Andrew N. Liveris (born 5 May 1954) is an Australian former CEO and chairman of
The Dow Chemical Company
The Dow Chemical Company, officially Dow Inc., is an American multinational chemical corporation headquartered in Midland, Michigan, United States. The company is among the three largest chemical producers in the world.
Dow manufactures plastics ...
of
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Michigan. The city's population was 42,547 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Comb ...
. Liveris has been a member of Dow's board of directors since February 2004, CEO since November 2004 and was elected as chairman of the board effective 1 April 2006. Liveris became CEO in 2004 after holding the position of chief operating officer (COO). Afterwards he served as executive chairman of
DowDuPont
DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...
, where he remains a director. He is chairman of the board of
Lucid Motors
Lucid Group, Inc. is an American electric vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Newark, California. The company was founded in 2007. Deliveries of the Dream Edition launch versions were made available to the first group of 520 reservation hold ...
.
Early life and education
Liveris was born in Darwin, Australia. He is the grandson of
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
immigrants from the island of
Kastellorizo
Kastellorizo or Castellorizo (; el, Καστελλόριζο, Kastellórizo), officially Megisti ( ''Megísti''), is a Greece, Greek island and Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality of the Dodecanese in the Eastern Mediterranean ...
and identifies strongly with his Greek heritage. He attended Darwin High School until 1974 when Darwin was hit by
Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from 24 to 26 December 1974. The small, developing easterly storm had been observed passing clear of the city initially, but then turned t ...
. He then moved to
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
where he continued his education at
Brisbane State High School
, motto_translation = Knowledge is Power
, city = South Brisbane
, state = Queensland
, country = Australia
, coordinates =
, type = Public, selective, co-educational, secondary, ...
.
He earned a bachelor's degree (first-class-honors) in
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...
from the
University of Queensland
, mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work
, established =
, endowment = A$224.3 million
, budget = A$2.1 billion
, type = Public research university
, chancellor = Peter Varghese
, vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry
, city = B ...
. In 2005, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in science by his alma mater as well as being named Alumnus of the Year.
Business career
Liveris began his career at Dow in 1976 in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia. He spent much of his career in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
before moving to North America, with roles in manufacturing, engineering, sales, marketing, and business and general management. Liveris spent 14 years in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
and served as Dow's general manager in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
before becoming head of Dow's entire Asia-Pacific operations.
Liveris joined Dow's board of directors in February 2004, becoming CEO in November 2004. Liveris, appointed CEO in 2004 after the board of directors unanimously selected him in part based upon his plan to transform Dow, began to implement the new strategy.
His election to
chairman of the board
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
became effective 1 April 2006.
Rohm and Haas acquisition
Liveris' strongest move to implement the strategy came with the purchase of
Rohm and Haas
Rohm and Haas Company is a manufacturer of specialty chemicals for end use markets such as building and construction, electronic devices, packaging, household and personal care products. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the company is organized i ...
in the summer of 2008 for $16.2 billion. This Fortune 500 company, a leader in
speciality chemicals
Speciality chemicals (also called specialties or effect chemicals) are particular chemical products which provide a wide variety of effects on which many other industry sectors rely. Some of the categories of speciality chemicals are adhesives, agr ...
, was the subject of a global auction, which Dow won with a bid of $16.2 billion. The acquisition proved to be synergistic in terms of growth, allowing a broader and deeper presentation to clients with regard to value-added chemicals, plastics, and materials, but also in terms of costs.
The acquisition closed soon after the credit crisis of 2007 and 2008 took hold. The credit crisis caused one of Dow's joint venture partners, Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) of the State of Kuwait, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), to withdraw from a planned partnership in basic plastics, despite an agreed contract, depriving Dow of $9 billion in proceeds designated to fund the Rohm and Haas deal. The London-based International Court of Arbitration ruled in March 2012 to award Dow $2.16 Billion plus cost and interest from Kuwait due to its cancellation of the 2008 agreement.
In March 2009, Liveris and his management team organized a plan to implement the Rohm and Haas integration, focusing on growth and cost synergies, but also reducing costly debt from the transaction through public offerings, along with equity offers. The plan also called for the divestiture of non-strategic assets, which was accomplished through a sales process that assured maximum valuation.
Later time as CEO
In 2015, auditors at Dow challenged what they said was improper spending by Liveris. Auditors testified that he used the company's Customer Events Department for personal events including family events and various services. The Liveris family subsequently repaid several hundred thousand dollars to Dow. The head of the auditing department retracted the annual auditing reports for multiple years due to concerns for inaccurate reporting to SEC and shareholders.
In March 2017, he said the ban on onshore gas exploration by the Victorian Government in Australia was "nonsense," and that he offered "Dow’s unfettered help with no intended positives for Dow" in learning extraction techniques.
In April 2017, Dow said that it was considering retaining Liveris beyond his planned retirement on 30 June 2017, to help oversee the planned merger between Dow and
DuPont
DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...
. In May, Dow said that Liveris would retire from the DowDuPont company mid-2018, serving as executive chairman until between April and July 2018. He stepped down from his executive positions at DowDuPont on 1 April 2018, remaining a director. He remained chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company. After his retirement, Liveris outlined plans to author several books and remain tangentially active with Dow. He also said he would join the board of Saudi Aramco. He toured Dow facilities in 12 countries in June 2018 and also was at the opening of the Andrew N. Liveris Visitors and Heritage Center in Midland.
Manufacturing council
In December 2016, Liveris was named by
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
to lead his
American Manufacturing Council
The American Manufacturing Council was a group of prominent chief executives set up to advise U.S. President Donald Trump on domestic manufacturing initiatives. It was chaired by Andrew Liveris, CEO of Dow Chemical Company.
Following the with ...
. Liveris said Trump created a climate that is conducive to business effectiveness for his company. On 27 January 2017, Trump publicly announced the names of the 28 members to make up the council, with Liveris heading the Manufacturing Jobs Initiative.
While Liveris was chairman and CEO of Dow Chemical, the company donated $1 million to Trump's presidential inauguration. In 2017, the Associated Press reported that Dow was pressuring the Trump administration to ignore risk assessment studies about the harms of pesticides.
Brisbane 2032 Olympic Organizing Committee
In 2022, Liveris was chosen to lead the organizing committee for the 2032 Olympics and Paralympic Games in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
.
Writing
Liveris is the author of ''Make it in America: The Case for Re-Inventing the Economy'' (first published 2011, updated 2012). Liveris argues that a healthy manufacturing sector is essential to creating jobs. Failing to support American manufacturing, as well as research and development, undermines America's potential to engage in new growth sectors such as
clean energy
Clean may refer to:
* Cleaning, the process of removing unwanted substances, such as dirt, infectious agents, and other impurities, from an object or environment
* Cleanliness, the state of being clean and free from dirt
Arts and media Music Al ...
and
nanotechnology
Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...
.
Memberships
Liveris serves on the board of directors of the battery company Novonix, and he is also on the board of IBM,
Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco ( ar, أرامكو السعودية '), officially the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (formerly Arabian-American Oil Company) or simply Aramco, is a Saudi Arabian public petroleum and natural gas company based in Dhahran. , it is one of ...
, Worley,
Lucid Motors
Lucid Group, Inc. is an American electric vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Newark, California. The company was founded in 2007. Deliveries of the Dream Edition launch versions were made available to the first group of 520 reservation hold ...
(Chairman) and He is on the advisory board of
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
is a Japanese multinational banking and financial services institution headquartered in Yurakucho, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The group operates in retail, corporate, and investment banking segment worldwide. It provides financial products and ser ...
, Teneo (a global CEO consulting and advisory firm), and NEOM (an initiative driven by Saudi Vision 2030). He is Chairman of the
BlackRock
BlackRock, Inc. is an American Multinational corporation, multi-national investment company based in New York City. Founded in 1988, initially as a Enterprise risk management, risk management and fixed income institutional asset manager, BlackR ...
Long Term Capital and a special advisor to the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabi and a member of the executive committee of the
Business Roundtable
The Business Roundtable (BRT) is a nonprofit lobbyist association based in Washington, D.C. whose members are chief executive officers of major United States companies. Unlike the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, whose members are entire businesses, BRT ...
. Liveris is also a former president of the
International Council of Chemical Associations
The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) is the trade association of the global chemical industry. Its members are both regional trade associations like Cefic or the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association, and also national ...
. He served as vice-chairman of
The Business Council
The Business Council is an organization of business leaders headquartered in Washington, D.C.Press Release: The Dow Chemical Company, , ''
Yahoo!
Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Man ...
'', 19 October 2012 '' WSGW'' He is a member of the
Peterson Institute for International Economics
The Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), known until 2006 as the Institute for International Economics (IIE), is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C. It was founded by C. Fred Bergsten in 1981 and has been led by ...
, and the American Australian Association. Liveris is on the board of trustees for the
United States Council for International Business The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) is an independent business advocacy group that was founded in 1945 to promote free trade and help represent U.S. business in the then-new United Nations. One of its primary goals is expand ...
and is a trustee of the
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
. Liveris is a member of the Business Advisory Board for the
University of Technology Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is a public research university located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Although its origins are said to trace back to the 1830s, the university was founded in its current form in 1988. As of 2021 ...
(UTS) Business School. In April 2012 he became a member of the Special Olympics International board of directors.
Liveris collaborated with
Muhtar Kent
Ahmet Muhtar Kent (born December 1, 1952) is a Turkish-American business executive. He was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Coca-Cola Company. He became CEO in 2008, and chairman in 2009.
In December 2016, Coca-Cola announced ...
, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company,
George David
George Alfred Lawrence David (born April 7, 1942) is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of United Technologies Corporation. David was elected UTC’s President in 1992 and Chief Executive Officer in 1994. He joined UTC’s Otis Elevat ...
, chairman of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, and George Stamas, partner at Kirkland and Ellis LLP, to found The Hellenic Initiative (THI), a non-profit, non-governmental organization with the goal of encouraging entrepreneurship and job-creation investments in Greece.
The $250 billion Saudi Arabia
Public Investment Fund
The Public Investment Fund (PIF; ar, links=no, صندوق الإستثمارات العامة) is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia. It is among the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world with total estimated assets of $620 billion ...
(PIF) appointed Andrew Liveris as a special adviser on matters of strategic importance, to assist the fund in efforts to boost the value of its portfolio, and ensure the contribution of PIF companies to
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
's economic vision program 2030. He has also joined the board of Australia's WorleyParsons.
WorleyParsons
WorleyParsons Limited, branded as Worley after completing the acquisition of Jacobs' Energy, Chemicals & Resources (ECR) division, is an American Australian engineering company which provides project delivery and consulting services to the ...
(WOR) chairman
John Grill
John Grill Officer of the Order of Australia, AO (born 1945) was the founder and chief executive officer of Australian-based engineering company, Worley (company), Worley.
Biography
He graduated with Honours in Civil Engineering from the Universi ...
said Liveris' "breadth of global leadership experience" in the US and Middle East will enhance the abilities of its board.
Awards and recognition
* 2010, 2012 and 2013, named No. 1 Power Player in the global chemical markets by ICIS Chemical Business magazine
* 2011, George E. Davis Medal,
Institution of Chemical Engineers
The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is a global professional engineering institution with over 33,000 members worldwide. It was founded in 1922 and awarded a Royal Charter in 1957.
It has offices in Rugby, London, Melbourne, Wellingto ...
(IChemE).
* 2011, Distinguished Performance Award for Excellence in Public Policy from the
Committee for Economic Development
The Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) is an American nonprofit and nonpartisan public policy think tank. The board of trustees consist primarily of senior corporate executives from a range of U.S. industries an ...
* 2011, International Leadership Award from the
United States Council for International Business The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) is an independent business advocacy group that was founded in 1945 to promote free trade and help represent U.S. business in the then-new United Nations. One of its primary goals is expand ...
(USCIB)
* 2011, Legend in Leadership from the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute at the
Yale School of Management
The Yale School of Management (also known as Yale SOM) is the graduate business school of Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. The school awards the Master of Business Administration (MBA), MBA for Executives ...
* 2011, named Platts Global Energy Awards CEO of the year.
* February 2012, Archbishop Iakovos Leadership 100 Award for Excellence.
* March 2012, Aristeio Award in Business from the American Hellenic Council
* March 2012, served as foreign co-chair at the China Development Forum in Beijing, representing more than 200 overseas delegates including the leaders of more than 70 Fortune 500 companies, international organisations, senior officials and internationally renowned scholars.
* August 2012, named by ''
The Australian Financial Review
''The Australian Financial Review'' (abbreviated to the ''AFR'') is an Australian business-focused, compact daily newspaper covering the current business and economic affairs of Australia and the world. The newspaper is based in Sydney, New Sou ...
'' to the BOSS list of True Leaders.
* 2013, received
International Palladium Medal
The International Palladium Medal is an award given annually by the Société de Chimie Industrielle (American Section) in New York to someone who has made outstanding contributions to the chemical industry on an international level. When founded ...
of the Société de Chimie Industrielle (announced in 2012)
* March 2013,
Chemical Industry Medal
The Chemical Industry Medal is an annual American award given to an industrial chemist by the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). The medal has been awarded since 1933, when it replaced the Grasselli Medal. It was initially given to "a person mak ...
from the
Society of Chemical Industry
The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) is a learned society set up in 1881 "to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit".
Offices
The society's headquarters is in Belgrave Square, London. There are semi-in ...
(SCI)
* May 2013, Eisenhower Award by
Business Executives for National Security
Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is an American nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. Prominent members include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, former Cisco chairman John P. Morgridge, and former Infor CEO Charles E. Phillips. The orga ...
(BENS) at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
* January 2014, appointed Officer of the
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
for services to international business
Personal
Liveris and his wife Paula have three adult children, including Anthony Liveris, founder of the
data analytics
Analytics is the systematic computational analysis of data or statistics. It is used for the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data. It also entails applying data patterns toward effective decision-making. It ...
firm Applecart. His daughter, Alexandra, is a filmmaker. As of 2018 Liveris and his wife travel between their homes in Australia and
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Michigan. The city's population was 42,547 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Comb ...