Dear Friends, Business Partners, and Colleagues,
I wholeheartedly thank you for your kind and thoughtful comments on my 30-year journey at BASF. Reflecting on these years, it feels like yesterday that I arrived at the Ammonia Laboratory in Ludwigshafen on my very first day, greeted with a joke about Austrians. I remember thinking, This company has room to grow if they want me to stay. And grow it did—tremendously—also in fostering inclusion and collaboration.
Thirty years have since flown by, filled with remarkable experiences, invaluable learnings, and cherished connections with all of you.
In recent years, as I’ve had the opportunity to mentor others, many mentees ask about my career and the contributions I’ve made to the success of the company and its branches. A common thread always comes to mind: #RelentlessInnovation—from chemical catalysts in the early days to processes, and later, to people and their mindsets.
The success story of BASF in Central & South East Europe over the past decade is, at its heart, a collective achievement. My role was to empower, support, and challenge my leadership teams to continuously innovate—always asking, Can we do this better, faster, or in a way that’s more human and engaging? And they delivered, year after year, through initiatives like: #GrowthMindsetInitiative, #UpskillHacks, #InnovationHub, #InnovationChallenge, #AdvocacyForIncentiveDrivenRegulations …and many more initiatives that have driven impactful change.
As I look ahead, I remain deeply engaged in shaping innovation. However, I’m also embracing a new chapter in my professional journey—one aligned with the learn-earn-return philosophy. Having learned and contributed over the years, I now see this as an opportunity to give back, sharing my experiences, insights, and passion for growth with the next generation of innovators and leaders.
Europe has the brains, the guts, and the education—we just need to empower people to act on their potential. Together, we can build a future where bold ideas and innovation drive progress. Let’s continue to #MakeYourCompanyAPowerhouse and #MakeEuropeCompetitiveAgain !
Kind regards with the best wishes for a Happy New Year
Thomas
This is Dr. Thomas Narbeshuber's last working day at #BASF. We would like to sincerely thank him for his personal commitment to BASF for over 29 years, and for leading the region and BASF Hungária Kft. for 10 years.
We wish him all the best for the future! May his retirement be filled with joy, adventure, and fulfillment!
Team Lead at Asahi Kasei Plastics North America, Inc.
1wlooks like fun. Happy new year!