- Six Dow employees also receive SASE recognition awards
Midland, Mich. – October 26, 2022 – Dow (NYSE: DOW) has been named 2022 Organization of the Year by the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) for its contributions to science and engineering and its commitment to ensuring that inclusion, diversity and equity are a business imperative.
In addition, six Dow employees received SASE recognition awards for leadership, achievement and military service. These awards celebrate the successes of individuals who enhance their scientific, engineering, and IT professions through contributions to the global business world, academia and local communities.
“This recognition is particularly meaningful following the challenges we faced stemming from the global pandemic,” said A.N. Sreeram, Dow’s senior vice president, Research & Development, and chief technology officer. “With Team Dow’s perseverance and commitment, we kept moving forward. Through deliberate focus and intentional actions, we delivered significant results and visible progress.” Sreeram is also the executive sponsor of Dow’s Asian Diversity Network (ADN), one of the Company’s employee resource groups (ERG).
Among the accomplishments, Dow:
- Exceeded annual representation goals improving representation of U.S. ethnic minorities to 26%, women globally to 29%, and women in people leadership globally to 35%.
- Redefined best-in-class ERG participation with 52% of employees globally participating in at least one of Dow’s 10 ERGs.
- Removed barriers to ERG participation (especially for employees with on-site responsibilities during scheduled shifts) through a new expanded paid time off policy to provide 12 hours annually for ERG participation and volunteerism.
- Expanded accountability for inclusion and diversity (I&D) by linking I&D metrics to the annual performance award bonus for all people leaders and senior directors and above (~2,800 leaders).
- Invested in several sponsorship programs to address the Asian, Black, and women’s leadership talent pipelines with a focus on retention and advancement of talent.
- Grew its Asian Diversity Network to more than 5,000 members globally, making it one of Dow’s largest ERGs.
According to Khanh Vu, CEO and executive director of SASE: “Dow was one of our very first supporters and has been a valued partner for SASE since our inception nearly 15 years ago. Dow believes in the SASE mission of recruiting talented employees from across the nation and supporting API leadership development. More recently, as our professional programming has grown over the past few years, Dow has remained a key partner in support of multiple initiatives – from the webinar series to our Women's Leadership Conference to our recent SASE Professional National Conference in Atlanta on October 6-7. Dow continues to be an employer of choice for SASE talent. We are honored to have Dow as our Organization of the Year.”
In 2021, Dow saw tremendous action by ADN in support of its Asian heritage employees. For example, organizers held a listening and learning series about the rise in racially motivated harassment and violence against people of Asian descent to help raise awareness of the challenges and biases faced by Asians within Dow and in its communities. ADN hosted a “A Day of Understanding” event, in alignment with the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion. ADN also launched a sponsorship program to advance the careers of Dow Asian talent, and an employee development program aimed at developing specific skills that can help Asians grow further in corporate culture.
Employee recognition awards
- Karisma Desai, senior operations leader, received a SASE Promising Professional award.
- Shrikant Dhodapkar, senior R&D/TS&D fellow, received a SASE Career Achievement award.
- David Frost, senior process technician, received a SASE Salutes award for military service.
- Ting Jiang, production director, received a SASE Professional Achievement award.
- Hemanth Kulkarni, IT director, received a SASE Career Achievement award.
- Sze-Sze Ng, principal TS&D scientist, received a SASE Professional Achievement award.
“I’m so proud of our Dow employees who were recognized by SASE for their contributions and professional achievements,” added Sreeram. “These individuals are living Dow’s ambition to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world.”
Dow ERGs offer employees the opportunity to connect and network with like-minded individuals while providing additional opportunities to grow personally and professionally throughout their Dow careers. ADN provides members and allies with resources and opportunities to improve their skills, advance their careers, raise their awareness about Asian cultures, and expand their personal and professional networks across Dow.
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth; asset integration and scale; focused innovation and materials science expertise; leading business positions; and environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership to achieve profitable growth and deliver a sustainable future. The Company's ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world. Dow's portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated, science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Dow operates 104 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 35,700 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $55 billion in 2021. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.
For further information, please contact:
Christy English
christy.english@dow.com