Midland, Michigan -- Dow Chemical Co.'s new geographic structure - part of its 'transformational strategy' has resulted in new roles for some of it business leaders.
In polyurethanes, Pat Dawson, former president of Dow Polyurethanes, has been named Pacific Area president and will be based in Shanghai. Dow did not say who would replace Dawson as head of the PU business.
Dow said the new structure "places more senior Dow executives in critical geographic roles where they will provide leadership and oversight," to implement strategies at a local level.
"Now that we are firmly on the transformational path we began over three years ago, and as we successfully integrate Rohm and Haas into Dow, we have an exceptional opportunity to take our new portfolio and operating model to places that will make Dow a true customer-centric global company," Dow chairman and ceo Andrew Liveris said. "This renewed emphasis on geography is central to that model, as it should be, since this is where our customers and people are."
In addition to Dawson's move, Dow's other changes are as follows:
• Earl Shipp, former president of Dow India, Middle East and Africa, becomes president of Dow Africa and will be located in Dubai.
• Henry Roth, former president and CEO of MEGlobal (a joint venture between Dow and Petrochemical Industries Co. of Kuwait), will be president of Dow Middle East and will be located in Dubai.
• Peter Sykes, former general manager of Dow Automotive Systems and president of Dow Japan & Korea, becomes president of Dow Greater China and will be located in Shanghai.
• Jim McIlvenny, former president of Dow Greater China, is to be senior vice president of Performance Products, which includes Polyurethanes, Epoxies, Amines, Oxygenated Solvents and Performance Monomers. McIlvenny will relocate to Midland.
• Markus Wildi, former president of Dow Europe, has a newly created role of vice president of corporate development in Kuwait. He will have Dow oversight of the company's existing joint ventures in the country. Wildi will relocate to Kuwait.
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