By Kimberly Wilson ·Updated April 17, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… In 126 years, Dow has never had a Black woman as its chief executive. That changes on July 1.
Karen S. Carter, currently the company’s chief operating officer, was appointed CEO earlier this month by the board of directors, making her the first Black woman to lead the company in its entire history. She is also, as of this summer, one of the most powerful executives in corporate America.
“I am deeply honored to assume the role of CEO and lead Dow into our next chapter,” she said in a statement following the announcement. “Dow has extraordinary people, world-class assets and leading positions in the markets we serve.”
Dow isn’t a household name, but its products show up everywhere, from food packaging to construction materials to consumer electronics. The company reported roughly $40 billion in sales in 2025 and employs tens of thousands globally. Carter was appointed by the board on April 9, following a years-long internal search for its next leader. She succeeds Jim Fitterling, who has run the company since 2018 and will move into an executive chairman role, with Richard Davis staying on as the board’s independent lead director.
Carter joined Dow in 1994, fresh out of Howard University (H-U, you know) and DePaul, stepping into an industry where Black women were rarely centered. Over the next three decades, she worked across operations, sales, marketing, human resources and international business, including roles in the Asia Pacific region, eventually running the company’s largest division before becoming COO. In that role she had oversight of all three of Dow’s business segments and its research and development operations, with a focus on strengthening customer relationships and pushing the company’s newer products to market.
She continued, “Our focus remains unwavering: delivering reliable and innovative solutions for our customers, and long-term value for our employees and our shareholders, while accelerating our >Fifty-five women currently lead Fortune 500 companies, which is a record high. When Carter steps in this summer, she will be one of just two Black women in that group, despite Black women making up nearly 7 percent of the U.S. population.
She is taking over during a challenging time, with the company navigating declining demand across several of its core industries, investor scrutiny and broader economic uncertainty.
The plastics and chemicals industry is also under increasing pressure from regulators and consumers alike, which means Carter steps into the role at a time when the company’s strategic direction will face more scrutiny than usual. It’s a high-stakes moment for the business. For Carter, it’s also the culmination of a three-decade climb through an industry where few women who look like her have ever made it this far.
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