Samir Hifri has faced some challenges in his first six months leading Covestro L.L.C., but he's looking forward to meeting goals in sustainability and other areas. Hifri became chairman and president of Covestro L.L.C. on July 1, replacing Haakan Jonsson, who retired. Pittsburgh-based Covestro is the U.S. operating unit of materials maker Covestro A.G. of Leverkusen, Germany. "We've got a great team here and a great organization with a lot of activity going on," Hifri said in a Dec. 14 video interview. He joined Covestro—then part of Bayer A.G.—in 1998 as a commercial trainee in Pittsburgh. He later held positions in product management, sales and marketing, supply chain and country management. Hifri has worked at 10 Covestro sites across six countries and three continents.