Chairman and Chief Executive Officer The Dow Chemical Company – Midland, Michigan
Frank Popoff earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry and his masters degree both from Indiana University in 1959. That same year, he joined Dow in Midland, Michigan in the technical service and development department. After serving in sales, marketing and business management positions, he became General Manager of the Agricultural and Organic Chemicals Department of Dow U.S.A. in Midland. In 1976, he returned to Dow Europe, became Vice President of Marketing, Executive Vice President and in 1981 was elected President. In 1982 he was elected to the Dow Board of Directors and in 1984 became a Vice President of the company. He transferred to Midland as an Executive Vice President of Dow and a member of the company’s Executive Committee in 1985. In 1987 he was named President and Chief Operating Officer and, later that same year, was named Chief Executive Officer. He was appointed Chairman in December of 1992. He serves as a director on many corporate boards, including American Express, Chemical Financial Corporation, Dow Corning, and Marion Merrill Dow. He is the Senior Vice Chairman of the U.S. Council for International Business. He also serves on the boards of the Indiana University School of Business Dean’s Advisory Council and The National Volunteer Center. He is a member of the Chemical Manufacturers Association, the Business Council for Sustainable Development, the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Advisory Committee, the Business Council, the Council on Competitiveness and the U.S.-Japan Business Council to name a few. Frank is also a member of the Northwood University Gallery of Distinction, having been awarded an Honorary Degree from the university in 1990. He and his wife, Jean, reside in Midland, Michigan. “Formal education is the beginning of a lifetime of learning.”
