# Karen Carter

> Karen S. Carter is Dow’s chief executive officer, appointed effective July 1, 2026 after more than three decades at the company. Her career spans sales, marketing, Asia Pacific business leadership, human resources and inclusion, the Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment, and the chief operating officer role. A Howard University and DePaul University graduate raised in Wichita, she describes leadership through developing people, clear communication and personal accountability.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Dow
- **Organizations:** Dow, Southwire, Catalyst Board of Advisors, Great Lakes Bay Region Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Executive Leadership Council, Business Council, Business Roundtable, US-China Business Council, Alliance to End Plastic Waste
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in marketing, Howard University, Master’s degree in international business, DePaul University
- **Known for:** Led Packaging & Specialty Plastics, a segment with more than $23 billion in annual sales at her 2024 COO appointment., Served as Dow’s first chief inclusion officer., Inducted into The Kansas African American Museum Trailblazers Hall of Fame on November 10, 2023.

## Career timeline

- **1994** — Joined Dow; subsequently held sales, marketing and business leadership positions.
- **2011** — Returned to Packaging & Specialty Plastics in late 2011 to develop go-to-market strategy and value-chain engagement.
- **2017** — Became Dow’s first chief inclusion officer.
- **2018** — Added chief human resources officer responsibilities, according to Howard Magazine’s Spring 2019 profile.
- **2022** — Became president of Packaging & Specialty Plastics.
- **2024-12** — Appointed chief operating officer effective December 3.
- **2026-04** — Named Dow’s next CEO on April 14.
- **2026-07** — Became CEO and joined the Dow board effective July 1.

## Achievements

- Led Packaging & Specialty Plastics, a segment with more than $23 billion in annual sales at her 2024 COO appointment.
- Served as Dow’s first chief inclusion officer.
- Inducted into The Kansas African American Museum Trailblazers Hall of Fame on November 10, 2023.
- Received Northwood University’s Distinguished Women Award in 2018.
- Named to Black Enterprise’s Most Powerful Women in Corporate America list in 2019.
- Recognized on Fortune’s Next to Lead list in 2025 and Most Powerful Women list in 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — A September 17 Wichita Business Journal/Bizwomen interview revisited her upbringing and her move into the Dow CEO role.
- **2026-07** — Became CEO and a Dow director on July 1; Jim Fitterling became executive chair.
- **2026-04** — Dow announced her CEO appointment on April 14, effective July 1.

## Links

- Website: https://corporate.dow.com/en-us/about-dow/leadership/karen-carter.html
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenscarter
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/KarenS_Carter

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