Herbert Verse was Chairman of Eckes AG between 1996 and2003 responsible for Group Strategic Planning, Corporate Management, Finance, Human Resources, IT, Group Auditing and Company Communication.

Between 1990 and 1996 Mr Verse was CEO of Air Liquide GmbH in Düsseldorf responsible for Germany, Austria and Hungary. Before this he worked as Business Development Director Europe in the parent company in Paris.

Mr Verse worked for BAT from 1983 to 1988, initially as Director Controlling for the German Group and subsequently as Managing Director of EUROTEC, a leading European producer of large plastic components for the automotive industry.

After graduating from university in 1968, Mr Verse joined Unilever where until 1983, he filled various senior management positions in both FMCG and industrial operations in Germany and in the Group Head Office in the Netherlands.

Herbert Verse was born in Lüdenscheid in March 1943. After leaving school he studied at the University of Karlsruhe (TH) graduating with a technically oriented MBA. Immediately afterwards he began his professional career as a Management Trainee with Unilever in Germany and England. Management-Trainee bei Unilever.