Board of Directors

jean s. blackwell d

jean s. blackwell

Experience

  • Chief Executive Officer of Cummins Foundation and Executive Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, of Cummins Inc., a leading global designer, manufacturer, distributor and servicer of engines and engine-related products (2008 – 2013), after serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2003 – 2008); Vice President, Cummins Business Services (2001 – 2003); Vice President, Human Resources (1998 – 2001); and Vice President and General Counsel (1997 – 1998)
  • Partner at the Indianapolis law firm of Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, where she practiced in the areas of financial and real estate transactions (1984 – 1991)
  • State of Indiana Budget Director (1993-1995)
  • Executive Director of the Indiana State Lottery Commission (1991-1992)
  • Former Independent Director, Essendant Inc. (formerly United Stationers Inc.), a leading national wholesale distributor of business products (2007 – 2018)
  • Former Independent Director, Phoenix Companies Inc., a life insurance company (2004 – 2009)

 

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • Independent Chair of Ingevity Corporation, a leading global manufacturer of specialty chemicals and high performance carbon materials (2016 – present)
  • Independent Director, Johnson Controls International plc, a leading diversified technology company (2018 – present)

 

Notable Affiliations

  • Director, Building Tomorrow

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Chief financial officer and public company audit committee chair service at large and prominent public companies, which brings to the Board a valuable perspective on financial, accounting, capital structure and risk management matters
  • Deep insight into navigating an increasingly complex global regulatory environment from experience gained as a general counsel, law firm partner and state government leader
  • Leadership in incorporating ESG priorities into our business strategy, leveraging experience gained as EVP of Corporate Responsibility for Cummins, as head of HR at Cummins, as board chair of a leading publicly-traded specialty chemical and performance materials company and as chair of the governance and sustainability committee of a large-cap multinational diversified technology company

 

Education

  • B.A. in economics, The College of William and Mary
  • J.D., University of Michigan
Member of the Celanese Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Member of the Celanese Audit Committee

william m. brown d

william m. brown

Experience

  • Executive Chair of the Board (2021 – 2022) and Chair and Chief Executive Officer (2019 – 2021) of L3Harris Technologies, Inc., successor to Harris Corporation, a global aerospace and defense technology company; President and Chief Executive Officer (2011 – 2019) and Chair (2014 – 2019), Harris Corporation
  • Various roles at United Technologies Corporation (UTC) (1997 – 2011), including as Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Development (2011), President of UTC’s Fire & Security Division (2006 – 2011), additional U.S. and international roles at various divisions including Carrier Corporation’s Asia Pacific Operations and the Carrier Transicold division
  • Senior Engagement Manager McKinsey & Company
  • Project Engineer, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

 

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • Independent Director at Becton, Dickinson and Company, a global medical technology company (2022 – present)

 

Notable Affiliations

  • Director, Fire Department of NYC Foundation

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Proven experience in the commercial, financial and cultural aspects of large M&A execution and integration, demonstrated through leading the $40 billion merger creating L3Harris, as well as M&A experience as SVP of Corporate Strategy and Development at United Technologies Corporation
  • Demonstrated leadership of complex global organizations, including his most recent executive role as Executive Chair and CEO of L3Harris, a global company with approximately $18 billion in revenue, 47,000 employees and customers in over 100 countries, following eight years as CEO of Harris Corporation
  • Insight into current cybersecurity issues globally through expertise in the defense industry as well as past service on the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee

 

Education

  • B.S.,M.S. in mechanical engineering, Villanova University
  • MBA, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Member of the Celanese Compensation and Management Development Committee
Member of the Celanese Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

edward g. galante d

edward g. galante

Experience

  • Senior Vice President and Member of the management committee of Exxon Mobil Corporation, an international oil and gas company (2001 – 2006), Executive Vice President of ExxonMobil Chemical Company (1999 – 2001) and various management positions of increasing responsibility over more than 30 years with the company.
  • Former Independent Director at Foster Wheeler AG, global engineering conglomerate (2007 – 2018)

 

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • Independent Director at Clean Harbors, Inc., a leading provider of environmental and industrial services (2007 – present)
  • Independent Director at Marathon Petroleum Corporation, a leading, integrated, downstream energy company (2018 – present), previously Independent Director at Andeavor Corporation, a highly integrated marketing, logistics and refining company acquired by Marathon (2016 – 2018)

 

Notable Affiliations

  • LSU Foundation
  • Board of United Way Foundation of Metropolitan Dallas
  • Board of Trustees of Northeastern University
  • Director, Artis-Naples

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Decades-long operational and commercial experience in the petroleum and chemical manufacturing industry, including as EVP of one of the largest chemical companies in the world (Exxon Mobil Chemical), giving the Board and executive leadership valuable long-term insight into industry and commercial prospects, and capital deployment optimization
  • Brings to the Board and the EHSQPP Committee significant experience in environmental, health and safety (EHS) issues, gained from leading Exxon Mobil's EHS activities, chairmanship of the EHS Committee of Clean Harbors, membership on Marathon Petroleum’s Sustainability Committee and membership on the Environmental, Health, Safety and Security committee at Andeavor
  • Chair leadership and member service on large-company compensation committees gives our CMDC a valuable cross-industry perspective into best practices in driving value-creating behavior of leadership teams in large organizations

 

Education

  • B.S. in civil engineering, Northeastern University
Member of the Celanese Environmental, Health, Safety, Quality and Public Policy Committee
Chair of the Celanese Compensation and Management Development Committee

timothy go d

timothy go

Experience

  • President and Chief Executive Officer (May 2023 – present) of HF Sinclair Corporation, a leading independent energy company that produces and markets high-value light products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, renewable diesel and other specialty products; President and Chief Operating Officer (Nov. 2021 – May 2023) and Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer (June 2020 – Nov. 2021)
  • Chief Executive Officer of the general partner of Calumet Specialty Products Partners, an independent producer of specialty hydrocarbon products, (Jan. 2016 – June 2020)
  • Various operational leadership roles (2008 – 2015) at Koch Industries, Inc. and Flint Hills Resources, LP, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koch Industries focusing on specialty chemicals, including most recently as Vice President, Operations of Flint Hills Resources (July 2012 – Sept. 2015)
  • Various roles of increasing responsibility in downstream operations at ExxonMobil Corporation (1989 – 2008)

 

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • HF Sinclair Corporation

Notable Affiliations

  • University of Texas Engineering Advisory Board
  • Ronald McDonald House of Dallas Board

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Current and prior service as CEO of multibillion energy product and specialty chemical manufacturers with thousands of employees and multiple large facilities, bringing operational and business insights to our own strategic and operational manufacturing initiatives
  • Deep leadership and technical experience in large and complex manufacturing operations – including demonstrated success in renewable energy production, plant safety and reliability – which gives him keen insights into our long-term strategy and daily operations
  • Experience acquiring and integrating multiple large businesses and manufacturing into existing companies – including HollyFrontier’s transformational multibillion dollar acquisition of assets of Sinclair Oil and formation of HF Sinclair Corporation – which helps him guide our M&A integration strategy 

 

Education

  • B.S. in Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin

Member of the Celanese Environmental, Health, Safety, Quality and Public Policy Committee

kathryn m. hill d

kathryn m. hill

Experience

  • Numerous executive-level positions at Cisco Systems, Inc., a communications and information technology company, including Executive Advisor (2011 – 2013); Senior Vice President, Development Strategy and Operations (2009 – 2011); Senior Vice President, Access Networking and Services Group (2008 – 2009); Senior Vice President, Ethernet Systems and Wireless Technology Group (2005 – 2008); and other roles of increasing responsibility
  • Various engineering positions of increasing responsibility at Hughes Network Systems, a satellite internet provider (1982 – 1993)

 

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • Independent Director at Moody’s Corporation, a global integrated risk assessment company (2011 – present)
  • Independent Director at NetApp, Inc., a global cloud-led, data-centric software company (2013 – present)

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Valuable insight into long-term commercialization strategies, through experience developing and successfully commercializing large complex enterprise products and services in multiple Senior Vice President roles at Cisco Systems
  • Practical knowledge and experience in enhancing our manufacturing and commercial effectiveness through digital strategies, gained from leadership experience at large technology companies, including service on Cisco’s development council
  • Long tenure at large technology companies and board membership at high-profile and complex technology-driven companies enabling her to advise the Board and management very effectively on governance and information security matters while chairing the EHSQPP Committee

 

Education

  • B.S. in Mathematics, Rochester Institute of Technology
Member of the Celanese Compensation and Management Development Committee
Chair of the Celanese Environmental, Health, Safety, Quality and Public Policy Committee

david f. hoffmeister d

david f. hoffmeister

Experience

  • Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Life Technologies Corporation, a global life sciences company, prior to its acquisition by ThermoFisher Scientific Inc. (2008 – 2014)
  • Chief Financial Officer of Invitrogen Corporation, a biotechnology company which merged with Applied Biosystems to form Life Technologies Corporation (2004 – 2008)
  • Senior partner at McKinsey & Company serving clients in the healthcare, private equity and chemical industries on issues of strategy (1984 – 2004), including as leader of McKinsey’s North American chemical practice (1998 – 2004)

 

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • Independent Director at Glaukos Corporation, an ophthalmic medical technology and pharmaceutical company (2014 – present)
  • Independent Director at ICU Medical Inc., a global leader in infusion systems, infusion consumables, and high-value critical care products (2018 – present)
  • Independent Director at StepStone Group Inc., a private markets investment firm (2020 – present)

 

Notable Affiliations

  • Director at Kaiser Permanente, a private non-profit integrated managed care consortium (2014 – present)

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Long-standing knowledge of chemical and materials manufacturing, including from his time as the head of McKinsey’s North American chemical practice and as CFO of multibillion dollar life sciences companies
  • Valuable experience to effectively guide our efforts to grow our Engineered Materials business gained from deep knowledge of the medical and pharmaceutical industries through prior roles
  • Strong insight into successful acquisition execution, integration and synergy capture from leading, as CFO, the multibillion dollar merger and integration of two life sciences companies into a combined company, Life Technologies, with approximately 10,000 employees, and then playing an integral role in that company’s later $14 billion acquisition by Thermo Fisher

 

Education

  • B.A. in business administration and management, University of Minnesota
  • MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Member of the Celanese Audit Committee
Member of the Celanese Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

deborah j. kissire d

deborah j. kissire

Experience

  • Vice Chair and Regional Managing Partner, member of the Americas Executive Board and member of the Global Practice Group and various other various leadership positions, including Vice Chair and Regional Managing Partner for the East Central and Mid-Atlantic Regions and U.S. Vice Chair of Sales and Business Development, over a more than 35 year career at Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm (1979 – 2015)

 

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • Independent Director at Cable One, Inc., a leading American cable and internet service provider (2015 – present)
  • Independent Director at Omnicom Group Inc., a global marketing and corporate communications holding company (2016 – present)
  • Independent Director at Axalta Coating Systems Ltd., a leading provider of liquid and powder coatings (2016 – present)

 

Notable Affiliations

  • Advisory Board for Texas State University’s McCoy College of Business
  • Goodwill Industries of Greater Washington
  • Junior Achievement USA

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Kissire’s more than 35-year career and leadership roles at Ernst & Young, together with her service on other large public company audit committees, bring to our Audit Committee a thorough, multi-industry perspective to the complexities of our strategic planning, balance sheet and cash management, risk oversight and financial reporting
  • Experience leveraging her leadership skills and vision for strategic firm initiatives and programs at Ernst & Young in global branding, governance, and gender inclusiveness, such as their Partner Advisory Council, Strategy Task Force, Gender Equity Task Force, Vision 2000 Sales Task Force, and global Vision 2020 – which brings to our Board valuable experience in these areas key to our strategy

 

Education

  • BBA in accounting, Texas State University


Chair of the Celanese Audit Committee
Member of the Celanese Environmental, Health, Safety, Quality and Public Policy Committee

jay v. ihlenfeld d

jay v. ihlenfeld

Experience

  • Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific (2006 – 2012), for 3M Company, a leader in technology and innovation; Senior Vice President, Research and Development (2002 – 2006); Various other leadership and technology positions, including Vice President of the Performance Materials business and Executive Vice President of the Sumitomo/3M business in Japan, over 33 years

 

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • Independent Director at Ashland, Inc., a premier global specialty materials company (2017 – present)

 

Notable Affiliations

  • Minnesota Orchestra
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering Industrial Advisory Board
  • Phi Delta Theta Foundation Trustee Emeritus

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Extensive experience related to research, development, innovation and commercialization of chemical and performance materials products in multiple regions around the globe, which engineering and business knowledge is invaluable to the Board’s oversight of our product innovation, development and commercialization initiatives
  • A strong global perspective, from experience including his time as 3M’s Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific and Executive Vice President of 3M’s Sumitomo partnership, is highly beneficial to the Board’s and management’s understanding of global business and geopolitical considerations, particularly as the M&M acquisition expands our end market presence in the Asia-Pacific region
  • Deep experience in environmental and manufacturing strategy in the chemical sector, which helps guide the Board’s oversight of our operational sustainability efforts

 

Education

  • B.S. in chemical engineering, Purdue University
  • PhD in chemical engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Member of the Celanese Compensation and Management Development Committee 
Member of the Celanese Environmental, Health, Safety, Quality and Public Policy Committee

michael koenig d

michael koenig

Experience

  • Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Nobian Industrial Chemicals B.V., a privately-held European leader in the production of essential chemicals that spun out of Nouryon (2021 – present)
  • Chief Executive Officer of ELKEM ASA, a publicly-listed and Norwegian-headquartered global supplier of silicon-based advanced materials (2019 – 2021)
  • Chief Executive Officer of China National Bluestar Group, a specialty chemicals company (2016 – 2019)
  • Multiple senior executive positions in Germany and China at Bayer AG, a life sciences company (1990 – 2015)
  • Former Executive Board Member at Elkem ASA (2016 – 2021)
  • Former Independent Director at Conzzeta AG, a sheet-metal processing company now known as Bystronic AG (2016 – 2021)

 

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • Independent Chair of Symrise AG, a publicly-listed developer and producer of food and cosmetic flavor and fragrance ingredients headquartered in Germany (2020 – present)

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Current and recent service as CEO of multibillion dollar chemical manufacturers – with thousands of employees and operations in dozens of countries – bringing additional expertise to our complex global manufacturing, distribution and sales operations
  • Deep expertise in global markets where we have significant operations and customer bases including China, where he worked and served as a senior chemicals and materials executive for nearly fifteen years, and Europe, where he has been CEO and board member of multiple large chemical manufacturing companies, which brings geopolitical and cross-border expertise to the execution of our global strategy in markets around the world
  • Service as a CEO and board member of multiple companies headquartered in Europe brings a valuable perspective to our customer and sustainability efforts in that region

 

Education

  • M.S. in chemical process engineering, TU Dortmund University



Member of the Celanese Environmental, Health, Safety, Quality and Public Policy Committee
Member of the Celanese Compensation and Management Development Committee

ganesh moorthy d

ganesh moorthy

Experience

  • President, Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors (2021 – present) of Microchip Technology Incorporated, a leading provider of smart, connected and secure embedded control solutions; President and Chief Operating Officer (2016 - 2021), Chief Operating Officer (2009 - 2016), Executive Vice President (2006 - 2009) and Vice President of several Microchip divisions (2001 - 2006) 
  • Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cybercilium (2000 – 2001)
  • Various roles in Engineering, Operations, and General Management at Intel Corporation (1981 – 2000)

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • Independent Director, Rogers Corporation (2013 – present)

 

Notable Affiliations

  • Director, Board of Directors of the Semiconductor Industry Association
  • Director, Global Semiconductor Alliance

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Deep insight into the high-technology sector, which is a key customer market for us, gained through a more-than-forty-year career and executive leadership in the semiconductor industry, enabling him to bring to the Board strategic insights into global industry, business and market trends in, as well as the supply needs of, that sector 
  • Experience in complex global manufacturing operations and complex supply chains gained as CEO and President of a leading multibillion dollar semiconductor manufacturer with over twenty manufacturing, R&D and supply locations globally, as well as an appreciation of a long-term investment decision cycle similar to that of our industry
  • Proven M&A experience during his time with Microchip Technology, where he has been actively involved with planning and integrating 17 acquisitions, including 7 public companies

 

Education

  • M.B.A. in Marketing, National University
  • B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Washington
  • B.S. in Physics, University of Bombay, India
Member of the Celanese Audit Committee
Member of the Celanese Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

kim k.w. rucker d

kim k.w. rucker

Experience

  • Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Andeavor, an integrated marketing, logistics and refining company, and of Andeavor Logistics LP, a midstream energy infrastructure and logistics company, from 2016 until Andeavor was acquired by Marathon Petroleum Corporation (2016 – 2018), including time as interim Chief Human Resources Officer
  • Executive Vice President Corporate & Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Kraft Foods Group, Inc., a food and beverage company (2012 – 2015)
  • Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Avon Products, Inc., a global manufacturer of beauty and related products and beginning in 2009 assumed additional duties as Corporate Secretary (2008 – 2012)
  • Senior Vice President, Secretary and Chief Governance Officer of Energy Future Holdings Corp., an energy company (2004 – 2008)
  • Corporate Counsel for Kimberly-Clark Corporation
  • Partner in the Corporate & Securities group at the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP

 

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • Independent Director at HP Inc., a leading technology company (2021 – present)
  • Independent Director at Lennox International Inc., a global provider of climate control solutions (2015 – present)
  • Independent Director at Marathon Petroleum Corporation a leading, integrated, downstream energy company (2018 – present)

 

Notable Affiliations

  • Haven for Hope
  • Johns Hopkins Medicine Board of Trustees

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Business, legal and regulatory experience as an executive leader and general counsel and chief compliance officer in oil and gas, food and beverage and personal care industries, and board roles in multiple customer-facing companies, brings a multi-industry, multi-disciplinary perspective to our Board’s oversight of the Company’s operational, governance, regulatory affairs and risk controls management
  • Leadership in negotiating, executing and integrating multiple large and high-profile acquisitions recently – including the $45 billion buyout that created Energy Future Holdings (at the time the largest leveraged buyout in history), the $45 billion merger of Kraft Foods Group with Heinz to create the world’s fifth largest food and beverage company, Andeavor’s $6 billion acquisition of Western Refining Logistics and the acquisition of Andeavor by Marathon Petroleum for over $20 billion – brings highly-valuable expertise regarding business strategy, complex M&A, and integration
  • Broad knowledge of law, business transactions, corporate governance, compliance, communications, crisis management, government affairs, human capital and community involvement gained as an executive and director of multiple public companies, including numerous board leadership roles. Brings current and expert perspective and leadership experience on various matters, including strategy, risk management and board practices

 

Education

  • BBA in economics, University of Iowa
  • M.A. in public policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
  • J.D., Harvard Law School
Member of the Celanese Audit Committee
Chair of the Celanese Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

lori j. ryerkerk d

lori j. ryerkerk

 

Experience

  • Chief Executive Officer and President, Celanese (2019 – present); Chair (2020 – present)
  • Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing of Shell Downstream Inc., the largest business of Royal Dutch Shell plc (now Shell plc), a global group of energy and petrochemical companies, where she led a team of 30,000 employees and contractors at refineries and chemical sites worldwide (2013 – 2018), Regional Vice President of Manufacturing in Europe and Africa responsible for the operation of five Shell Manufacturing facilities and five joint ventures (2010 – 2013)
  • Senior Vice President, Refining, Supply and Terminals at Hess Corporation, where she was responsible for refineries, terminals and a distribution network, and supply and trading (2008 – 2010)
  • Multiple operational and senior leadership roles in Refining and Chemicals Manufacturing, Power Generation, and various other groups including Supply, Economics and Planning, HSSE, and Public Affairs/Government Relations at ExxonMobil (1984 – 2008)
  • Former Independent Director at Axalta Coating Systems, a leading provider of liquid and powder coatings (2015 – 2019)

 

Other Current Public Company Directorships

  • Independent Director at Eaton Corporation plc, a diversified power management company (2020 – present)

 

Notable Affiliations

  • Board member, American Chemistry Council (2019 – present)
  • Board member, National Association of Manufacturers (2019 – present)

 

Qualifications Provided to Our Board

  • Proven experience in P&L improvement, operational excellence and value creation in large, complex manufacturing organizations internationally and in the U.S., leading thousands of employees and multibillion dollar budgets at Shell, Hess and ExxonMobil
  • Leadership of multiple nine- and ten-figure acquisitions and divestitures to optimize manufacturing and operational portfolios
  • Significant experience in environmental and sustainability matters in the manufacturing and energy industries, including publication of Exxon’s first corporate-wide environmental, health and safety report, key involvement in the American Petroleum Institute’s establishment of guidelines for the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions, bringing keen insight to Celanese as we design, set and operationalize our sustainability targets and priorities
  • In multiple roles throughout her career, led multi-year improvements and safety and environmental metrics from individual manufacturing sites to large global businesses
  • Long history of effectively and influentially representing her companies and industries through trade associations and governmental committees in both the U.S. and abroad, including experience as the head of government relations and public affairs for the world’s largest energy company and broad experience in trade association leadership
  • External recognition includes being named as one of America’s Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune, CEO of the Year by D (Dallas) Magazine (2020) and a member of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Hall of Fame at Iowa State University (2021)

 

Education

  • B.S. in chemical engineering, Iowa State University

 

Committee Membership

Audit Committee Compensation and Management Development Committee Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Environmental, Health, Safety, Quality and Public Policy Committee
Jean S. Blackwell
William M. Brown 1
Edward G. Galante
Timothy Go
Kathryn M. Hill
David F. Hoffmeister
Deborah J. Kissire
Jay V. Ihlenfeld
Michael Koenig
Ganesh Moorthy
Kim K.W. Rucker
Lori J. Ryerkerk 2
= Chairman     = Member
1 Lead Independent Director    2 Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer & President

Contact the Board

The board of directors has adopted the following procedure in accordance with the requirements of the NYSE and the SEC for stockholders or other interested parties to communicate with the board and its members. Stockholders and other parties interested in communicating directly with the non-management directors as a group, an individual director or the board may do so by sending their communications to:

Celanese Corporation
Board of Directors
222 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Suite 900N
Irving, Texas 75039
Attn: Corporate Secretary 

All communications received by the Corporate Secretary will be delivered to one or more members of the board as appropriate, as determined by the Corporate Secretary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporate Secretary will maintain for the benefit of the board for a period of two years following the receipt of any communication, a record of all communications received in compliance with this policy.

Members of the board may review this record of communications upon their request to the Corporate Secretary. In addition, the receipt of any accounting, internal controls or audit-related complaints or concerns will be directed to the Chairman of the audit committee.