Ciba Specialty Chemicals Reviews

Pros

- Development of young potentials
- Levels of exposure within organization
- Fair employer

Cons

- Salary based on age, not on job being performed
- Upper management decision short-sighted

Advice to Senior Management

Too late for advices; company has been bought, else "trust the young"

Pros

Good organization system and working environment

Cons

Too slow moving and less change

Pros

high level of expertize within specialists (Tech application, Product/Marketing mngs)

Cons

common things that mid-management acted against company interests, especially
in regions, not "healthy" enviroment

Advice to Senior Management

hopefully Ciba with such "managenet" have been taken over by BASF

Pros

Ciba provided a work environment that respected individual employees. Overall compenstation plus benefits was good.

You have to look at the BASF corporation now to determine what the work environment will become; at least though the business will be viable or more viable then under Ciba.

Cons

After 5 years fighting weak sales growth and margin errosion, the Ciba Corporation finally sucumbed during the economic crisis in 2008. A very weak senior management team was not able to influence the direction. The company was purchased by BASF in Q1/2009 and is in the process of being assimilated into this much larger corporation with a new and different corporate culture.

Advice to Senior Management

The BASF team has cleaned out most all of the senior management. This was a very necessary step to help the business move forward and implement a new culture.

Pros

Colleagues are nice. Wokring hour is flexible. No accountability means you do not get blame.

Cons

No leadership direction. Pay sucks

Advice to Senior Management

No advice required as the company has been bought over

Pros

The work life balance has been great for me.

Cons

It is being taken over by BASF.

Advice to Senior Management

The current senior management is very weak.

Pros

4 weeks vacation for those with PhD from day 1. Decently competent professionals.

Cons

The company on a downward spiral due to incompetent and arrogant management. Micromanagement from headquarters and reporting is downright ridiculous.

Advice to Senior Management

Retire and let better people take over. Stop cronyism to flourish.