Wilhelm Otten is currently responsible for digitalisation initiatives in production and engineering and corporate strategy projects. Until June 2019 he was head of Business Line Process Technology & Engineering with global responsibility. Process Technology & Engineering provides worldwide services for process development and improvement as well as engineering service to plan and construct chemical green field plants. The service with about 900 employees is located in Europe, Mobile/US, Brazil, Shanghai/China and Singapore. Process Technology & Engineering is process owner for asset lifecycle processes and develops process technology for Evonik and other chemical companies, i.e. asset lifecycle data management, modular plants and remote operation of chemical plants.

Wilhelm Otten studied mechanical engineering and was awarded a PhD in process engineering.  Within the Degussa Group, now Evonik Industries, he took over a number of positions, process engineer (1988), plant engineer (1992), technical controlling (1997) and head of technical service of a major production site where he gained basic experience in the entire field of maintenance and project engineering (2000). He was Vice President of the maintenance and engineering business line (2004), Infracor Chemistry Services, a service provider at Marl Chemical Park, Germany.  From 2008 to 2010 he was Member of the Board of Evonik Röhm GmbH at Darmstadt responsible for the site services, plant safety, financial services, IT, and HR. In 2010 he became head of the Business Line Technical Services in the new Business Unit Site Services. At the beginning of 2015 he took over the responsibility for Business Line Process Technology and Engineering with global responsibility.

Within these tasks and company-wide optimisation projects he was very much involved in developing technology and technical management solutions.  He has published various articles and has worked as a consultant in the field of maintenance and engineering.

Wilhelm Otten is Member of several associations. He was the chairman of the board of NAMUR, an international association of users of process automation. NAMUR coordinates the Industry 4.0 activities within the German process industry. He is also member of the coordination group within the German engineering association (VDI).

Evonik is one of the world’s leading specialty chemicals companies. We may not manufacture tires, mattresses, medications, or animal feeds, but Evonik is part of all of those products – and many more. While we often contribute only small amounts of material, those contributions are precisly what makes the difference. That's because Evonik products make tires fuel efficient, mattresses more elastic, medications more effective, and animal feeds healthier. That’s what specialty chemicals are all about. And when it comes to specialty chemicals, we're among the best in the world.