Kurt Bock

Kurt Bock (born 3 July 1958), is a German businessman who has been president of the German Chemical Industry Association since 2016, and was chief executive officer (CEO) of BASF, the world's largest chemical producer, from 2011 to 2018. Bock was born in 1958, in Rahden, Eastern Westphalia, West Germany. Bock studied business administration at the University of Münster, University of Cologne and Pennsylvania State University, and received his doctorate in economics from the University of Bonn in 1985. He wrote his thesis on "Corporate success and organization". Bock joined the finance division of BASF in 1985, after he earned his doctorate (PhD) in economics from the University of Bonn. In 1992, he joined Bosch as head of the finance and balance division. Later he took over the management of the Brazilian subsidiary. In 1998, Bock returned to BASF and was first chief financial officer of the US subsidiary. In 2000, he became head of logistics and IT at the BASF parent company. In 2003, he was appointed to the executive board of BASF AG with responsibility for the finance department.