Changes to the Faber-Castell AG Board and Supervisory Board

Countess Mary von Faber-Castell leaves the Board to join the Supervisory Board. Supervisory Board members Dr Hans-Peter Binder and Professor Mark K. Binz depart. Gerhard Bruckmeier appointed to the Supervisory Board.

Stein - Faber-Castell AG announces the following changes to the Board and Supervisory Board:

Countess Mary von Faber-Castell has taken up her position as a member of the Supervisory Board as of 7 July 2020, after leaving the Board of Faber-Castell AG on 30 June 2020. She is replacing long-standing Supervisory Board member Dr Hans-Peter Binder. Gerhard Bruckmeier has also been appointed to the Supervisory Board, replacing Professor Mark K. Binz who is also departing.

Dr Hans-Peter Binder (80) has been a member of the Supervisory Board since Faber-Castell AG was founded in 2000, serving as Chair of the Supervisory Board from 2011 to 2016 and as Chair of the Faber-Castell AG Audit Committee from 2006. A long-time confidant of the late Chairman Count Anton-Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, he also sat on the Management Board of A. W. Faber-Castell Unternehmensverwaltung GmbH from 1989 and was its Chair from 2016. Professor Mark K. Binz (71) also served on the Supervisory Board from 2000 to 2020, and as its Vice Chair from 2016. Prof. Binz acted as a close advisor in legal matters for Count Wolfgang von Faber-Castell for many years. Like Dr Binder, Prof. Binz was a long-standing member of the A. W. Faber-Castell Unternehmensverwaltung GmbH Management Board. In his laudatory speech, Supervisory Board Chair Gerhard Berssenbrügge honoured the two experienced members: ‘Dr Binder and Prof. Binz have both made a huge contribution to the development and growth of Faber-Castell AG thanks to their outstanding expertise and wealth of experience.’ He thanked the two men for all their hard work.

In Gerhard Bruckmeier (64), the owner family is gaining the managing director and financial auditor of Munich law firm Kleeberg & Partner GmbH as a new Supervisory Board member.

The appointment of Countess Mary von Faber-Castell (68) is the first time a family member has been on the Supervisory Board. As she moves from the Board to the Supervisory Board, Countess Mary von Faber-Castell can look back on more than 20 years of successful management at Faber-Castell. After serving as a top manager at renowned international cosmetics brands, she joined the company as the managing director of the cosmetics division in 1997. Faber-Castell Cosmetics subsequently became an important pillar of the company. In January 2016, Countess von Faber-Castell left the Supervisory Board and was appointed to the Board on the recommendation of her already ill husband, Count Anton-Wolfgang von Faber-Castell. After his passing in January 2016, she became Board Spokeswoman, as well as being responsible for the cosmetics division, until June 2017. 2015/16 and 2016/17 went down in company history as its most successful fiscal years.

Supervisory Board Chair Gerhard Berssenbrügge: ‘Immediately after the passing of her husband Anton-Wolfgang, Countess Mary von Faber-Castell took on great corporate responsibility by acting as interim Board Spokeswoman at the same time as successfully representing the Faber-Castell Cosmetics division on the Board. On behalf of the Supervisory Board, I would like to thank Countess Faber-Castell for her courage and unfailing dedication. We are all the more delighted that she will from now on be defending the interests of the company alongside us. Together with the Board and management, we want to lay the groundwork for the company’s future today.’

Countess Mary von Faber-Castell: ‘I would like to thank the family and the Supervisory Board for the trust they have placed in me with this appointment. I think it is extremely important for the family to be represented by a member of the Supervisory Board at this time. We are facing challenging times and my aim is to represent the long-term interests of the shareholders and the company. I look forward to this new mandate.’

After the Countess left the Board, the Cosmetics division has been taken over by Chairman of the Board Stefan Leitz. The Board will be composed of three members from now on: alongside Mr Leitz, André Wehrhahn will be Finance Chair and Dr Hans-Kurt von Werder will be Technology Chair.

The Supervisory Board will be composed as follows with effect from 7 July 2020: Gerhard Berssenbrügge (Chair), Countess Mary von Faber-Castell (Vice Chair), Gerhard Bruckmeier and Detlef Spigiel. Bernd Hager and Stefan Huebner are the employee representatives to the Supervisory Board.


Faber-Castell Cosmetics is one of the leading partners for the international beauty industry. As a global private label manufacturer with a focus on top performing, high quality cosmetics pencils, the company is working in close collaboration with international beauty corporations, medium sized brands and start ups. Faber-Castell Cosmetics designs, develops and manufactures products that perfectly meet the requirements of its customers and their demanding clientele. The strong focus of the Faber-Castell Group on sustainability is also reflected in Faber-Castell Cosmetics product palette and manufacturing technologies. More than 800 employees at production sites in Germany, Brazil and the USA contribute to the company’s success worldwide. Faber-Castell Cosmetics is a family owned business with its headquarters based in Stein, Germany.