View Photo GalleryWelcome to CEO+CEO: Perspectives on Excellence – a series of interviews that give you the opportunity to listen to James Gorman talk with some of the most influential leaders in business.
Our fourth installment of Perspectives on Excellence features Andrew Liveris, President, Chairman and CEO of The Dow Chemical Company. Andrew began his career at Dow in 1976, working his way up through the ranks to become the CEO in 2004, pushing Dow Chemical into new markets and new products around the world. An advocate for the criticality of manufacturing, Liveris serves as Co-Chair of President Obama's Advanced Manufacturing Partnership and is the author of Make It in America. As a leader focused on fostering a culture of innovation and excellence, he was a clear choice as our fourth guest in the series.
CEO+CEO: James Gorman + Andrew Liveris
February 29, 2012
FEATURED TOPICS
Liveris describes how collaboration between Dow's people and the company's technology and research groups have created a global, community-based business.
With 400,000 open Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics (STEM) jobs available, Liveris stresses the need for America to fall in love again with manufacturing.
Liveris reveals the role that human capital and IP generation play in how Dow makes money.
Liveris' confesses his keep-you-up-at-night issue is the increasing hacker risk to patents and internal systems.
As his most proud accomplishment in the hot seat, Liveris highlights Dow's seven-year portfolio transition while maintaining the viability of a 115-year-old company.
Liveris credits the work of a few mentors and cites three CEOs he personally admires.
Q&A
Gorman explains his thought process around addressing time-sensitive decisions with a large potential impact, and Liveris pays homage to the 80/20 rule.
Living an integrated life rather than a balanced life is Liveris' mantra, as he emphasizes the need to bring positive energy to the table. Gorman underscores a CEOs responsibility to convert negative energy into good.
Gorman conveys the importance of recognizing reality, of taking the good with the bad and owning your decisions. Liveris shares a lesson of humility and what it means to him as a leader.
Liveris ponders the reasons behind US labor shortages and salary deficits in chemistry and engineering, asserting we must regain a sense of allure and romance around big ideas and modern day manufacturing innovation.
Two-thirds of the world's GDP is held by nations facing possible regime change this year, prompting both leaders to stress the importance of clarity, direction and understanding the big picture despite political shifts to the left or right.