Highlights From The Chemical Summit 2025: What Leaders Are Taking Back to Their Companies
Two days. Dozens of speakers. A room full of engaged, curious, future-focused leaders.
That’s what made The Chemical Summit 2025 such a powerful experience.
This year’s Summit brought together executives from across the industry for candid conversations about transformation, talent, technology, and what it really takes to lead in an AI-enabled world. The energy was high, the conversations were real, and the insights were the kind leaders take home and put to work immediately.
Below are some of the highlights and big themes from the event:
The Big Takeaway: People and Culture Still Power Everything
If there was one line that captured the Summit, it was this:
People and culture are the backbone of transformation in an AI-enabled world.
Not new – but never more true.
Across the keynotes, panels, and audience conversations, leaders came back to the same idea: technology may be accelerating change, but people are the ones who make transformation real.
Highlights from this Theme:
Todd Nelmark (CEO, Verdant Specialty Solutions) reminded us that purpose, strategy, and culture are “the same decision made three ways,” and real transformation only happens when the right people are in the right seats.
Milan Taylor (Mercer) brought data that surprised a lot of attendees: while 71 percent of chemical employees say they are satisfied in their roles, nearly half are actively looking for new opportunities. And one-third say no one has spoken to them about AI’s impact on their job.
The message: leaders need to communicate: early and often.
Business Agility and Alignment Are Now Non-Negotiable
The chemical industry is in one of its most unpredictable periods in decades – a long down-cycle for many, pockets of growth for others, and constant pressure to make good decisions fast. That’s why strategic discipline, process alignment, and cross-functional collaboration stood out as essential capabilities.
Key insights from this theme:
- Supply chain leaders reinforced that supply chain is now a strategic engine, not just an execution function. Clariant’s Abdul Salam Hagar noted that visibility tools and digital integration with customers and suppliers are becoming standard expectations.
- Sustainability discussions showed a shift toward ROI-driven action. Companies are prioritizing projects that reduce cost and carbon — simple, practical improvements that support long-term goals. OxyChem’s Sean Stephan shared examples of plant-level projects that do exactly that.
- Customer value conversations surfaced a powerful truth: value creation isn’t the job of one function. It takes collaboration across commercial, R&D, operations, and supply chain to deliver what customers truly need. As ExxonMobil’s Mike Fanset said, “None of our organizations has all the best ideas — collaboration expands the opportunity set.”
Technology Is the Transformation Engine - But People Still Steer
AI showed up in nearly every conversation this year. Not as a buzzword, but as a real force reshaping how we work and how companies compete.
But the message wasn’t “AI is taking over.”
The message was: AI is an engine – people decide where it drives.
Technology highlights from the Summit:
- Hilan Kaplan (Knowde) summed it up perfectly: “AI is like an internal combustion engine. It’s not the result — it’s what powers everything.”
Leaders emphasized experimentation. Just like a lab, digital tools require trial, learning, and iteration.
Evonik’s Shabnam Najan reminded everyone that implementing technology is the easy part — adoption, trust, and culture are what make transformation stick.
The Momentum Continues
The conversations at The Chemical Summit don’t end when the event does. They carry back into boardrooms, team meetings, strategy sessions – and onto The Chemical Show.
In this post-Summit podcast episode, you’ll hear clips from speakers, deeper reflections on these themes, and a look at how leaders are taking action now. The energy was real, and so were the insights.
If you missed this year’s Summit and felt a little FOMO – you weren’t alone. As I said in the episode, “Yes, you should have been there.” And you can be next year. Join the mailing list to stay in-the-know.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for year-round connection and real leadership conversations, check out the Chemical Executive Mastermind. It’s where chemical leaders connect, sharpen their leadership edge, and stay ahead of the industry’s next wave of change.