News

Interview with Mr Harry De Wit, De.mem Director

The original interview was published in German language. Please see the following link: De.mem: Verstärkung mit internationaler Expertise (finanznachrichten.de)

Please see the English translation as follows:

Top-level international corporate leader strengthens De.mem board

Since April 2023 De.mem (ASX: DEM) has a new non-executive director. With Andreas Hendrik (Harry) De Wit, a top-level international corporate leader joined the company’s board. Mr. De Wit has worked across the globe. Until 2021, he was a member of the management board of German-headquartered Fresenius Medical Care, the global market leader in products and services for patients with renal diseases. He has already started to support De.mem with the company’s strategic development, sales & marketing, operations and financial performance objectives.

Mr. De Wit, which key experiences from your impressive professional career do you now intend to contribute to De.mem ?

Mr. De Wit: I know what it takes to build a relatively small business to a few hundred million in revenues. In my previous roles I was responsible for a large number of smaller acquisitions, which we integrated into the larger acquiring business and successfully expanded from there. I am convinced that I can greatly support the De.mem management team with the strategic growth of the company.

Which aspects of your role do you consider the most appealing?

Mr. De Wit: The aspects which attract me the most are the particular segment in which De.mem operates and the growth opportunities within this segment. The “circular economy” and waste water treatment and recycling as its sub-segment are a high-growth sector. Clean water is a global challenge, which rightfully receives a lot of attention. I am convinced that I will be able to contribute to De.mem and also believe it is good to contribute to a cleaner environment.

What are your initial objectives and ideas, which you would like to implement at De.mem in the medium term ?

Mr. De Wit: I am looking forward to the close cooperation with CEO Andreas Kroell and the De.mem management team. Besides a review of the company’s strategy, I believe that I will be able to bring in a lot of contacts.

You already know the industry and technology of De.mem well. Where do you see the largest potential ?

Mr. De Wit: The challenge is that De.mem’s opportunities are very broad and diverse, but the company has to focus. Initially, those segments are the most interesting, where De.mem can generate follow-on orders and recurring revenue streams. This delivers a strong platform for further expansion. De.mem has already been pursuing this strategy. From there, we can add further growth opportunities with equally attractive margins.

Where are the opportunities for further improvements ?

Mr. De Wit: De.mem already has a strong customer portfolio of multinational corporations and industrial businesses operating across multiple sites. This delivers a fantastic reference and platform for further expansion and brings a strong growth opportunity around this existing clientele.

Could De.mem also be more active in the healthcare segment ? If yes, where are the specific opportunities ?

Mr. De Wit: The healthcare industry is a huge and attractive market, as the regulations for waste water treatment and water use and re-use are becoming increasingly stringent globally. Clinics and hospitals generate large volumes of waste water, which need to be treated prior to discharge into the public sewerage system. At this time, we do not focus on this segment yet, as our basis is growing in other key industries such as mining/resources, food & beverage, flavours, resorts & hotels and others. However, our technologies – in particular our membranes – are well suited for many applications within the healthcare segment.

Do you have any ideas for cooperations with other companies ?

Mr. De Wit: De.mem has already been working with a Canadian partner, a company called Purafy. With Purafy, we intend to launch our membrane technology into the North American market for domestic water filtration. Further cooperations could cover certain countries or regions, for example in Asia, where often a strong local partner is essential to open doors to customers. Also, new partnerships could relate to certain applications of our technology, such as in the healthcare segment.

To what extent is the ESG focus of De.mem helpful for the further development of the company ?

Mr. De Wit: The ESG focus is extremely important for De.mem, as we have the expertise to support many customers to improve on their own ESG objectives. Globally, the regulatory pressure is increasing, which opens up new business opportunities to us.

Furthermore, De.mem is an interesting opportunity for investors, as the company ticks all relevant ESG-boxes. Our membranes provide for an environmentally friendly water treatment process with low consumption of electricity and harmful chemicals. Our filters for domestic water treatment contribute to a reduction of plastic waste from bottled water.

Mr. De Wit, thank you very much for these insights and the discussion!