Agile management teams for a strong company
Circular economic management requires quick action
Interzero is headed by its Chairman and owner Dr Axel Schweitzer and the management of the Interzero Group, as well as the management teams of the Interzero Circular Solutions, Interzero Plastics Recycling and Interseroh+ divisions.
Dr. Axel Schweitzer
"My vision is a world without waste. A world worth living in today and for the generations of tomorrow."
Dr Axel Schweitzer (born 1969) studied industrial engineering at the Technical University of Berlin and was awarded his doctorate in 1995. In the same year, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of ALBA, the recycling company founded by his father, and has managed the family business together with his brother Dr Eric Schweitzer from 1998 onwards. From 2005 to 2018, Axel Schweitzer was at the helm of ALBA SE (formerly INTERSEROH AG and INTERSEROH SE) in various roles (Chairman of the Supervisory Board, the Board of Directors and the Administrative Board).
From 2013 to 2018, Schweitzer was also a member of the Greater China Spokesperson Team of the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA), and since February 2019 he has been Deputy Chairman of the APA and a member of the German-Chinese Discussion Forum. Axel Schweitzer is committed to social causes; the company supports the children’s homes in the city of Cologne, for example. As Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ALBA BERLIN Basketball GmbH and Chairman of ALBA BERLIN Basketball e. V., he also plays a role in the world of sports in Berlin.
With the reorganisation of the companies of the Schweitzer family in 2022, Dr Axel Schweitzer assumed responsibility for the Asian business, the global activities in the area of plastics recycling as well as all the business activities of Interseroh in the field of recycling solutions. As the owner and Chairman of Interzero, he is dedicated to realising the company vision of a “world without waste”.
Sebastiaan Krol
"Circular economy now: We don't just design it, we create it."
Sebastiaan Krol (born 1980) studied engineering in Hamburg, focusing on aircraft systems technology. After graduating, he spent twelve years in Germany working for the French technology consulting company Altran, where he helped build up various business divisions and was responsible for the integration of two companies and their restructuring in the German market.
Born in the Netherlands, Krol has over 15 years’ management experience in the B2B services sector. In this respect, as CEO, he was responsible for the development consultancy Modis, which is owned by the globally active Adecco Group. In this role, he created several new business areas with the key focus of digitalisation and was responsible for integrating four major medium-sized service companies into Modis in Germany.
Sebastiaan Krol took up his role as CEO of ALBA Services Holding (ASH) in 2022. In the newly formed Interzero Group, he is responsible for business operations in the field of circular solutions as CEO of Interzero Circular Solutions (ICS). Effective 1 August 2023, he was also appointed to the Interzero Holding Executive Management, where his portfolio includes digitalisation, corporate communications, marketing and brand management within the Group.
Jan Kroker
"We need to realise that disposal does not mean 'disappear into thin air,' but essentially means transform. Every recyclable material is valuable."
Jan Kroker (born in 1977) served as an officer in the German Armed Forces before transitioning into business. He took on leading responsibilities, for example, at the oilfield service provider KCA Deutag in Russia or in the chemical industry in the in-house consulting at BASF in Ludwigshafen and on global projects. Most recently, Jan Kroker served as Director Site Management and Deputy Managing Director for BASF Polyurethanes GmbH in Lemförde.
From April 2023, Jan Kroker will take over as CEO, supporting the Interzero Plastics Recycling (IPR) team during the phase of strategy and organizational development. At the same time, he will permanently assume the position of Head of Battery Recycling. Effective August 2023, he was simultaneously made CEO of IPR and appointed to the Interzero Holding Executive Management. Alongside plastics recycling, technology and plant engineering, he also directs HR development activities within the Interzero Group. At the same time, he will permanently assume the position of Head of Battery Recycling.
Markus Müller-Drexel
"Together for a sustainable raw materials revolution!"
Qualified philologist Markus Müller Drexel (born 1964) decided to pursue a career in the circular economy at an early stage. From 1992 to 1997 he managed the southern branch of INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH in Munich. In 1997, Müller-Drexel moved to the head office in Cologne, where he took responsibility for the management of the operational business.
On 1 May 2002, Markus Müller-Drexel was appointed Managing Director of INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH. In 2016, he assumed the role of CEO of ALBA Services Holding.
As CEO, he currently manages the activities of the dual system Interseroh+ and was also appointed to the Interzero Holding Executive Management in August 2023. Here he contributes expertise in relation to the regulatory conditions governing the circular economy, directs the Public Affairs unit and is working to further expand research and development work in relation to plastics granulates. The guiding principle of his entrepreneurial activities was and is to advance and fundamentally develop the closing of material loops together with partners.
Felix Held
"Sustainable value creation means growth without resource consumption. We help our customers move closer to achieving this goal."
Felix Held (born 1984) studied business administration and industrial engineering at the Technical University of Berlin, and completed an MBA at Salisbury University, Maryland, USA. He then moved to Frankfurt am Main where he spent nine years working for the M&A divisions of Lazard and Rothschild & Co, advising on numerous transactions for corporate clients, financial investors and family enterprises with a total volume of over 100 billion euros. He focused on clients from the chemical, energy and automotive sectors.
Felix Held joined the executive management of Interzero in May 2022. He is responsible, inter alia, for portfolio management and M&A – and focuses consistently on the vision of a world without waste.
Yi Guo
"We create sustainable value added and new markets with our innovative and know-how-based solutions. In that way, we build bridges between Europe and Asia."
Yi Guo (born 1983) first studied industrial engineering, completing his studies at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), before joining the M&A unit at HSH Nordbank and DZ Bank in Hamburg, where he focused on international transactions in relation to shipping, renewable energy, industrials and mid-sized enterprises.
In 2016, Yi Guo joined ALBA Group in Berlin as Senior Manager M&A, where his achievements included successfully managing strategic projects for group-wide portfolio optimisation and promoting growth in Asia with acquisitions and joint ventures. He has been a member of the management team at Hong Kong-based ALBA Group Asia since early 2019. As CFO, his portfolio includes the areas of strategy, finance and law, and he manages an interdisciplinary team working on expansion in the region.
Yi Guo joined the Interzero Holding management in August 2023, where he will contribute his long experience gained in establishing recycling activities in Asia while working to strengthen channels of communication between Interzero and its affiliate ALBA Group Asia.
Jan Kroker
"We need to realise that disposal does not mean 'disappear into thin air,' but essentially means transform. Every recyclable material is valuable."
Jan Kroker (born in 1977) served as an officer in the German Armed Forces before transitioning into business. He took on leading responsibilities, for example, at the oilfield service provider KCA Deutag in Russia or in the chemical industry in the in-house consulting at BASF in Ludwigshafen and on global projects. Most recently, Jan Kroker served as Director Site Management and Deputy Managing Director for BASF Polyurethanes GmbH in Lemförde.
From April 2023, Jan Kroker will take over as CEO, supporting the Interzero Plastics Recycling (IPR) team during the phase of strategy and organizational development. At the same time, he will permanently assume the position of Head of Battery Recycling. Effective August 2023, he was simultaneously made CEO of IPR and appointed to the Interzero Holding Executive Management. Alongside plastics recycling, technology and plant engineering, he also directs HR development activities within the Interzero Group. At the same time, he will permanently assume the position of Head of Battery Recycling.
Sebastian Waßermann
"The close integration of Finance, Operations and IT is indispensable for our sustainable success and a clear competitive advantage."
Curriculum Vitae
Sebastian Waßermann
CFO, Interzero Plastics Recycling
Sebastian Waßermann (born 1983) studied at Berlin School of Economics and Law. After graduating with a degree in finance and investment, he initially worked for the BMW Group before joining the ALBA Group in 2009. He worked for various international business units before assuming responsibility for the commercial management at ALBA Wertstoffmanagement GmbH in 2015.
As CFO of the ALBA International Recycling Group, he has been responsible for the areas of controlling, accounting, treasury, legal, taxes and IT since 2017. In 2020, he also became responsible for the executive management of CPE Entsorgungs GmbH. In his current role as CFO of Interzero Plastics Recycling (IPR), he is responsible for the areas of finance and administration and the co-development of the corporate strategy.
Uwe Küber
"Combining state-of-the-art sorting units effectively and efficiently is an art – and can only be achieved by working as a team."
Uwe Küber (born 1958) is a trained maintenance mechanic, graduate engineer in automotive technology and graduate mechanical engineer. After completing his military service, he began working as a professional driver and technical clerk. Since 1996, he has been responsible for managing various ALBA companies – including AWU Sortieranlagen Betriebs GmbH, KVB Kunststoffverwertung Brandenburg GmbH, ALBA Recycling GmbH and ALBA Hultschiner Damm Grundstücksverwaltung GmbH.
Uwe Küber played a key role in the construction of the sorting plants in Berlin, Braunschweig, Walldürn and Marl. In addition to his current position as Managing Director of Interzero GmbH & Co. KG, he is also responsible for the further development of the technology and the further improvement of the sorting quality as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Interzero Plastics Recycling.
Jacco de Haas
"It is important for the chemical and recycling industries to work together in order to boost the circular economy and improve the quality and quantity of recycled plastics."
Jacco de Haas (born 1975) studied at Erasmus University Rotterdam (MSc, Business Administration) and began his career as a Key Account Manager in the specialist chemicals company Croda. He then held various roles at the international chemical company Oxea and gained extensive experience in strategy and marketing. As Vice President Global Sales, he was most recently responsible for global sales and business development.
In 2020, Jacco de Haas moved from the chemical to the recycling industry, taking the role of Managing Director at ALBA Recycling. In his current role of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Interzero Plastics Recycling, he is responsible for the sales and marketing for the entire production at the five sorting plants, the three recycling plants and the international retail unit, focusing on LDPE, HDPE, PP, PET and EPS. He is also responsible for strategic projects in the field of chemical recycling.
Thomas Herkert
"A world without waste can be achieved only if the whole world works together, where we contribute our know-how and continuously improve our technical solutions."
Thomas Herkert studied mechanical engineering at Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences. After graduating with a master’s, he first worked as a watersports instructor and formed his own watersports business before switching to the closed-loop economy at the end of 2010.
After various roles, including shift supervisor at ALBA Recycling GmbH, he was promoted to Technical Director of the Walldürn plant in 2013. In 2021, he was appointed Technical Director of the company. He became Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at ALBA Recycling GmbH in October 2022 before taking on the role of CTO in the management team of Interzero Plastics Recycling in August 2023.
Sebastiaan Krol
"In my work, I am guided by clear principles. These include openness, transparency, fair competition and “leave no one behind”."
Sebastiaan Krol (born 1980) studied engineering in Hamburg, focusing on aircraft systems technology. After graduating, he spent twelve years in Germany working for the French technology consulting company Altran, where he helped build up various business divisions and was responsible for the integration of two companies and their restructuring in the German market.
Born in the Netherlands, Krol has over 15 years’ management experience in the B2B services sector. In this respect, as CEO, he was responsible for the development consultancy Modis, which is owned by the globally active Adecco Group. In this role, he created several new business areas with the key focus of digitalisation and was responsible for integrating four major medium-sized service companies into Modis in Germany.
Sebastiaan Krol took up his role as CEO of ALBA Services Holding (ASH) in 2022. In the newly formed Interzero Group, he is responsible for business operations in the field of circular solutions as CEO of Interzero Circular Solutions (ICS). Effective 1 August 2023, he was also appointed to the Interzero Holding Executive Management, where his portfolio includes digitalisation, corporate communications, marketing and brand management within the Group.
Melanie Freytag
"Sustainability means more than environmental protection. Anchoring it also in the business organisation is my goal. "
Curriculum Vitae
Melanie Freytag
CFO, Interzero Circular Solutions
After her studies at the British University of Kent and the Belgian Université catholique de Louvain, Melanie Freytag (born 1975) started her career at the audit and advisory services firm KPMG. Before joining ALBA, she worked many years as CFO within the ThyssenKrupp Group and of a mid market mechanical and systems engineering company. In 2020, she became Managing Director and CFO of ALBA Services Holding (ASH) and also took over the operational responsibility for the division Facility Solutions.
Since 2022, Melanie Freytag is CFO of Interzero and also leads the Interzero Circular Solutions (ICS) division together with Sebastiaan Krol. In her role, she particularly advances group wide subjects in the areas of Treasury, IT, Legal, Tax, Group Accounting and Human Resources.
Alexander Maak
"Surpass your limits! We have to leave our comfort zones for new things to emerge."
Alexander Maak, born 1970, studied business administration at the University of Wales, Cardiff. In his initial role he worked at an equipment manufacturer, where he had territorial responsibility for Asia and the Near and Middle East. He then became CEO of a shipping company with his own majority shareholding. After successfully selling his shareholding, Maak moved to the plastics sector, and first stepped into the world of Interseroh in 2014. Among others, he led the Business Development division and developed a successful joint venture with an automotive group.
After another stint as Chief Sales Officer in the plastics industry, Maak returned to the company in 2020, and currently leads the national Circular Solutions business units of Interzero as Managing Director. In his current role, he is responsible for growing the existing business units and establishing and expanding new business units in the circular economy.
Anna Grom
Curriculum Vitae
Anna Grom
Head of Zero Waste Solutions International
After completing her Master’s degree at Warsaw School of Economics, Anna Grom (born 1980) worked as a marketing manager in Warsaw and as an EU project manager in Leipzig. She was then responsible for managing and coordinating the entire logistics chain at an international transport company in Vienna.
Anna Grom joined Interseroh in 2007. As Chairwoman of Interseroh Organizacja Odzysku Opakowań S.A., she managed and coordinated the company’s activities on the Polish market, introduced new services and developed sales strategies for the region. From 2018, she was also Head of Regional Center in Warsaw. In her current position as Head of Interseroh Zero Waste Solutions International at Interzero Circular Solutions, she is mainly responsible for advancing the business development, marketing, sales and strategic partnerships.
Martin Ulke
Martin Ulke (born 1973) studied at the London Business School and the Vienna University of Economics and Business. After his first professional role at Evonik, in 2000, he moved to Brenntag, the world market leader for chemical distribution. Among other roles, he has been Head of Controlling Central Eastern Europe (CEE) in Vienna and CFO of the Turkish subsidiary in Istanbul.
In his position of Head of Interseroh Zero Waste Solutions International, he has been helping to develop the circular economy in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Italy since 2008. As Director of the Regional Center Interseroh, he was responsible for the commercial division; his tasks also included the strategic development of the CEE companies as well as opening up new markets and developing new services. In the International division at Interzero Circular Solutions, he is responsible for the strategic orientation, finance, M&A, human resources and IT infrastructure.
Markus Müller-Drexel
"Together for a sustainable raw materials revolution!"
Qualified philologist Markus Müller Drexel (born 1964) decided to pursue a career in the circular economy at an early stage. From 1992 to 1997 he managed the southern branch of INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH in Munich. In 1997, Müller-Drexel moved to the head office in Cologne, where he took responsibility for the management of the operational business.
On 1 May 2002, Markus Müller-Drexel was appointed Managing Director of INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH. In 2016, he assumed the role of CEO of ALBA Services Holding.
As CEO, he currently manages the activities of the dual system Interseroh+ and was also appointed to the Interzero Holding Executive Management in August 2023. Here he contributes expertise in relation to the regulatory conditions governing the circular economy, directs the Public Affairs unit and is working to further expand research and development work in relation to plastics granulates. The guiding principle of his entrepreneurial activities was and is to advance and fundamentally develop the closing of material loops together with partners.
Frank Kurrat
"What counts is the things we achieve – in a strong partnership alliance with our customers."
After gaining initial professional experience in mining and tunnelling as well as various activities abroad, Frank Kurrat (born 1968) continued his career from 1998 with environmental services provider Interseroh, where he was initially jointly responsible for setting up a sales organisation for returning transport packaging before taking over management of that business in 2001. In 2007, he became Business Unit Manager for transport packaging and waste electrical and electronic equipment. At the same time, he started being in charge of the sales activities of the Dual System Interseroh (DSI). In 2013, he was also appointed Managing Director of Repasack GmbH.
In 2014, Frank Kurrat took over management of the Recycling Business Center and as Head of Sales was responsible for the Dual System Interseroh and the transport packaging business. As Chief Sales Officer of Interseroh+, one of his key priorities is engaging in constructive dialogue with customers. His goal is to support companies in further refining and implementing their sustainability strategies.
Michael Bürstner
"Focus on the solution, not the problem."
After gaining his initial professional experience in the textile industry, Michael Bürstner (born 1965), who has a degree in business administration, began his career at the environmental services provider Interseroh in 1992. Among other roles, he worked as Branch Manager Southwest and as Branch Manager at ISD INTERSEROH Waste Management Services GmbH in the following years. In 2007, he took the role of Division Manager for the Dual System at INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH in Cologne.
In 2014, Michael Bürstner assumed responsibility for the management of the Recycling Business Centre, and as Head of Operations System, he was responsible for the Interseroh dual system and the area of transport packaging. As COO of Interseroh+, he wants to actively shape the circular economy together with customers and suppliers with the goal of reducing the consumption of resources in absolute terms.
Sustainability Magazine
A world without waste. Our strategy gives us the framework for turning this vision into a reality. So that we focus consistently on what’s important.