From Mannheim into the world

knoell is more than a company. It's companies.

From a small family business to a globally operating company. We are proud of what we have achieved so far and excited to achieve even more together.

Office Mannheim

We are a family business

In 1996 Dr Hans-Emil Knoell founded the company "Dr. Knoell Consult GmbH" in the former MAFINEX building on Käfertaler Straße in Mannheim as a "one-man business". When Dr Hans-Emil Knoell talked about his plans for self-employment with friends and family, he had to face a lot of confusion at first. No wonder: After all, at an age when some are already thinking about early retirement, he went into self-employment. However, he had a clear strategy: to become the best full-service provider for the chemical and agrochemical industries and to support them in the approval and registration of their products in the respective markets. This remains the core of the business strategy until today, even though the clients and the service portfolio have developed considerably over the years.

When Felix Knoell joined the management board in 2018, the succession process was successfully completed. Together with the management team, he is responsible for the family business and the worldwide network of the knoell Group. Today, knoell Germany GmbH, based in Mannheim, is one of the leading specialists for the registration of chemical products and substances. The knoell Group employs over 600 people worldwide in more than 14 countries.

Our strength is To Be where it matters
THink Globally, act LocallY!

Think globally, act locally!

meet The management

Dr Hans-Emil Knoell

Founder   * 25.05.1945      24.05.2019

He was a remarkable man: a loving, caring husband and father; an employer with a compassionate concern for the well-being of his employees; a scientist highly respected by his peers and colleagues; an environmentalist with a passionate interest in the sustainability of our planet Earth; an entrepreneur with immense energy, vision, and an unwavering faith in the opportunities that tomorrow may bring.

He established a legacy that we are proud to continue, with the future firmly in focus.

Felix Knoell

Chief Executive Officer

I will make sure,

  • that we invest in the right things at the right time;
  • that an inspiring and exemplary leadership team ensures sustainable success;
  • that we live diversity;
  • that we actively drive digital transformation;
  • that we continue to develop and shape our corporate culture together;
  • that we pursue knoell‘s vision together with our clients;
  • that the knoell brand and ethos is consistent.

Dr Runar Eberhardt

Executive Director Finance, IT & Corporate Compliance

I will make sure,

  • that we ensure legal and ethical compliance;
  • that business processes are optimal and transparent;
  • that we set ourselves ambitious financial targets;
  • that our business infrastructure efficiently supports our activities;
  • that we always scan the horizon for any future corporate risk.

Dr Marika Suhm-Tintelnot

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

I will make sure,

  • that we are at the cutting edge and forefront in all that we do;
  • that we are technical experts;
  • that we work globally;
  • that we are proud of what we do;
  • that we are innovative in the face of challenge;
  • that we promote professionalism;
  • that staff skillsets and expertise are strategically aligned with client requirements.

 

Dr Michael Cleuvers

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PRODUCTS AND MARKETS

I will make sure,

  • that we are dynamic in our approach to new markets;
  • that we expand into new business areas whilst developing existing;
  • that we obtain visibility in the market place and strive for excellence;
  • that we inspire new customers and keep them loyal to us;
  • that we provide benefits to our clients;
  • that we are strategic in our approach to customers;
  • that we broaden our product portfolio according to market trends.

The human scale

Germany owes a significant part of its economic prosperity to medium-sized enterprises, including many family businesses. Long-term investment decisions, strong employee loyalty and the active influence of the family on the vision, corporate culture and strategy play a decisive role.
The step into self-employment was essential for our company founder in order to turn his ideas of a company truly caring for their employees into reality. Compatibility of family and career, women in management positions, work-life balance, flexible working hours, home-office options or an own employee financial participation programme - these are only some of the aspects that are still praised as "the future model" in modern HR and have long been a standard at knoell.

Family first

The values of the Knoell family have always shaped the corporate culture. Even though some aspects of this "family feeling" are no longer as present in everyday life as they were in the early years, the family attaches great importance to visibility and closeness to the employees. How the company "looks" and how it "feels" is purely a family matter. In everyday life, this ranges from the furnishing of office kitchens to the plants or to artwork on the walls in each office.

The company management consists of employees who have been with knoell from the very beginning. They actively live and continue to shape the values of the company and the family together with Felix Knoell.

Room for ideas

In order to actively encourage creativity, inventiveness and interest of our employees in shaping their company, we attach great importance to our corporate and management culture. Even though the size and complexity of the company requires a certain level of hierarchy, we involve our employees in important decisions. Recently the management and different working groups came together in a joint workshop to compare and combine different approaches for an organisational development project.  We strongly believe, that the wealth of ideas of our employees for groundbreaking and pioneering projects is key to our success.

Smart decisions

The fact that women shine in management positions has not yet reached many companies. The mere appointment of a woman to a management position still triggers PR messages in DAX companies. For us, this is beloved routine - no wonder, with a share of women of almost 70 percent. We have plenty of unconventional decisions on the agenda. In order not to lose a valuable employee who wanted to move to Thailand for private reasons, knoell quickly set up their own branch in Chiang Mai. Two strong women running one of our UK based subsidiaries, both working part-time? No problem at knoell. If you want to hear more stories like that, we recommend that you talk to some of the long-term staff members who remember the early days when knoell staff easily fit into two offices in Mannheim. 

Our vision

Together with our clients, we create a sustainable approach for the safe use of chemicals and products worldwide.

Our Mission

We research, we process, and we evaluate scientific data to ensure that chemicals and products, regardless of use and regulation, are correctly assessed for hazard and risk to human health, animal health and the environment. Therefore, we have the right people, doing the right things at the right time to manage current and future global regulatory challenges.

vision mission

Compliance

As a global organisation, knoell stands for the trustful cooperation with its clients, government agencies, cooperation partners, contract laboratories and other business partners, for the integrity of its employees, as well as for the reliability and high quality of its services. This requires that all knoell employees at all times and in all countries comply with the local laws of their respective country, as well as the minimum standards and rules set out in our Code of Conduct, and respect fundamental ethical values.

This Code of Conduct provides guidance on our common minimum standards and rules, in order to prevent violations of the law and misconduct.

Read more in our Code of Conduct.