# Jim Fitterling

> Jim Fitterling is Dow’s executive chairman and its former CEO, having handed the chief executive role to Karen S. Carter on July 1, 2026. A University of Missouri mechanical engineering graduate who joined Dow in 1984, he built his career across commercial roles, Asian operations and corporate leadership, helped lead the 2019 separation from DowDuPont, and became a public advocate for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion.

- **Role:** Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors at Dow Inc.
- **Organizations:** Dow Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, 3M, National Association of Manufacturers, American Chemistry Council, Out Leadership, University of Missouri Dean’s Advisory Council, Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BS in Mechanical Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia
- **Known for:** Led Dow during its 2019 separation from DowDuPont., Ranked first on the 2018 OUTstanding LGBT+ Executives list., Inducted into the OUTstanding Hall of Fame in 2021.

## Career timeline

- **1983** — Graduated from the University of Missouri with a BS in mechanical engineering.
- **1984** — Joined Dow; early work included sales, marketing and supply chain roles.
- **1998** — Became CEO of FilmTec and global business director of liquid separations.
- **2000** — Became general manager of Dow Thailand and managing director of SCG-Dow joint ventures.
- **2002** — Became CEO of The OPTIMAL Group.
- **2006** — Returned to the United States as business vice president for polyethylene, according to Dow’s current biography.
- **2014** — Became vice chairman of business operations; publicly came out to Dow employees.
- **2016** — Became president and chief operating officer of Dow.
- **2017** — Became chief operating officer of DowDuPont’s Materials Science Division.
- **2018** — Became Dow CEO.
- **2019** — Led Dow through its separation from DowDuPont.
- **2020** — Elected Dow board chair in April.
- **2021** — Joined the 3M board; inducted into the OUTstanding Hall of Fame.
- **2022** — Received ICIS CEO of the Year award and entered the Mizzou Hall of Fame.
- **2024** — Received International Palladium Medal and Kavaler Award; named 3M lead director.
- **2026** — Became executive chairman on July 1; Karen S. Carter succeeded him as CEO.

## Achievements

- Led Dow during its 2019 separation from DowDuPont.
- Ranked first on the 2018 OUTstanding LGBT+ Executives list.
- Inducted into the OUTstanding Hall of Fame in 2021.
- Received the peer-voted 2022 ICIS CEO of the Year Award.
- Inducted into the University of Missouri Hall of Fame in 2022.
- Received the 2024 International Palladium Medal and Chemists’ Club Kavaler Award.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Moved from CEO to executive chairman effective July 1, with Karen S. Carter becoming CEO.
- **2026-04** — Dow announced its leadership succession plan on April 14.
- **2026-01** — Dow announced Transform to Outperform, targeting at least $2 billion in near-term operating EBITDA improvement and affecting approximately 4,500 roles.
- **2026-01** — Dow updated the Path2Zero schedule, targeting phase one startup at the end of 2029 and phase two at the end of 2030.

## Links

- Website: https://investors.dow.com/en/corporate-governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=1069da3b-ae43-44f5-a487-e8f3ea0c54f4
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-fitterling
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/JimFitterling

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/jim-fitterling
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21