Dow creates new global business unit, names executive committee

The Dow Chemical Co. is creating a new global business unit structure and is establishing an executive committee.

The Midland, Mich.-based company said that the global business unit model will include business presidents that will be responsible for helping to increase earnings and advancing the company’s strategy. The business presidents, which will be announced later this week, will report to the executive committee.

Executive committee members include chairman and CEO Andrew Liveris; CFO Bill Weideman; and executive vice-presidents James Fitterling, Joe Harlan, and Howard Ungerleider.

The executive committee will set the company’s overall direction and strategy and monitor results, Dow said in a statement.

Also in the statement, Liveris said that Dow will have less structure at the top of the company “with more deployment and implementation in the markets and out in the field. We are putting in place the optimal structure for the next phase of our strategy that will better enable us to intensely focus on our customer and on developing markets around the world.”

Dow ranks as one of the world’s largest plastics and chemicals makers. In 2011, the firm posted sales of just under US$60 billion, up almost 12 per cent compared to 2010.