Three Questions, Nine Answers

An article from carl 03|2025

by Frank Frick

Where are they now?

carl: What has the Carl Roth Young Talent Award meant for your career path?

Halli: The award helped me to obtain a grant from the Evonik Foundation for my PhD. It meant I could stand out from the other applicants. The Young Talent Award and the grant in turn probably also contributed to the success of my application to Evonik.

Volz: For me and the start-up company CYNORA, receiving the Young Talent Award was a major accolade. And when I switched to the McKinsey management consultancy firm, winning the Young Talent Award must certainly have been a factor in the success of my application. After all, I didn’t come from a renowned business university and I didn’t fit the typical profile for the job.

Benz: Receiving the Young Talent Award towards the end of my PhD gave me the great feeling of having achieved something that is valued. It was a starting point in interviews too.

carl: None of you work in the field for which you received the Young Talent Award any more. Why not?

Halli: It might appear that my current work has nothing to do with the work for which I received the Young Talent Award, but there are similarities in terms of the chemistry. For example, imines play an important role in each case. Building on my PhD research, I was able to immerse myself in the world of process development and improvement at Evonik, and make a contribution towards making the process even more sustainable. 

Volz: I was the first non-founder at CYNORA, so I wouldn’t have benefited from ownership shares if the start-up had become a billion dollar company. So I applied to McKinsey to forge a career and learn something completely new. I have always been interested in neighbouring subjects, even during my studies and my scientific work. McKinsey was where I came across the subject of my current work – quantum computing. Companies turned to McKinsey for advice after the first quantum processor for general use was placed in the cloud by IBM in 2016. 

Benz: At Aquarray, my first job, I was working in the same subject area as during my PhD. The small company was still very closely connected to KIT, where I had studied and spent many years. So I moved to BASF, for a new perspective and to do something different. The idea of working for an established, large industrial company appealed to me.

carl: Is sustainability – an important aspect of the Young Talent Award – important in your daily work life?

Halli: The Evonik process for the production of propylene oxide, a plastics precursor, generates less waste and has a lower carbon footprint than conventional methods. It is satisfying to see that our work contributes towards sustainable management: if we improve the selectivity of our catalyst by one percent, for example, this can prevent many tonnes of carbon emissions being produced worldwide.

Volz: Quantum computers are a sustainable technology, as they are more energy efficient than conventional computers. I am also convinced that their capabilities will lead to breakthroughs in areas like advanced battery materials and the conversion of CO2 as a raw material.

Benz: Sustainability is a big issue at BASF and is also important to me, in the recycling of polymers and the selection of ecologically sustainable raw materials, for example.

carl: Ms. Halli, Mr. Volz, Mr. Benz, thank you for talking to us.

Image credits: Polar Studio Photostudio / Christian Buck (Fotograph) / Maximilian Benz