Chemicals and materials science giant Dow announced the appointment of Andre Argenton as Vice President of Environment, Health and Safety (EH&S) and Chief Sustainability Officer. Argenton will succeed Mary Draves in the role upon her retirement in April.
Draves has been with Dow for over 32 years, and has served as Vice President of EH&S and Chief Sustainability Officer since 2019.
Jim Fitterling, Dow Chairman and CEO, said:
“Over the course of her career, Mary has lived her passion for using science, innovation and collaboration to drive meaningful change. Above all, Mary has been an exceptional leader, who inspires others to reach further and to find the best answers. Her legacy will carry on through the many people whom she has influenced during her time with Dow. I wish Mary and her family every happiness in this next chapter of life.”
In his new role, Argenton will be responsible for corporate EH&S governance and corporate sustainability, including the reporting and disclosure of Dow’s ESG performance. Argenton joined Dow in 1999, most recently serving as Vice President of Research and Development, responsible for leading a broad portfolio of research programs and world-leading innovation capabilities.
The appointment follows the announcement by Dow in October at its 2021 Investor Day of plans to allocate approximately $1 billion per year of capex on investments aimed at decarbonizing its global asset base. Dow introduced a 2050 carbon neutrality goal in 2020, with the release of a series of sustainability commitments, which also included targets to reduce net annual carbon emissions by 15% by 2030, along with waste reduction and sustainable packaging pledges.
Fitterling said:
“As we announced at our 2021 Investor Day, we have outlined a clear and ambitious plan to use our innovation and sustainability expertise to drive near-and long-term growth in the key markets we serve. Andre’s scientific expertise and business experience will help us further advance our focus on decarbonizing and developing circular and sustainable materials that will help us achieve those goals.”
