BASF has named Hannah Bofinger its new head of personal care sales for North America, effective September 17, 2026, elevating a six-year company veteran who previously spent six years at Croda into the top regional commercial role for its care chemicals division in the territory.

The promotion consolidates Bofinger's responsibility over a personal care portfolio that spans surfactants, polymers, emollients and conditioning actives sold to formulators and brand owners across the United States, Canada and Mexico. It also makes her a key counterpart for procurement teams negotiating multi-tonne annual contracts with BASF, the world's largest chemicals supplier by revenue.

Who is Bofinger?

Bofinger joined BASF in May 2020 as an account manager for care chemicals, following a six-year stint at Croda between 2014 and 2020, where she advanced from graduate trainee to account manager in under four years. In May 2023, she stepped into the regional key account manager role for personal care at BASF, a position that typically carries direct accountability for the territory's largest customers.

Her Croda tenure is relevant for North American personal care buyers: she worked across the supplier's specialty ingredients portfolio during a period of aggressive expansion in biotech-derived emollients and conditioning platforms.

What does the appointment signal for customers?

For procurement leads, the change means new commercial relationships will be rebuilt at the top of the account stack. Regional key account managers in BASF's personal care business typically carry delegated authority on pricing tiers, volume rebates and lead time commitments that underpin quarterly safety stock planning. Formulators working on launches planned for Q1 2027 should expect fresh commercial outreach in the coming weeks.

Bofinger framed the move in personal terms. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to lead such a talented team as we continue to grow our business and support our customers across North America," she said.

She also pointed to the network behind her rise. "When I look back on my career, what stands out most are the people. The mentors who invested in me, the teammates who challenged me, and the customers and partners who trusted us to help solve their toughest challenges," she added.

Why does the timing matter?

The promotion lands roughly three and a half months before the traditional January contract renewal cycle for large personal care buyers, giving Bofinger a narrow window to set her commercial agenda before 2027 raw material forecasts are locked in. It also comes as BASF's care chemicals business continues to recalibrate its North American commercial structure, with regional key account managers carrying direct accountability for the territory's largest customers.

What should formulators and buyers watch next?

Bofinger's next visible commercial milestone will be the Q1 2027 contract renewal cycle, which historically sets the tone for BASF's North American personal care raw material pricing for the year ahead. Procurement teams should expect their BASF account contacts to shift as Bofinger assembles her new leadership team, and formulators working on early-2027 launches should align their raw material shortlists with the revised account structure within the next 30 to 60 days.

Bofinger closed her announcement on a forward note: "Thank you to everyone who has helped me get here. I'm excited for the journey ahead."