Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) has appointed Howard Ungerleider as an Operating Advisor to CD&R funds. In this role, Mr. Ungerleider will collaborate with CD&R's industrials team, focusing on identifying new investment prospects and providing support to the management teams of relevant portfolio companies.
With over three decades of experience in the chemical, packaging, and specialty materials industries, Mr. Ungerleider has held various senior management roles. Notably, he served as the President and Chief Financial Officer of Dow, where he played a key role as a member of Dow's senior executive committee. This committee is responsible for shaping strategic direction, establishing corporate policies, and overseeing governance and enterprise-level decisions for the company. Additionally, from September 2017 to April 2019, Mr. Ungerleider held the position of Chief Financial Officer at DowDuPont, an $86 billion holding company formed with the intention of creating three independent, publicly traded companies in materials science, agriculture, and specialty products sectors.
Mr. Ungerleider's tenure at Dow, which began in 1990, involved leadership roles at both business and enterprise levels across the globe. In 1997, he oversaw several of Dow's specialty polyolefin brands from the company's European headquarters in Switzerland. Progressing in his career, he assumed the role of Business Director for Dow's global Wire and Cable Compounds business in 2000. Subsequently, in 2004, he took on the position of Global Director of Integrated Supply Chain for Plastics, Performance Chemicals, and Thermosets. In 2006, he was appointed North American Commercial Vice President for Dow's $6 billion Basic Plastics business portfolio. From 2008 to 2011, Mr. Ungerleider served as Vice President of Investor Relations, overseeing the development and execution of an investor outreach program that communicated Dow's strategic transformation and performance during the global economic crisis.
In 2011, Mr. Ungerleider assumed the role of President for Dow’s Performance Plastics Division, marking a significant step in his career. Progressing further, he was appointed Executive Vice President of Dow’s Advanced Materials Division in 2012, earning a place in Dow’s senior-most executive team. During his tenure, the Advanced Materials businesses, under his leadership, expanded to generate over $11 billion in sales across more than 130 countries. The Board of Directors at Dow elected him as Chief Financial Officer in 2014, followed by his designation as Vice Chairman in 2015 and President in 2018.
Mr. Ungerleider, in addition to his distinguished career, has been involved in various leadership and advisory roles. He served as the former chairman of the Dow Company Foundation and currently holds board positions with Kyndryl (NYSE: KD), the Michigan Baseball Foundation, and The Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation. Notably, he served as the immediate past chair of the board for the Business Leaders for Michigan business roundtable, the Michigan Climate Executive Advisory Group, and the Michigan Sustainability Leadership Council.
Educationally, Mr. Ungerleider holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas in Austin and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California in Los Angeles.
Source: CD&R
