Merit and Biographies

Jon M. Huntsman - 2013 Lifetime Achievement Leadership Award

Forty years ago Jon M. Huntsman founded Huntsman Corporation with the purchase a small entrepreneurial plastics packaging business.  Last year Huntsman revenues exceeded $11 billion.  However, business success alone has not defined Mr. Huntsman who in 2011 Forbes Magazine counted among the 18 “most generous givers on the planet.”

“It is uncommon to start a company and turn it into a global multibillion dollar corporation,” Mr. George Rodriguez, Chair of CM&E and Board member of ACS NY Section noted. “Mr. Huntsman is a trailblazer who has remained undeterred when faced with economic and technology challenges. Further, his genuine concern for humanity and utmost generosity are exemplary.” Mr. Huntsman said he was honored and noted that “The public and  chemical professionals find a wonderful home for industry insights and networking in the CM&E group of the American Chemical Society New York Section. I commend CM&E’s support of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students, earnest harbingers  of a better world.”

Originally known for pioneering innovations in packaging and, later, for rapid and integrated growth in petrochemicals, Huntsman Corporation’s operating companies today manufacture chemical products used in a wide range of industries, with more than 12,000 employees and multiple locations worldwide.  Corporate ethics has been at the core of Jon Huntsman’s career. He authored the book Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten).   The second edition is entitled Winners Never Cheat: Even in Difficult Times, which was listed on the Wall Street Journal’s Best Sellers List.

Widely recognized as one of America’s foremost concerned citizens and philanthropists, Mr. Huntsman’s lifetime humanitarian giving, including contributions to the homeless, the ill and the under-privileged, exceeds $1.4 billion and has assisted thousands, both domestically and internationally. The Chronicle of Philanthropy placed Mr. Huntsman second on their 2007 list of largest donors.  The Huntsman Cancer Institute was founded by Mr. Huntsman and his wife, Karen, in 1995 to accelerate the work of curing cancer through human genetics.  The Institute is now one of America's major cancer centers dedicated to finding a cure.  The combined facility features leading-edge research laboratories with a state-of-the-art hospital treating cancer patients.

Jon and Karen Huntsman are the parents of nine children.  They have 56 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Mr. Huntsman has served in senior leadership positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the past fifty years. The numerous awards that Mr. Huntsman has received include the Chemical Heritage Foundation Othmer Award for Outstanding Inventions in Plastics, the Freedom Foundation Great Humanitarian Award, American Cancer Society Medal of Honor and WSJ’s Innovator of the Year Award. In 2000 he was named One of Ten Most Influential Utahns in the 20th Century.

Mr. Huntsman earned his under-graduate degree at The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and subsequently earned an MBA from the University of Southern California. He served under President Richard M. Nixon as Special Assistant to the President and as White House Staff Secretary.

Peter DeLeeuw - 2013 Private Equity Leadership Award

“Entrepreneurship runs deep in the blood of Peter and David De Leeuw,” Mr. George Rodriguez, Chairman of CM&E and Board member of ACS NY Section noted. “Their ability to select companies, transform them and realize their potential is remarkable. Also, their active involvement and support of academic and non-profit industry organizations are attributes of true leadership.”

“Few organizations have the 59-year rich tradition of service like the CM&E group of the American Chemical Society New York Section. My brother and I are deeply honored to be nominated,“ said Peter De Leeuw.

Pete DeLeeuw has been involved in the global chemicals sector for over 40 years as a senior executive and investor with a wealth of management and operating experience. Prior to forming the Firm in 2001, from 1998 to 2000, Pete was CEO of Sterling Chemicals, a $1.2 billion producer and marketer of petrochemicals. In Pete’s final year, Sterling’s EBITDA increased over 300% to $160 million, which represented the company’s highest annual earnings since 1996.

From 1977 to 1998, Pete was with Shell Chemicals, a $5+ billion revenue organization, and from 1989 to 1997 he served as a Group Vice President. At Shell, Pete led acquisitions, expansions, reorganizations, and divestitures. Also, for over 20 years, Pete exercised profit and loss responsibility at the executive operating level for various Shell businesses including basic chemicals, polymers, elastomers, solvents, detergents, epoxies, and catalysts, which had revenues ranging from $400 million to over $4 billion.

Peter received an MBA (University of Rochester) and a BA in Economics (Syracuse University). Pete’s many corporate and industry organization board positions include  that of Chairman at Shell International Catalyst, Excel Polymers and Lion Copolymer  as well as member of the Executive Committee at the Society of Plastics Industry and a director at Chemical Manufacturers Organization.

David DeLeeuw - 2013 Private Equity Leadership Award

“Entrepreneurship runs deep in the blood of Peter and David De Leeuw,” Mr. George Rodriguez, Chairman of CM&E and Board member of ACS NY Section noted. “Their ability to select companies, transform them and realize their potential is remarkable. Also, their active involvement and support of academic and non-profit industry organizations are attributes of true leadership.”

“We feel privileged to be in the company of past Awards honorees. The 2012 Award M&A panel discussion was very informative and I was touched by the speech of ‘our’ 15-year-old USA Gold Medalist of the 2012 International Chemistry Olympiad about the urgent need to support K-12 STEM education,” David De Leeuw said.

David De Leeuw has more than 10 years of investment experience in the chemical and materials industries and more than 40 years of investment experience in various sectors including, consumer goods and services, and financial services. 

Prior to establishing Lion Chemical and Lion Cao, Mr. De Leeuw, was a founding partner at McCown De Leeuw & Co., which raised more than $1.2 billion in four funds and invested over $1 billion in 40 leveraged platform acquisitions and over 100 add-ons. David  played a key role in numerous financings including IPOs, mezzanine debt, bonds, and private financings, as well as acquisitions, divestitures, and secondary offerings over a 20 year period. Prior to founding MDC in 1984, David led the leveraged acquisitions group at Citibank, and was previously at W.R. Grace & Co., and Paine Webber in New York and Tokyo.

David has served on more than 25 Boards since 1984, often as Chairman or Vice Chairman, including Excel Polymers and Lion Copolymer, a manufacturer and distributor of EPDM and SBR rubbers and specialty polymers. David received an MBA (Columbia), and a BA in History (Lafayette College).  He is currently an Advisory Board Member of Columbia’s Private Equity Program, and  has served as a visiting lecturer at Columbia Business School and Harvard College.

Raj Gupta - 2013 Keynote Speaker

Rajiv L. Gupta, Senior Advisor, joined New Mountain in 2009. From 1999 to 2009, Mr. Gupta was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rohm and Haas. Mr. Gupta held a variety of posts at the company beginning in 1971. He was elected as Vice President of the company and was named Director for the Pacific Region in 1993. Early in 1996, Mr. Gupta became one of six members of the Chairman's Committee and given oversight responsibility for the company's Electronic Materials business group. In December 1998, Mr. Gupta was elected to the Board of Directors and named Vice Chairman in January 1999. He became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer on October 1, 1999. Mr. Gupta assumed the additional title of President in early 2005 and held that title until May 2008.

Mr. Gupta received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1967, his M.S. degree in Operations Research from Cornell University in 1969, and his M.B.A. in Finance from Drexel University in 1972. Mr. Gupta is a past Chairman of the American Chemistry Council and the Society of Chemical Industry, America Section. He sits on the Board of Trustees for The Conference Board. He is a member of the boards of Tyco, The Vanguard Group, Hewlett-Packard Company, Delphi Automotive, IRI and Stroz Friedberg and is the Executive Chairman and former interim CEO of Avantor.

Yale Club Ballroom - Leadership Awards December 5, 2013