Holly Lei

Senior Vice President, Covestro Group
President, Covestro China

Holly Lei has taken over as President of Covestro China based in Shanghai, effective July 1, 2019. With more than 20 years of experience in cross-cultural management around the world, Lei is the first local female leader for this position. 
With a strong technical background in chemical engineering and material science, Lei started her career at Bayer MaterialScience (the predecessor company of Covestro) in 1999 as a technical representative, and has since held various management positions of increasing responsibilities focusing on sales, technical service and R&D in Greater China and the APAC region. As a seasoned leader strong at managing dispersed teams, she devoted her cross-industry insights and customer centric mindset to develop focus industries for Covestro’s Business Unit Polycarbonates in Greater China and the APAC region. 
In her role as Global Head of Electrical, Electronics & Appliances (EE&A), BU Polycarbonates, Lei helped Covestro strengthen its industrial leadership by enhancing the global CMF (color, materials, finish) capabilities, transforming Covestro from a material supplier to an innovation partner.
Apart from her business success, Lei is also an affectionate people leader and excels at fostering an environment that allows people to flourish and develop to their fullest potential. As an avid ambassador of diversity and inclusion (D&I) at Covestro, she is actively involved in promoting D&I and equality in the workplace.
Lei holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Dalian University of Technology in China and a master’s degree in material science from Université de Sherbrooke in Canada. She has also received executive training at INSEAD Business School in France. 
Lei is also a supervisory board member of GEA Group AG, Vice Chair of the Shanghai Chapter of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, and Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park International Experts’ Consultancy Forum.  
Lei is married with a grown-up son.