Karen S. Carter

A Wichita native and Howard University graduate, Karen S. Carter joined Dow as an intern in 1994 and worked her way through nearly every corner of the company across business, commercial, and corporate functions. She ran Dow’s largest business segment, packaging & specialty plastics, and then ascended to COO. On July 1, 2026, she will become Dow’s CEO, making her the first woman to lead the 129-year-old materials science giant with $40 billion in revenue and one of what will be three Black female CEOs in the Fortune 500. She takes over a company mid-transformation, albeit a transformation she was an architect of as COO. Dow is cutting 4,500 jobs, or 13% of its workforce, and Carter was behind the $2 billion restructuring plan called “transform to outperform.” Her appointment was a sign that the company’s board valued continuity amid challenges like the Iran war and closure of the Strait of Hormuz.  Carter’s three-decade track record at Dow means she knows the company better than anyone. Read more: Dow’s CEO pick elevates a seasoned insider at a pivotal moment for the chemical giant