Susan’s Career

Corporate governance and operations expert with a career spanning corporate supply, manufacturing, sustainability and risk management. Deep experience serving on executive leadership teams, reporting to CEO, and sponsoring sophisticated organizational redesign, M&A, and transformation, ensuring synergies and shareholder value creation. Industry experience across agriculture, petrochemicals, coatings and specialty materials. Extensive expertise delivering world-class risk management and supply chain leadership in complex multi-national corporate settings and growth settings.

• 2018-Present

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  Board Member
  GLEANERS OF INDIANA FEEDING AMERICA ORGANIZATION

  Full board and Member of Operations Committee: Governance for operations of organization, optimization of supply and costs; COVID-19 Impact advisory. Current Operations Committee Volunteer Member.

• 2019 – 2021

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  Board Member
  AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL

  Full board engagement and membership; Member of the Responsible Care Committee driving strategy, governance and links to ESG goals and strategy.

• 2010 – 2017

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  Board Member
  NATIONAL ACTION COUNCIL FOR MINORITIES IN ENGINEERING (NACME)

  Over 6 years as member of board, providing leadership in oversight on fiduciary, scholarship funding, membership and CEO performance.

• 2010 – 2013

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  Board Member
  STATE OF MICHIGAN 2-1-1 SERVICE AGENCY

  Oversight of management strategy and county agencies to provide referral services aiding Michigan’s needy.

• 2008 – 2013

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  Advisory Board Member
  MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

  Provided expertise and governance for the Chemical engineering Department goals, implementation, Curriculum Accreditation, Funding; Named to the Academy of Distinguished Engineers.

• 2016-2021

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  Senior Vice President, Operations
  CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE, Indianapolis, IN, USA

  Served on executive leadership team. Reported directly to Agco division and eventual company CEO. Provided strategic leadership over global operations with 4.5K employees for risk management, EH&S, security, quality, engineering and operations technology, procurement, facilities and real estate for 400 facilities, including 100 manufacturing sites worldwide.

  • Led 3-year global integration of all operations within AgCo Division, including 11K Corteva Agriscience employees in the merger of Dow & DuPont, culminating in spinoff of Corteva Agriscience.
  • Spearheaded synergy strategy and execution for global operations, delivering $1B+ in cost reductions and margin growth.
  • Reduced chemical manufacturing footprint by 25%, increased productivity and reduced supply and capital costs.
  • Reduced EHS&S incidents 50%+ with focus on roles, leadership and behavior-based culture implementation and influence.
  • Organized and led COVID-19 pandemic crisis worldwide as crisis management chair. Set up structure, execution governance and leadership reporting to CEO and board.
• 2014-2016

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  Vice President, Operations
  DOW AGROSCIENCES (DAS), LLC, Indianapolis, IN

  Guided Chemical & Seed Manufacturing, Technology, Supply Chain, Capital and EH&S teams for global agriculture business division of Dow Chemical. DAS operated as wholly owned subsidiary of Dow with board like governance. Member of Corporate Management Committee (CMC) reporting into business CEO and board members committee.

  Together, as executive team, created new strategy, culture and delivered best year in company history. Responsible for reduced manufacturing footprint, costs of goods and safety incidents through agile teamwork, global innovative safety and value creation behavior culture.

• 2012-2014

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  Director, Houston Operations, Houston, TX
  THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY, Midland, MI / Houston, TX

  Provided leadership and strategic direction for Bayport, LaPorte, LoneStar and Deer Park sites. Technologies and production included Monomers, Acrylics, Coatings, Specialties for over 10B lbs. of materials annually.

  • Improved culture and teamwork following difficult merge of Rohm & Haas through revamp of sites’ strategy, leadership team and expectations of accountability and ownership.
  • Achieved zero incident safety record, instilling strong employee ownership, commitment and leadership accountability.
  • Mitigated risk from complex and hazardous chemical operations with significant crisis management, security and process safety accomplishments.
  • Reduced spending by $50MM annually through value team creation concept with all 2000 employees participating.
  • Negotiated and achieved new union 5-year contract without strike, lockout or loss of supply.
• 2010-2012

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  Corporate Director, Global Environment, Health and Safety, Midland, MI
  THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY, Midland, MI / Houston, TX

  Led and inspired 50K employees worldwide to deliver on EH&S goals, mitigate risk and achieve acquisition success. Managed Crisis Prevention and Management, Environment Controls, Security, Personal & Process Safety, Center of EHS Expertise, Industrial Hygiene and coordination with Health and remediation Services. Member of corporate crisis management team.

  • Developed and implemented “Live IT” program throughout Dow Chemical, globally transforming safety culture from compliance to commitment.
  • Reduced global incidents 15% across process and personal safety and loss of primary containment through novel “LIVE IT” campaign, mindfulness and safety effectiveness leadership program.
  • Awarded Green Cross for Safety and prestigious Campbell Award for Safety Leadership from the National Safety Council.
• 2008-2010

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  Business Manufacturing & Technology Director
  DOW AGROSCIENCES, LLC, Midland, MI & Indianapolis, IN, USA

  Headed Dow AgroSciences Global Technology Center. Provided strategic direction for growth and improvements to employees in Crop Protection and Seeds platforms. Partnered with business leaders and teams on asset and technology strategy, supply / demand, working capital, M&A, and Capital projects. Owned global supply and operations and member of leadership team for Range & Pasture and Classic Insecticides businesses. Handled over $300MM capital and engineering.

  • Created global strategies for businesses with leadership team. Increased Ebitda through cost reduction and increasing margin, growing business and supply capabilities including balanced internal and external supply.
  • Advanced new molecules and completed Enlist program manufacturing capabilities.
• 2006-2008

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  Plant Manager, Global Performance Chemicals
  THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY, Terneuzen, Netherlands Europe

  Directed production for largest Emulsion Polymers facility in the world and served as Plant Manager for Polyglycols and Surfactants Operations. Directed day-to-day operations supply, environment, health and safety, quality, logistics, regulatory as well as asset strategy, new product launches and improvements.

  • Achieved safety and supply records while increasing maximum capacity and reliability with reduced manufacturing cost.
  • Served as key leadership team member, driving strategy and delivering for customers for Emulsion Polymers and Performance Products business teams across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Agriculture, Cellulosics, Emulsion Polymers Coatings: Served in various engineering and leadership roles across multiple industries and chemical products. Roles included production, technology and work process optimization, scale up research, six sigma black belt, EHS, supply chain, quality, unit supervisor, improvement leadership, engineering and capital management.