Dow Names Karen S. Carter as Chief Inclusion Officer
Dow strengthening integration of diversity and inclusion with
business strategy to enhance long-term growth
MIDLAND, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) today announced that Karen S.
Carter has been named Chief Inclusion Officer – a new role at Dow
created to strengthen the integration of diversity and inclusion with
business strategy and results.
Carter will have global responsibility for enhancing the integration of
diversity and inclusion across the Company as a key driver and enabler
of the Company’s long-term growth strategy. She will have direct
accountability to Dow President and Chief Operating Officer Jim
Fitterling and Dow Chairman and CEO Andrew
Liveris.
During her 20 year Dow career, Carter has served in several strategic
business leadership roles across Dow’s Packaging & Specialty Plastics,
Building and Construction, and Polypropylene Licensing and Catalyst
businesses before assuming her most recent role leading Dow’s North
America Packaging & Specialty Plastics business where she was
responsible for developing and driving the business strategy as well as
delivering the regional profit and loss results.
“We are proud to have someone with Karen’s strong international business
background and diverse perspective in this key leadership role,” said
Fitterling. “I am confident in Karen’s ability to lead and guide our
efforts to move Dow significantly forward in creating a more inclusive
and diverse workforce for the future. Karen has the full support of the
executive leadership team.”
“Meeting the challenges of today’s business environment requires the
contributions of every member of our Dow team. Through the creation of
the role of Chief Inclusion Officer, coupled with Karen’s outstanding
talent and leadership, we will continue to build an atmosphere where all
people feel welcome and valued,” said Liveris. “We will build a culture
where employees of all backgrounds can come together to fulfill their
own personal and professional goals and to work together to help the
company succeed.”
Fitterling further emphasizes that all Dow leaders have a role to play.
“Each individual leader and manager will be expected to be accountable
to create a culture which encourages and values diverse perspectives,
enabling Dow to achieve all of its objectives.”
In accepting the role, Carter said, “Diversity and inclusion makes for a
more innovative and engaged workplace and higher performing teams. This
is about creating a culture where every employee feels fully empowered
and valued and where they can contribute to their maximum potential in
order to maximize business and company success. I look forward to
accelerating our progress and to helping the company – and all of its
employees – achieve these results.”
The appointment follows Liveris’ recent
speech where he said, “Dow has survived, indeed thrived, for 120
years because as an institution we have always held true to our values.
We believe in the rights of all people. We export our values wherever we
go. We seek out the best people to work inside our great company, and we
continually raise our standard of conduct, behavior, ethics, safety, and
respect and dignity.”
He added, “We can all be proud of Dow’s tremendous reputation for
constantly working to make our company – and our communities – fairer
and more equal for everyone. But, there is always more that we can and
must do.”
In addition to naming a Chief Inclusion Officer, Dow announced plans to
strategically increase the diversity of its supplier base, and to add
more diverse colleges and universities to the company’s U.S. recruiting
efforts. Dow also recently joined the CEO Action for Diversity &
Inclusion, rallying with 160 other companies to advance workplace
inclusion and equality.
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to
passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company
is driving innovations that extract value from material, polymer,
chemical and biological science to help address many of the world’s most
challenging problems, such as the need for fresh food, safer and more
sustainable transportation, clean water, energy efficiency, more durable
infrastructure, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s
integrated, market-driven portfolio delivers a broad range of
technology-based products and solutions to customers in 175 countries
and in high-growth sectors such as packaging, infrastructure,
transportation, consumer care, electronics, and agriculture. In 2016,
Dow had annual sales of $48 billion and employed approximately 56,000
people worldwide. The Company’s more than 7,000 product families are
manufactured at 189 sites in 34 countries across the globe. References
to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its
consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More
information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
®TM Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an
affiliated company of Dow
Contacts
The Dow Chemical Company
Rachelle Schikorra
+1-989-638-4090
[email protected]