Born in Brazil, Marisa Cruz earned her degree as a chemist from Murray State University. Since starting with Evonik and its predecessor companies in 1997, she has worked at various production sites in Brazil, USA and Germany where she played an important role in strategic projects. In 2017, Marisa became Global Innovation Manager of the Active Oxygens business of Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH where she has unceasingly worked towards streamlining innovation management within the business line through innovative tools.

Evonik is one of the world’s leading specialty chemicals companies. We may not manufacture tires, mattresses, medications, or animal feeds, but Evonik is part of all of those products – and many more. While we often contribute only small amounts of material, those contributions are precisly what makes the difference. That's because Evonik products make tires fuel efficient, mattresses more elastic, medications more effective, and animal feeds healthier. That’s what specialty chemicals are all about. And when it comes to specialty chemicals, we're among the best in the world. Evonik stands for attractive business and innovative prowess. Our corporate culture is geared toward results, profitable growth, and increasing the value of the company. Operating in over 100 countries, we benefit from close customer relationships and leading market positions. Over 36,000 employees are united by the understanding that no product is so perfect that you can't make it better. In fiscal 2017, the enterprise generated sales of around €14.4 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about €2.36 billion.