Colors are passion, emotions and personality. At Siegwerk, inks and coatings are our specialty and we use color to bring the packaging and products of our customers to life.
Group Executive Committee
Company
Dr. Nicolas Wiedmann
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Dr. Nicolas Wiedmann joined Siegwerk on January 1, 2021. He assumed the position as CEO in April 2021.
Dr. Wiedmann previously held the position of General Manager for the Business Segment Special Applications and Member of the Executive Board of the Business Division Aftermarket and Special Applications at Hella GmbH & Co KGaA.
Dr. Wiedmann brings many years of experience in managing global businesses and implementing change processes. Apart from his most recent position at the automotive supplier Hella GmbH & Co KGaA, he held executive roles at Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG, a polymer processing company producing plastic packaging amongst others, and Johnson Controls Automotive Europe in Germany.
The PhD physicist has successfully built up innovation and product roadmaps, led merger and acquisition activities and introduced new customer and Supply Chain Management strategies to ensure efficient and sustainable business growth. During his tenure at McKinsey & Company in Duesseldorf, he led international consultant and client teams as Engagement Manager, focusing on automotive, high-tech and TIME industries (telecommunications, information technology, media and electronics).
Dr. Wiedmann is married and has two children.
Dr. Jan Breitkopf
President EMEA
Dr. Jan Breitkopf joined Siegwerk in July 2012 as Head of Corporate Development.
In September 2017 he was appointed to the board of management of Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA overseeing the company’s packaging business for the Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Since 2016, Breitkopf, as Head of Flexible Packaging, oversaw the largest business unit in the EMEA region.
Breitkopf was born 24 April, 1976 in Bocholt, Germany. He received both his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and his Master of Business Administration (MSc) in Business Management from the Westfaelische Wilhelms University in Muenster, Germany. In June 2007, Breitkopf received his PhD in Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen (HSG), Switzerland where he graduated magna cum laude.
Prior to joining Siegwerk, Breitkopf held roles of increasing importance in the leading global management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company. In their Duesseldorf office he worked as a strategic consultant for industrial companies, B2B organizations and other clients in chemistry, automotive and high-tech sectors. Breitkopf began as a Consultant in 2002, he became a Project Manager in July 2008 and was promoted to Junior Partner in July 2010. He left McKinsey in June 2012 to join Siegwerk.
Dr. Jan Breitkopf is married and has three children.
Ralf Hildenbrand
President Americas
Ralf Hildenbrand is President Packaging Americas, Global Technology, PSR and Sustainability.
Hildenbrand developed an aggressive growth strategy for Asia and its sub-regions and coordinated the implementation of Siegwerk’s Flexible Packaging (FP) Differentiation Strategy. In addition, he is a Board Member of the Siegwerk Group, a role he has held since August 2002.
From 2012 until 2015 Hildenbrand also served as President Global Purchasing. In this capacity he was responsible for Strategic Purchasing and the development and implementation of Siegwerk's Global Purchasing Strategy.
From 2005 - 2009 he was President of Flexible Packaging and had responsibility for the company’s global Flexible Packaging business.
From 2002 until 2005 Hildenbrand was the Head of Siegwerk’s Packaging Business.
Hildenbrand was born in Bielefeld on May 10, 1963. After leaving school and completing national service, in 1983 he started an industrial engineering course at the Wirtschaftsakademie Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel, from which he graduated four years later as an Industrial Engineer (BA).
Hildenbrand launched his professional career in the medical equipment industry. In 1989, he moved to Siegwerk where he held several management positions of increasing responsibility.
Ralf Hildenbrand is married and has two children.
Dr. Oliver Wittmann
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Dr. Oliver Wittmann is CFO of Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA as well as Siegwerk Group Holding AG & Co. KG.
Dr. Oliver Wittmann joined Siegwerk in February 2001 as Commercial Director. In August 2002 he became the company’s Chief Financial Officer when it changed to Siegwerk Druckfarben AG. After another name change in 2011, Wittmann is now CFO of Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA as well as Siegwerk Group Holding AG & Co. KG. In addition to Finance, he is also responsible for Global Information Technology and Legal Affairs & Compliance.
Wittmann was born in Berlin on 1st March, 1962. After leaving school, he started a Business Administration course at the Free University Berlin, from which he graduated in 1986 with a degree in Business Administration. This was followed by external postgraduate studies.
In 1987, Wittmann launched his professional career in a Berlin business consultancy. In 1992, he moved to a trust agency where, as Investment Manager in the central financial control department, he was responsible for the renovation and privatization of former GDR businesses.
In 1995, Wittmann joined TÜV Rheinland/Berlin-Brandenburg. Here, he held various positions, finally managing TÜV Kraftfahrt GmbH in Cologne as Commercial Director until January 2001.
Dr. Oliver Wittmann is married and has three children.
Ashish Pradhan
President Asia
Ashish Pradhan was appointed President Asia at the beginning of 2021. In this role, he has since been responsible for the business in India, Greater China, and Southeast Asia.
Since January 2024, he is also part of the newly-formed Group Executive Committee, established to better reflect Siegwerk's global presence and thus the significance of the Asian region in its global strategy.
Pradhan joined Siegwerk in 2015 as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Indian business and took over as CEO of Siegwerk India in 2016. Three years later, in 2019, he then became President India and Greater China before assuming his current role as President Asia in 2021.
Before joining Siegwerk, he worked in different capacities within the global packaging industry for companies including International Paper, Henkel, Positive Packaging, and Huhtamaki. By now, he looks back now on more than 30 years of experience in the chemical and packaging industry.
Pradhan has a degree in Mechanical Engineering of the University of Mumbai and gained different post-graduate qualifications in management. Pradhan has completed executive education from Harvard and INSEAD, France, and also holds a Diploma in International Trade, from the Indian Institute of Materials Management and a Diploma in Packaging from the Institute of Packaging, UK.
Ashish Pradhan is married and has two children.