"We have set ourselves ambitious goals for the difficult year of 2023," she said late on Wednesday.

"But it's also clear that from 2024 we have to get significantly better in terms of profit and return on investment," she added.

Schuh, who replaced CFO Ute Wolf in April, sees a wide range of potential investors for the German firm's superabsorbents division.

The chemicals maker put its superabsorbents business, which makes materials for diapers and hygiene products, on sale two years ago.

Companies in the chemicals industry, as well as financial investors, are among those interested in the acquisition, the new finance chief said.

Schuh expects to sign the deal this year.

The new CFO also hopes for more clarity this year on the planned sale of Evonik's Performance Materials unit, known internally as the C4 group. The unit produces additives for fuel and rubber, among other things.

(Reporting by Matthias Inverardi, writing by Andrey Sychev, editing by Miranda Murray and Rachel More)