Interview with Dr. Karl Schneider

Dr. Karl Schneider began his career in 1956 at Zuckerfabrik Franken GmbH as an operations assistant at the Ochsenfurt factory. In 1960, he became plant manager of the newly built factory in Zeil am Main. In 1968, he returned to Ochsenfurt and took over the management of Zuckerfabrik Franken GmbH, where he shaped the fortunes of the Ochsenfurt and Zeil factories until the early 1980s. 

In 1981, he joined the executive board of Süddeutsche Zucker AG and assumed responsibility for corporate and agricultural policy. In 1988, he played a key role in the merger of Süddeutsche Zucker AG and Zuckerfabrik Franken GmbH to form Südzucker AG Mannheim/Ochsenfurt and was appointed spokesman of the new company's executive board. Under his leadership, Südzucker developed into Germany's largest sugar producer, with Schneider acting as a diplomatic mediator between industry and beet farmers. 

In 1993, he retired from the executive board due to his age, but remained on the supervisory board until his retirement in 1997. He had a decisive influence on the strategic direction of the company through his many years of service on the executive board of Südzucker AG.