Karen S. Carter became chief executive officer of Dow on July 1, 2026, making her the first woman to lead the global materials science company. Her appointment also makes her one of a small number of Black women leading Fortune 500 companies.
Carter’s appointment followed a succession plan announced in April. She succeeded Jim Fitterling, who became executive chair after leading Dow through a period of major change. The company’s board selected Carter, then Dow’s chief operating officer, to lead its next phase. Dow reported approximately $40 billion in sales in 2025.
Her rise to the top job came after more than three decades at Dow. Since joining the company in 1994, Carter has held positions across business operations, sales, marketing and human resources. Before becoming CEO, she served as COO, overseeing the company’s operating segments and focusing on business performance, customer relationships and the development of new products.
Carter also led Dow’s Packaging & Specialty Plastics business, one of its largest segments, from 2022 to 2024. During that period, the company highlighted work to expand capacity, improve reliability and develop products designed to support a circular economy. Earlier, she served as chief human resources officer and chief inclusion officer.
Her career combines technical business leadership with an understanding of the people and processes behind a global company. Carter earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Howard University and a master’s degree in international business from DePaul University. She has also served on corporate and nonprofit boards and participates in several business leadership organizations. Carter takes charge as Dow faces a challenging environment for the chemicals industry, including weak demand and pressure to improve efficiency. The company has been restructuring operations and pursuing productivity improvements. As CEO, she is responsible for leading Dow’s overall strategy and operations, while Fitterling remains executive chair and focuses on long-term strategy and governance.
Her appointment is a milestone for representation in corporate leadership, but Carter’s career is also a story of sustained advancement inside a major industrial company. She has moved through roles spanning operations, commercial leadership and corporate functions, gaining experience across different parts of Dow before taking its top position. Her challenge now is to turn that institutional knowledge into results as the company navigates a changing market.
