Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LLC (The Woodlands, Tex.; www.cpchem.com) announced that Peter Cella, president and chief executive officer (CEO), intends to retire from the company, effective August 1, 2017. Additionally, the company announced that Mark Lashier, currently executive vice president, Commercial, will succeed Mr. Cella as president and CEO upon Mr. Cella’s retirement.
“Pete Cella’s strategic vision, his commitment to leadership development, and his relentless pursuit of operating the company’s global facilities safely and profitably will remain hallmarks of his distinguished career at Chevron Phillips Chemical,” said Timothy G. Taylor, president, Phillips 66 and member of the Chevron Phillips Chemical Board of Directors. “In addition, Pete was a guiding influence in advancing the company’s transformational $6 billion U.S. Gulf Coast Petrochemicals Project (USGC PP). On behalf of the Board of Directors and the company, we thank Pete for his contributions to reinforce Chevron Phillips Chemical’s footing as a world-leader in the industry.”
“It has been my honor and privilege to serve as the president and CEO of Chevron Phillips Chemical for more than six years,” said Cella. “I’m incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together, particularly the success in building our world-scale petrochemicals project, elevating our already industry-leading operational excellence performance, and advancing our organizational capabilities agenda. I look forward to the many achievements this company and our employees will make under Mark Lashier’s leadership.”
Mr. Lashier has nearly 30 years of experience in the chemicals industry, beginning his career as an engineer with the Phillips Petroleum Company, now Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX), at its Bartlesville, Oklahoma, facility. By 1997 he had assumed management responsibility for Phillips Petroleum’s Olefins business. In 2000, he joined Chevron Phillips Chemical as Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and Phillips Petroleum combined their chemical businesses to create Chevron Phillips Chemical. Since that time, he has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility, including the Asia Region manager, senior vice president, Specialties, Aromatics, & Styrenics, and executive vice president, Olefins and Polyolefins. Mr. Lashier holds a bachelor’s degree and doctorate in chemical engineering from Iowa State University.
“Mark brings a wealth of institutional knowledge and the strategic vision that will only further elevate Chevron Phillips Chemical’s trajectory in the years ahead,” said Michael E. (“Mike”) Coyle, president, Manufacturing, Chevron and member of the Chevron Phillips Chemical Board of Directors. “We are extremely fortunate to have such a talented, effective, and passionate leader at the helm of the organization and I look forward to all that Mark and his team will accomplish together.”