DowDuPont Announces Senior Leaders of Future Independent Companies, Corteva Agriscience and DuPont

DowDuPont announced the senior leaders of the independent companies that will be created following the separation of its Agriculture (Corteva Agriscience) and Specialty Products (DuPont) Divisions, which is expected to occur by June 1, 2019. In addition, the company announced that Ed Breen, CEO of DowDuPont, will become executive chairman of DuPont following the separation.
 
The senior leaders of Corteva Agriscience include:
• James C. Collins, Jr., currently COO of the Agriculture Division, will be CEO.
• Greg Friedman, currently head of finance for the Agriculture Division and VP, DuPont Investor Relations, will be EVP, CFO.
• Cornel Fuerer, currently head of legal for the Agriculture Division, will be SVP, general counsel.
 
The senior leaders of DuPont include:
• Marc Doyle, currently COO of the Specialty Products Division, will be CEO.
• Jeanmarie Desmond, currently head of finance for the Specialty Products Division and co-controller of DowDuPont, will be EVP, CFO.
• Erik Hoover, currently head of legal for the Specialty Products Division, chief compliance officer for DuPont, and assistant secretary for DowDuPont, will be SVP, general counsel.
 
In his full-time role as executive chairman of DuPont, Breen will work closely with the senior leadership team and focus on the company’s portfolio management strategy, capital allocation decisions, and, in conjunction with Doyle, shareholder engagement. As CEO, Doyle will lead the organization and remain focused on business execution, growth initiatives, and further establishing a culture of innovation and operational discipline in order to maximize shareholder value.
 
“As we continue to make strong progress and build momentum toward the intended separations next year, we are pleased to announce the senior leadership teams that will take Corteva Agriscience and DuPont into the future,” said Breen. “Over the past three years I have seen first-hand the ability of each of these leaders to develop and execute on their respective business strategies. Marc and Jim are highly qualified executives who have an unparalleled depth of knowledge and expertise in their respective businesses.”
 
As previously announced, Jim Fitterling will become CEO, Howard Ungerleider will become president and CFO, and Amy Wilson will become general counsel of Dow upon completion of the Materials Science Division’s separation from DowDuPont, which is expected to occur by April 1, 2019. The boards of directors of the three future companies are expected to be finalized and announced by the end of October 2018.
 
Collins is the COO for the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont, Corteva. He was previously an EVP at DuPont responsible for the company’s Agriculture segment, including DuPont Crop Protection and Pioneer. Collins joined DuPont in 1984 and has served in a variety of roles supporting and leading DuPont businesses. His work in the Agriculture segment began 34 years ago with manufacturing, as a sales representative and product manager, and he subsequently served in a variety of roles supporting DuPont’s seed and crop protection businesses around the world. Prior to leading the Agriculture segment, a role he took in 2016, Collins spent the previous three years leading two of DuPont’s other large business segments, Performance Materials and Electronics & Communications.
 
Doyle has served for the past year as COO of the Specialty Products Division of DowDuPont. Prior to leading the Specialty Products Division of DowDuPont, he served as EVP of DuPont with responsibility for the company’s diverse industrial businesses, and led the pre-merger planning for a best-in-class cost structure, lean operating model, and synergy targets for the division.
 
He joined DuPont as a research engineer in 1995 and subsequently held positions spanning new business development, marketing, strategic planning, and business management. In these roles, his focus has been on building and leading customer-centric teams—driving growth and value.
 
Prior to his role at DowDuPont, Breen was the chair of the board and CEO of DuPont, a role he assumed on Nov. 9, 2015. He joined the DuPont board of directors in February 2015, was named interim chair of the board and CEO on Oct. 16, 2015, and assumed those roles permanently on Nov. 9, 2015.
 
Breen served as chairman and CEO of Tyco International plc from July 2002 until September 2012. Over the course of his tenure, he transformed Tyco into a strong market leader, reviving the company from near bankruptcy and rebuilding the company’s brand and credibility. He oversaw a successful restructuring, including divesting non-core operations resulting in the spin-offs of Covidien, TE Connectivity, ADT Corporation, and the merger of Tyco Flow Control with Pentair. Prior to joining Tyco, Breen held several senior management positions at Motorola from 2000 to 2002, including as president and COO.