Florian Kaiser is an accomplished professional in the chemical industry with extensive experience at BASF since October 2004. As the Director of Global Direct Procurement, Florian oversees the procurement of specialty and commodity chemical raw materials within Fine Chemicals and Specialties. Previous roles include Head of Procurement Asia/Pacific, where Florian led a regional team of over 20 category managers and buyers, and Senior Procurement Manager, focusing on sourcing, business development, and sustainability. Florian has also held positions in product management and research, including the Head of Chemical Research for Insecticides, where significant contributions included managing a team of over 20 researchers and co-inventing over 70 patents. Florian's early career includes a postdoctoral research position at Scripps Research, specializing in natural product total synthesis. Educational qualifications include a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cologne and a Diplom-Chemiker from Kiel University.