Celanese Corporation and Chemical Marketing & Economics (CME) announced that Lori J. Ryerkerk, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Celanese, will be the recipient of the CME STEM Leadership Award for Corporate Reinvention. Ryerkerk will be honored at a reception and gala event on December 10, 2024, in New York City.

"CME would like to recognize Lori Ryerkerk as an industry leader who has reshaped the organizational direction of Celanese with an outstanding impact on all stakeholders and the overall ecosystem in which the corporation operates," said CME Co-Chair Steve Barnett.

"We cannot think of a better industry role model who inspires STEM women and is dedicated to the advancement of diverse STEM talent leadership programs," noted CME Co-Chair and Legal Counsel Ksenia Takhistova.

“Our people are the driving force behind our success, and it’s an honor to represent the collective hard work of the entire Celanese team who made this award possible,” said Lori Ryerkerk, CEO of Celanese.

“As we continue to grow both as a company and industry at large, we remain steadfast in our commitment to STEM talent programs to help foster a diverse future workforce. By opening our industry to a range of perspectives and ideas, we can ensure we connect with the best talent needed to innovate and accelerate future solutions to improve the world.”

Ryerkerk’s expertise in the energy industry spans three-plus decades. She combines deep technical and commercial skills with a passion for the manufacturing business. Her unwavering focus on safety, environmental and social performance is the foundation on which she has overseen some of the most technically complex operations in the industry.

In her earlier stints, Ryerkerk has worked as Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing with Shell Downstream and Senior Vice President, Refining, Supply and Terminals at Hess Corporation. Prior to that, Ryerkerk spent 24 years with ExxonMobil where she started her career as a process technologist at a refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Ryerkerk is a graduate of Iowa State University, where she completed her Chemical Engineering degree.