Business News

Dow Announces New Organizational Structure and Leadership Assignments

Friday 19. December 2008 - The Dow Chemical Company announced today the organizational structure and leadership team that will be the driving force behind the Company’s new operating model.

Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris said the new organization puts in place yet another critical piece of the foundation for Dow’s future as a high-performance, earnings growth company.

“Now more than ever we must recommit ourselves to the transformational path we began three years ago,” said Liveris. “We have an exceptional opportunity to take our new portfolio and operating model to places that we could only imagine a few short years ago, and this new team has the talent to take us there.”

As announced December 8, the Company will organize all activity at Dow into five Business Divisions supported by a common Business Services Group and a more agile and efficient Corporate Center.

Business Divisions and Leadership
Juan Luciano has been named senior vice president of the Hydrocarbons and Basic Plastics Division. The division would include Dow’s Hydrocarbons & Energy business as well as relevant joint ventures (K-Dow Petrochemicals – expected to close by January 1, 2009 and Americas Styrenics).

Carol Dudley has been named senior vice president of the Basic Chemicals Division. Some of the businesses included in the division are: Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol, EDC/VCM, Chlor-Alkali, Chlorinated Organics and Calcium Chloride.

James McIlvenny has been named senior vice president of the Performance Products Division. Some of the businesses included in the division are: Urethanes, Epoxies, Performance Monomers and Specialty Chemicals. It will also include Rohm and Haas acrylic monomers, once the acquisition has been finalized.

Heinz Haller has been named executive vice president for the Health, Agriculture and Infrastructure Group and he will also take on oversight responsibility for corporate marketing. Some of the businesses included in the group are: Dow AgroSciences, Dow Wire and Cable, Dow Automotive, Elastomers, Licensing, Dow Oil and Gas, Dow Fiber Solutions, Dow Polyurethane Systems and Dow Epoxy Systems. Haller will also be the lead executive from Dow to the Dow Corning Board of Directors.

Pierre Brondeau will be executive vice president and chief executive officer of Rohm and Haas Advanced Materials Division, once the acquisition has been finalized. Businesses included in the division are: Coatings, Building and Construction, Paper and Textiles, Specialty Packaging and Films, Designed Polymers and Separation Technologies and Electronic Materials.
Business Services Group/Corporate Center

David Kepler has been named executive vice president of the Business Services Group, which will serve as the tactical arm of the Corporate Center. The mission of Business Services will be to provide services throughout the Dow organization, leveraging its scale and expertise to offer low cost-to-serve, market competitive services in areas like IT, supply chain, purchasing, public affairs, and sustainability as well as environment, health and safety.

Dow’s Corporate Center will be responsible for meeting the needs of the Business Divisions and the Company as a whole by providing governance, compliance and an overall operational framework for the Business Divisions. Dow’s traditional excellence in leveraged support from functions to support the Company enterprise-wide continues to be a key element of the Operating Model for a new Dow. Emphasizing this focus will be:

Michael Gambrell, executive vice president of Manufacturing and Engineering Operations.

Geoffery Merszei will assume oversight responsibility for Strategic Development and Planning, in addition to his duties as executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Executive vice presidents Gregory Freiwald, Charles Kalil and William Banholzer will continue with their current duties in Human Resources, Legal/Government Affairs and Research and Development, respectively.
Julie Fasone Holder, senior vice president and chief marketing and sales and reputation officer, has announced that she will be retiring in July of next year after 34 years with Dow.

Geographies

As part of the Company’s reorganization to transform into an earnings growth company, the geographies will continue to play a key role. Pat Dawson will assume the role as Pacific Area President to be based in Shanghai. Earl Shipp has been named as President of IMEA, based in Dubai. Pedro Suarez will continue his role as President of Dow Latin America. Markus Wildi will continue in his current role as President of Dow Europe.

In related moves, George Biltz will assume the role of vice president of Strategic Development and Planning and John Dearborn has been appointed as vice president of the Ras Tanura Integrated Project in Saudi Arabia.

“Today is another step forward for our organization and our strategy,” said Liveris. “We are doing the things we have committed to do to create the Dow of the future. I have every confidence our new organization and renewed and exciting leadership team will assure that we continue to meet our milestones and keep on course.”