David Klanecky is the Global Research and Development Director of Dow Water & Process Solutions, based in Edina, Minn. He is responsible for directing and conducting R&D programs related to Dow’s water strategy and oversees the global technical service operations of the business. In this role, Klanecky oversees a team of 200 people in research centers across North America, Europe and Asia.
Prior to joining Dow Water & Process Solutions in June 2007, Klanecky served as senior R&D leader for Dow’s Designed Polymers Business Group in Shanghai, China. As a 16-year employee of The Dow Chemical Company, he has played an integral role in various company initiatives, including the July 2006 acquisition of OMEX Environmental Engineering in China.
Klanecky has an extensive background in chemical engineering. He has held numerous senior positions within Dow, including roles in the company’s Designed Polymers, Films and Fibers, Extrusion Profiles, GAS/SPEC, Polyolefins and Liquid Separations business units in Horgen, Switzerland; Tarragona, Spain; Freeport, Tex.; and Midland, Mich.
Klanecky is a six sigma black belt whose leadership has frequently been recognized by Dow. Since 1997, he has been recognized as on the “Future Leader List,” which denotes the top two percent of managers at Dow. Klanecky has also been recognized as a nominee for the “Dow Genesis Award for People Development,” an award that recognizes less than one percent of Dow’s leadership in developing people. He holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.