Business
Karen S. Carter to lead Dow, joining rare Black women Fortune 500 CEOs
Dow Inc. has named Karen S. Carter as its next chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2026. Carter, currently the company’s chief operating officer, will succeed Jim Fitterling, who moves to executive chairman of the board.
Carter joined Dow as an intern in 1994 and has since held senior roles across business operations, sales and marketing, and human resources. Most recently, she led the company’s Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment, Dow’s largest division and a major global supplier of polyethylene resins and functional polymers.
Her appointment leaves only three Black women at the helm of Fortune 500 companies, alongside Thasunda Brown Duckett of TIAA and Joi Harris of DTE Energy.
“My focus is simple: execute with discipline, stay close to our customers, operate safely, and deliver results the right way,” Carter said.