Carol Williams | AIChE

Carol Williams

Chairman of the Board
Owens-Illinois

Carol Williams is currently the Chairman of the Board, Owens-Illinois and a member of the Olin Chemical Board of Directors.

Williams joined Dow in 1980, starting as an engineer in R&D for plastic films and foams in the Granville Research Center. In 1991, she worked in Louisiana Operations on the development of styrene butadiene/isoprene block copolymers as part of a Dow/Exxon joint partnership. In 1993, she took on the director’s role for the Analytical Science Lab in Midland, Michigan.  In 1995, she moved to Texas as the global R&D director for the Epoxy Products and Intermediates Business.

Four years later, Williams was named the North America Chlor-Alkali Assets business operations leader and site leader for Oyster Creek in Freeport, Texas. She became business vice president for Chlor-Alkali Assets in 2000, and was named vice president of Global Purchasing in 2003. The following year, Williams became R&D vice president for Hydrocarbons & Energy, Chemicals & Intermediates and Core (Corporate R&D).

In 2005, she was named vice president of Business Development for Market Facing Businesses. From 2007 to 2008, Williams served as corporate vice president for Dow’s Market Facing, Business Development and Licensing Portfolio, which included Dow Automotive, Dow Building Solutions, Dow Coating Solutions, Dow Footwear, Dow Oil & Gas and several other potential market facing businesses in development. Her portfolio also included Dow Technology Licensing & Catalyst, and Ventures & Business Development. Williams was named as Sr. Vice President of Basic Chemicals in January 2009 and President of Chemicals & Energy in 2010.  She accepted her role as Executive Vice President of Manufacturing & Engineering in August 2011 and added responsibility for Supply Chain and EH&S Operations in 2012. In December 2014, Williams was named as special advisor to Dow’s chairman and CEO.

Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA and completed Executive Education at Indiana University. She also served on the United States Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council in 2012/2013.   Williams served on the Board of Directors of Sadara, Dow-Mitsui Chlor-Alkali LLC and Zep Inc. She served on the Board of Trustees for Carnegie Mellon University until 2016 and continues to serve as an advisory board member for the Engineering Department and a member of the Energy Futures Institute Presidential Consultation Committee. Williams is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

In 2009, she was selected as an Alumnae of the year at Carnegie Mellon University.  Ms. Williams received the 2010/2011 Woman of the Year Award from the National Association of Professional Women and in 2014, received the Junior Achievement Laureate award of Mid-Michigan.