Rentschler Biopharma management duo Nikolaus F. Rentschler and Frank Mathias recognized as "EY Entrepreneur of the Year"

Laupheim, Germany and Milford, MA, USA, October 28, 2019 - Rentschler Biopharma SE, a world-class contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biopharmaceuticals, announced today that its Chairman of the Board, Prof. Dr. Nikolaus F. Rentschler, together with CEO Dr. Frank Mathias have received the "EY Entrepreneur of the Year" Award 2019 in the category Industry. The award, initiated by the audit and consulting firm Ernst & Young, was presented at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany on October 25, 2019 to 14 German entrepreneurs, chosen by an independent jury from among 38 companies in the finale.

The "EY Entrepreneur of the Year" is considered one of the most distinguished business awards for entrepreneurial performance worldwide. Criteria such as growth, future potential, innovation, employee management and social responsibility were considered in the evaluation by the independent jury. Prof. Rentschler and Dr. Mathias, who received the award during a festive gala in Stuttgart, were lauded by the Chairwoman of the Management Board of Coroplast Fritz Müller GmbH & Co. KG, Natalie Mekelburger.

"Rentschler Biopharma is a family-owned business that has been successful for five generations," commented Prof. Rentschler. "When looking back on the strong development and growth we have experienced over the past few years, I believe a key factor is the exceptionally good cooperation between Frank Mathias and myself. Our strong relationship is characterized by complete openness and mutual trust. Combining our shared passion and entrepreneurial spirit, we put a lot of thought into the necessary next steps to advance our business and continue to be a leader in our field. The 'Entrepreneur of the Year' Award is a terrific acknowledgement for us."

Dr. Mathias added: "Entrepreneurs often receive all of the recognition for a successful company; however, it is the dedicated contribution of our employees - the work of many minds, many hands and many hours - that is crucial to our success. Rentschler Biopharma has an exceptional team that is doing an excellent job to meet the needs of our clients in bioprocess development and manufacturing all over the world. I am proud of our team and extremely pleased to accept the 'Entrepreneur of the Year' Award on behalf of everyone at the Company."

Fruitful cooperation between two entrepreneurial spirits

Prof. Rentschler studied biology and graduated in 1998 from the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich. In 1999, he took over management of the family-owned business from his father, Dr. Friedrich E. Rentschler. In addition, he contributed to the further development of the University of Applied Sciences Biberach as Chair of the University until 2014. In his current role as honorary professor, he continues to make an important contribution to securing a new generation of biotechnologists.

In order to concentrate more on the strategic development of the Rentschler Group, Prof. Rentschler made the decision in 2016 to supervise the Company as Chairman of the Supervisory Board and handed over management of Rentschler Biopharma to Dr. Mathias.

Dr. Mathias studied pharmacy and graduated in 1991 from the Paris VI University. He became CEO of Rentschler Biopharma SE in 2016. With 'Strategy 2025', he has developed a roadmap for the Company's future and in early 2019 introduced a new era of internationalization with the purchase of a site in Milford, MA (USA) in the greater Boston area. In addition, Dr. Mathias has served as CEO of Rentschler Fill Solutions GmbH in Rankweil, Austria since 2019; this strategic alliance partner offers state-of-the art capabilities for the aseptic filling of (bio)pharmaceuticals.

Award winners

In addition to Prof. Rentschler and Dr. Mathias as award winners in the Industry category and the German nomination for the "EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2019" Dirk Engelmann, Dr. Simon Haddadin, Philipp Zimmermann of Franka Emika GmbH from the Start-up category also Michael Durach of Develey GmbH (Consumer Goods/ Retail), Catherine von Fürstenberg-Dussmann, Wolf-Dieter Adlhoch of the Dussmann Stiftung & Co. KGaA (Service/ IT) and Andrea Haufe, Martin Laqua, Birte Hackenjos, Markus Reithwiesner of the Haufe Group (Digital Transformation) received awards this year. EY also granted an honorary award to Prof. Dr. Michael Otto, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Otto Group, for social engagement. The honorary award for a family-owned company went to Dr. Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller, Chairwoman of the Board of Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG.

About the "EY Entrepreneur of the Year" competition

The ‟Entrepreneur of the Year" program was initiated by EY in the US in 1986. Since then, the competition has been established in 60 countries and is one of the most renowned business awards worldwide. More information can be found at .

About Rentschler Biopharma SE

Rentschler Biopharma, is a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), focused exclusively on client projects. From its headquarters in Laupheim, Germany, and its site in Milford, MA, USA, Rentschler Biopharma offers process development and manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals as well as related consulting activities, including project management and regulatory support. Rentschler Biopharma's high quality is proven by its long-standing experience and excellence as a solution partner for its clients. A high-level quality management system, a well-established operational excellence philosophy and advanced technologies ensure product quality and productivity at each development and manufacturing step. In order to offer optimal solutions across the entire value chain, the Company has entered into a strategic alliance with Leukocare AG for formulation development and with Rentschler Fill Solutions GmbH for fill & finish services. Rentschler Biopharma is a family-owned company with more than 850 employees. For further information, please visit .