Michael Basten succeeds Dr. Michael Weißenborn
After a bit more than four years as general manager of BBS, Bundesverband Baustoffe – Steine und Erden (Federal Association of the Building Materials, Rock and Associated Products Industry), Dr. Michael Weißenborn (65) retired at the turn of the year. His successor will be Michael Basten (48) who last worked as managing director of the Federal German Association of the Cement Industry in Berlin.
“With Michael Weißenborn a general manager leaves us who can look back on a lot of success,” said Dr.-Ing. Gernot Schaefer, the president of BBS, during the official discharge ceremony in Berlin in November 2008. On the one hand, the association was re-positioned internally. On the other hand, political-economic initiatives such as the introduction of the “Riester scheme” were assisted to become a success. “It was also due to Michael Weißenborn that the topic of domestic raw materials was put on the agenda of the federal ministries via the Federation of German Industry (BDI), and he saw to it that the role model of the building trade became reality in industry,” underlined Dr.-Ing. Schaefer. The BBS thanked him for his work that was characterized by high loyalty and strategic thinking. “He deepened the internal communication of our association and professionalized it towards the public,” continued Dr.-Ing. Schaefer. The association faces great challenges given the financial crisis, the danger of recession and the super election year 2009. “Now Michael Basten has the task to further strengthen the unity of the association, to continue the integration and, in particular, to convey our demands to policy as regards energy, raw materials and the demand for building materials,” emphasized Dr.-Ing. Schaefer. Michael Basten first worked as political scientist in the IBM liaison mission in Bonn. Then he worked in the economics ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia. In 1996 he went to the Federal German Association of the Cement Industry and in 200 he took over the management of the liaison mission in Berlin. Here he was appointed managing director in 2004.
