Karen Carter to Succeed Jim Fitterling as CEO of Dow

• Karen Carter to succeed Jim Fitterling as CEO of Dow Inc
• Jim Fitterling shifts to Executive Chair after leading major transformation
• Carter brings 25+ years of leadership experience to drive future growth

Carter, who is currently Dow’s Chief Commercial Officer and President of the Packaging & Specialty Plastics business, brings over 25 years of experience within Dow and has held key leadership roles across commercial, marketing, and sustainability functions. Her appointment marks a historic milestone for the company, as she becomes the first woman to lead Dow in its 126-year history.

Carter will replace Jim Fitterling, who has been CEO since 2018, as Fitterling transitions to Executive Chair of Dow's Board of Directors. The succession announcement follows an extensive succession planning effort over the last several years to create a smooth transition and to advance Dow's strategic focus.

Richard Davis, Dow’s Independent Lead Director, Said, “Jim has led Dow through significant transformation and growth, while Karen is an exceptional leader with a deep understanding of our business and customers. Her appointment reflects our confidence in her ability to advance Dow’s strategy and create long-term value for stakeholders.”

Fitterling transformed Dow from a conglomerate into a more targeted and resilient business that could innovate more effectively. He was the leader of Dow's spinout from the DowDuPont conglomerate and dealt with macroeconomic and geopolitical issues and the company's sustainability goals during his time. He led Dow to focus on higher-growth sectors of the market, such as packaging and specialty coatings while also building a cultural emphasis on safety, performance, and inclusion.

Reflecting on his time as CEO, Jim said, “Serving as Dow’s CEO has been the privilege of a lifetime. I look forward to supporting Karen and the team as Executive Chair, ensuring strong execution and continuity.” In his new role, Jin will focus on governance, long-term strategy, and external relationships.

Throughout a long and well-respected career at Dow, where she held a variety of key operational, business leadership and customer engagement positions, Carter has served as the Chief Operating Officer, overseeing all of Dow’s operational segments and functional areas to drive performance and innovation; prior to that, as the President of the Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment at Dow, she was able to advance the implementation of Circular Economy solutions as well as enable value growth via equipment upgrades and capacity expansions.

Carter said, “I am honored to lead Dow into its next chapter.” “Our focus remains on delivering innovative solutions for customers and creating long-term value for all stakeholders, while accelerating our transformation to set new standards in performance,” she added.