Dow's EVP Geoffery Merszei to Retire After 30 Years of Service
Geoffery Merszei, executive vice president (EVP) of Dow, president of Dow Europe, Middle East and Africa (MEA), and chairman of Dow Europe, has announced his retirement after 30 years of service. His retirement will be effective early in 2013.
He will relinquish his current leadership line responsibilities on 1 August 2012 and retain his chairmanship of Dow Europe externally focused on specific European issues and actions, and will continue to report to Andrew Liveris, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), for this leadership role.
Merszei, who first joined Dow in 1977, left the company in 2001 to become EVP and chief financial officer of Alcan (CFO). He returned to Dow in July 2005 as EVP and CFO.
Prior to accepting the position at Alcan, Merszei’s career with Dow had spanned 24 years. He joined the company from Royal Bank of Canada in 1977 as credit manager for Dow MEA based in Geneva, Switzerland and in 1980 moved to Hong Kong as credit manager for Dow Asia-Pacific. Two years later he was named credit and finance manager for the region.
In 1983, Merszei was appointed treasurer for Dow Germany and eastern Europe based in Frankfurt. Three years later he moved to corporate treasury in Midland, Michigan as foreign exchange (FX) manager, before returning to Hong Kong as director of finance for Dow Asia-Pacific in 1988.
In 1991, Merszei accepted the role of director of finance/treasurer for Dow Europe based in Horgen, Switzerland, where he remained until being appointed vice president and treasurer of the company and returning to Midland in 1996. He resigned from that role when he moved to Alcan in September 2001.
Prior to assuming his current role and relocating to Europe in 2009, Merszei served as a member of Dow’s board of directors and CFO from 2005 to 2009. He was also Dow’s lead director on the board of directors of Dow Corning; a member of the board of directors of Chemical Financial, as well as a trustee and executive committee member of the US Council for International Business.
Merszei represents Dow in the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) board and executive committee. He also serves as chair of the nomination committee.