Stephen Pryor to receive 2015 Chemical Industry Medal

6 Nov 2014

SCI America will be presenting the SCI Chemical Industry Medal to Stephen D. Pryor, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. He will receive the medal at a dinner in his honor on March 10, 2015, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

The Chemical Industry Medal honors an individual whose leadership, commitment and contributions have been responsible for substantial progress and performance of the chemical industry. In addition to being an active guiding force in the management of their company during periods of expansion, challenging conditions, or substantial redirection, recipients are known for service rendered to the industry as a whole.

'Under Steve's leadership, ExxonMobil Chemical successfully navigated through, and recovered from, the challenges of the industry downturn in 2008, delivering industry-leading financial performance underpinned by operational excellence' said Erik Fyrwald, chair of SCI America. 'Steve is a thought leader, and a frequent speaker at chemical and energy industry conferences, delivering keynote speeches on the outlook and trends, sustainability, free trade and the need for sound regulations.'

About Steve Pryor
Steve Pryor is president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company in Houston, Texas, and vice president, Exxon Mobil Corporation. He joined Mobil Oil Corporation in 1971 as a marketing representative in New York and progressed through managerial assignments in finance, planning, information systems and public affairs. During the 1980s, he served as general manager in Cyprus and New Zealand, and in the 1990s, as vice president, U.S. Marketing and Refining; vice president, Mobil Chemical Company; president, Mobil Asia Pacific; and president, International Marketing and Refining.

Following the Exxon and Mobil merger in 1999, Steve was named president, ExxonMobil Lubricants and Specialties Company, and in 2002, executive vice president, ExxonMobil Chemical Company. In 2004, he was appointed president, ExxonMobil Refining and Supply Company and returned to ExxonMobil Chemical in 2008 as President. ExxonMobil Chemical has 10,000 employees and manufacturing operations in 15 countries on five continents.

ExxonMobil Chemical has shown significant growth during Steve's tenure including an integrated refining and chemical manufacturing facility in Fujian, China; a doubling of chemical capacity in Singapore; a rubber and elastomers project with SABIC; and expansions in Baytown, TX

Steve has been a strong advocate for the chemical industry. He serves as a member of the ACC Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, and he heads the ACC Global Strategy Committee. He is also an active member of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Strategy Group of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), where he has been instrumental in advancing worldwide industry adoption of the Responsible Care initiative. He has also served on the SCI America Executive Committee.

Steve earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Lafayette College, where he is vice chairman of the board of trustees and an MBA from Harvard University.

About the Chemical Industry Medal
The Chemical Industry Medal has been awarded by SCI America for more than 85 years. Presentation is made annually to a recipient selected by the Executive Committee of the America Section of the SCI. The Chemical Industry Medal is a testimonial to men and women whose leadership, foresight and contributions to applied chemistry have been, to a considerable degree, responsible for the growth of that industry. The medal has attained distinction by reason of the outstanding achievements and caliber of those who have been honored. Past recipients include Sunil Kumar, Andrew N. Liveris, David N. Weidman, J Brian Ferguson, Michael E. Campbell and Jeffrey M. Lipton.