The Society of Chemical Industry
(SCI), American Section, will award the chemical industry's most
prestigious honor - the 2007 Chemical Industry Medal - to Raj L. Gupta,
Chairman, President and CEO of Rohm and Haas Company during ceremonies in
New York City on March 8.
The Chemical Industry Medal is awarded annually "for contributions
toward the growth of the chemical industry." The award is especially
notable in that the membership of the SCI is composed of the leaders of the
chemical industry, most of whom work within the highest ranks of their
respective companies.
Among other things, Gupta is being recognized for his continued
commitment to the success of the global industry. Throughout his career,
during which he worked on three continents, Gupta has encouraged both his
company and others to hire the best possible people, to always behave in an
ethical and responsible manner, and to promote a wider understanding of the
benefits the industry's technology brings to every day life. "People all
over the world want the same thing, regardless of nationality or ethnic
origin," he says. "They want to have an equal opportunity to demonstrate
their talents, to work for a company of which they can be proud, and to put
their talents to help improve the quality of life for themselves and for
others. The global chemical industry provides all of those opportunities,
and more."
SCI is a unique international forum where science meets business on
independent, impartial ground. The Society offers a chance to share
information between sectors as diverse as food and agriculture,
pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, environmental science and safety.
Originally established in 1881, SCI currently has members in more than 70
countries. The American Section has been awarding the Chemical Industry
Medal since 1933. It replaced the coveted Grasselli Medal, which had been
sponsored by the Grasselli Chemical Company and awarded by SCI America for
more than a decade.
During his thirty-five year career with Rohm and Haas, Raj Gupta has
helped to transform the company, with its Philadelphia-based headquarters,
into a global powerhouse that generates revenues of $8 billion a year
producing and selling specialty materials on six continents. He also has
applied his business acumen to leadership roles at many for-profit and non-
profit organizations.
Gupta's international perspective and expertise is a product of his
education, as well as his professional career. Gupta was born in
Muzzaffarnagar, India. He studied at the Indian Institute of Technology in
Mumbai, and was an earnest student who finished second in his class by the
time he completed his undergraduate work in 1967. This earned him the
opportunity for a fellowship at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
There he finished his master's degree in operations research in 1969. He
completed his MBA in Finance in 1971 from Drexel University while employed
at Scott Paper Company.
Gupta joined Rohm and Haas in 1971 as a financial analyst. By the end
of the decade he was working for the company in Europe, and during the
1980s assumed increasingly broader business responsibilities in the region,
eventually becoming the global director for the Plastics Additives business
in 1989.
By 1993, Gupta had become a vice president and was directing the
company's entire operations in the Pacific Region. He became member of the
Chairman's Committee in 1996 and added oversight of the Electronic
Materials business group to his responsibilities. This was followed in 1998
by election to the Board of Director and, in 1999, by appointment as Vice
Chairman. Gupta became the Chairman and CEO of Rohm and Haas later that
year. The title of President was added in 2005.
Despite rapidly expanding job responsibilities, Gupta has made time to
serve in a leadership capacity for numerous other organizations. He is
currently a director of Tyco International Ltd. and the Vanguard Group.
Gupta has also served as a past Chairman of the American Chemistry Council,
the International Council of Chemical Associations, and the Society of
Chemical Industry, American Section. He continues to serve as a director of
the American Chemistry Council as well as for the Chemical Heritage
Foundation, while also serving as a trustee of Drexel University and the
Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship. In addition, he is a member of
International Advisory Board for the Center for the Advanced Study of India
at the University of Pennsylvania. Gupta is a former director and trustee
of St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and International House.
About Rohm and Haas Company
Leading the way since 1909, Rohm and Haas is a global pioneer in the
creation and development of innovative technologies and solutions for the
specialty materials industry. The company's technologies are found in a
wide range of markets including: Building and Construction, Electronics,
Food and Retail, Household and Personal Care, Industrial Process,
Packaging, Paper, Transportation and Water. Our innovative technologies and
solutions help to improve life everyday, around the world.
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