneer of sustainable, high-performance functional materials. The company will continue to drive innovation that combines performance with responsibility. The focus remains on close partnerships with the market’s brands, expanding the Fiber2Fiber portfolio, and the unerring pursuit of the company’s 2030 goals,” the company announced.