Andrew Liveris

Andrew Liveris
Name	Andrew Liveris
Birth date	5 May 1954
Birth place	Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	University of Queensland (B.E., M.E.)
Occupation	Business executive, chemical engineer
Known for	Former Chairman & CEO of Dow Chemical Company
Spouse	Paula Liveris

Andrew Liveris is an Australian business executive and chemical engineer renowned for his transformative leadership of The Dow Chemical Company. He served as the company's Chief Executive Officer from 2004 to 2017 and as its Chairman from 2006 to 2018, steering it through major strategic shifts including the landmark merger with DuPont. A prominent advocate for advanced manufacturing and industrial policy, Liveris has held significant advisory roles for governments and global institutions, including the United States and the World Economic Forum.

Early life and education

Born in Darwin, Northern Territory, he is of Greek heritage. He pursued higher education at the University of Queensland, earning a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical engineering and later a Master of Engineering. His academic foundation in chemical engineering provided the technical basis for his subsequent career in the global chemical industry.

Career at Dow Chemical

Joining The Dow Chemical Company in Australia in 1976, he held a series of manufacturing, engineering, and business leadership roles across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and the United States. Appointed CEO in 2004 and Chairman in 2006, his tenure was defined by strategic repositioning. He navigated the Great Recession, divested non-core assets, and championed investments in performance materials and agricultural sciences. His most defining achievement was orchestrating the historic merger of equals with rival DuPont in 2017, creating DowDuPont, intended to later split into three independent companies focused on agriculture, materials science, and specialty products.

Post-Dow roles and advisory positions

Following his retirement from Dow, he was appointed Chairman of DowDuPont's Materials Science division, which later became the new Dow Inc.. He has served as a senior economic and manufacturing advisor to multiple administrations, including an appointment by President Donald Trump to co-chair the American Manufacturing Council. He has also been a key advisor to the Saudi Arabian government on its Saudi Vision 2030 economic transformation plan and served on the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum's International Business Council.

Board memberships and corporate governance

He has held directorships at major global corporations, reflecting his expertise in corporate governance and international business. His board service has included roles at IBM, where he was a member of the Executive Committee, and Novonix, an Australian Securities Exchange-listed battery technology company. He previously served on the board of Caterpillar Inc. and has been involved with philanthropic boards such as the California Institute of Technology's Resnick Sustainability Institute.

Awards and recognition

His contributions to industry and commerce have been recognized with numerous honors. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to business and international trade. He has received the American Australian Association's Business Leadership Award and the Petrochemicals Europe Leadership Award. In 2013, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His alma mater, the University of Queensland, awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

Personal life

He is married to Paula Liveris, and the couple has three children. A naturalized American citizen, he maintains strong ties to Australia and the Greek community. He is a noted philanthropist, with the couple making significant donations to the University of Queensland for the establishment of the Andrew N. Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership. He is also a benefactor of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

Category:Australian businesspeople Category:Australian chemical engineers Category:1954 births Category:Living people