Lashier to succeed Cella as CPChem CEO

June 27, 2017
Mark Lashier has been chosen to succeed Peter Cella as president and chief executive officer of Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LLC (CPChem), effective Aug. 1. Cella is retiring.

Mark Lashier, currently CPChem’s executive vice-president, commercial, has nearly 30 years of experience in the chemicals industry, beginning his career as an engineer with Phillips Petroleum Co., now Phillips 66, at its Bartlesville, Okla., facility. By 1997 he had assumed management responsibility for Phillips’ olefins business.

In 2000, he joined CPChem as Chevron Corp. and Phillips combined their chemical businesses. Since that time, he has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility, including Asia region manager; senior vice-president, specialties, aromatics, and styrenics; and executive vice-president, olefins and polyolefins.

Cella has served as president and chief executive officer since 2011. Prior to leading CPChem, Cella served in a variety of executive posts at BASF Corp., INEOS Nitriles Ltd., part of INEOS Group, BP PLC, and Innovene LLC. He began his career at Amoco Corp. in 1981.

The company also announced other management changes, effective July 1.

Scott Sharp, currently senior vice-president, manufacturing, will become executive vice-president, manufacturing. He will assume additional responsibilities for the commissioning and startup of CPChem’s US Gulf Coast petrochemicals project while maintaining his leadership role for the company’s worldwide manufacturing operations.

Sharp also will provide executive oversight of the company’s global procurement operations, joint venture operations in Qatar, and manufacturing operations in Europe, Saudi Arabia, and Asia.

Ron Corn, currently senior vice-president, projects and supply chain, will become senior vice-president, petrochemicals, with responsibility for the olefins, NGLs, and aromatics product lines. He also will provide leadership for the company’s JVs in Saudi Arabia and will continue to oversee final construction activities for the USGC petrochemicals project.

Sharp and Corn will report directly to the chief executive officer.