Benjamin Deister

Regional President EMEA Central | €1.5bn P&L | 2,000 People | Board Member | Global Executive Leadership

Cologne Bonn Region

About

Global business leader with extensive experience across Finance, Operations, and General Management, driving transformation and profitable growth in complex, multi-billion environments. Currently serving as Regional President EMEA Central at Brenntag Essentials, I hold full P&L responsibility for €1.5bn turnover across 16 countries, 2,000 employees and 43 operating sites. Previously, as Global BU CFO (€11bn revenue, 11,000 FTEs across 5 continents), I acted as strategic partner to the COO and member of the Board of Management, shaping strategy, performance management, and transformation initiatives at global scale. Core Strengths & Expertise • Executive Leadership & Board Engagement • P&L Ownership (€11bn global / €1.5bn regional) • Transformation & Change Leadership • International Expansion & Multi-Site Operations • Building High-Performance Leadership Teams • Finance Excellence, Controlling & Strategic Steering Selected Achievements – Leading €1.5bn regional business across 16 countries with 2,000 employees – Delivered global finance leadership for €11bn turnover business across 5 continents – Successfully drove full-scale transformation program (“Project Brenntag”), redesigning global operating model Passionate about building resilient, future-ready organizations, empowering leadership teams, and enabling sustainable growth in global markets.

Experience

  • Brenntag (13 yrs 7 mos)
    • Regional President Brenntag Essentials EMEA Central
      Jan 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 7 mos

      Full P&L responsibility for €1.5bn turnover, covering 16 countries, 43 operating sites, and 2,000 employees Member of Supervisory / Advisory Boards within the Group Driving strategic growth, operational excellence, and cultural transformation in the region

    • CFO Brenntag Essentials / Senior Vice President Controlling
      Jan 2021 - Mar 2024 · 3 yrs 3 mos

      Global P&L oversight for €11bn business unit, 11,000 FTEs across North America, Latin America, EMEA, APAC, China Served as strategic partner (“financial co-pilot”) to COO, shaping global strategy and execution Member of the Board of Brenntag SE (MDAX), contributing to corporate governance and strategic direction Implemented finance transformation programs, strengthening performance management and steering

    • PMO Transformation
      Dec 2019 - Jan 2021 · 1 yr 2 mos

      Led “Project Brenntag”, a global transformation program reshaping the operating model, governance, and efficiency of the Group Coordinated cross-functional, multinational teams, delivering sustainable structural improvements

  • Advisory Board Member at CVH Chemie-Vertrieb Gruppe
    Feb 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 6 mos

  • Lecturer at Center for Advanced Studies - DHBW
    Aug 2016 - Present · 10 yrs

    Master and MBA programs

  • Lecturer at FOM Hochschule
    Mar 2015 - Present · 11 yrs 5 mos

    Bachelor and Master programs (courses of Business Administration)

  • Referent Corporate Finance & Controlling at ARDEX
    Oct 2010 - Dec 2012 · 2 yrs 3 mos

    Corporate Finance Corporate Treasury Corporate Controller (France and India) Projects: Strategic Controlling, Raw Material hedging strategy, Working Capital Management, Group fx and risk management strategy Business Development