Daniel S. Sanders Awarded
the 2005 Chemical Industry Medal
America Section honours
former ExxonMobil chief
 The
2005 Chemical Industry Medal — one of the industry’s
most prestigious honours — was awarded to Daniel Sanders,
former president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company and vice president
of ExxonMobil Corporation, at a dinner in New York City, US,
on 9 March 2005.
Sanders retired from ExxonMobil — the world’s largest
oil refining company — in August 2004 after more than
43 years of service.
He was named president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company in
1999, after the merger of Exxon and Mobil. During his illustrious
career, he also served as chairman of the American Chemistry
Council (ACC), the International Council of Chemical Associations
and the Society of Chemical Industry (America Section).
A native of Georgia, Sanders earned a degree in mechanical
engineering from the University of South Carolina, and joined
Exxon as an engineer at the company’s Baton Rouge, Louisiana,
refinery. Throughout his career with the company, he held
positions of increasing responsibility, including Planning
Manager, Vice President of the olefins business in both the
US and worldwide, and Executive Assistant to the Chairman
and President of Exxon Corporation.
The award ceremony was attended by guests including the then-SCI
Chief Executive and General Secretary Richard Denyer and his
successor Andrew Ladds.
In his address, Sanders paid tribute to colleagues past and
present, and emphasised the importance of responding to change
in the chemical industry, telling attendees: ‘We cannot
stand still and expect our industry to adjust, adapt and prosper
on its own. We must shape our future by taking action and
driving change.’
To do this, he said, it is essential that the industry develops
a strong team of tomorrow’s leaders and scientists, who
can build on the legacy and achievements of those before them.
Sanders stressed that we must act now to halt the decline
in the well-being of the chemical industry, and that education
is key in achieving this. This encompasses educating the general
public as to the benefits that chemistry can bring to our
lives, but also encouraging today’s youth to study chemistry,
by highlighting the exciting career opportunities the industry
has to offer.
But we must use the correct means to achieve these goals,
he added. He went on to discuss ways in which we can add ‘sizzle’
to science education, such as equipping teachers with the
skills they need to energise and excite their pupils’
interest, and increasing diversity — in terms of race,
gender and nationality — in the technical fields.
Echoing the sentiments of SCI World President Sir Tom McKillop
at his Centenary Medal address in November 2004, Sanders also
said that there has never been a more critical time for innovation.
‘We have an unprecedented opportunity to dramatically
improve the quality of life and standard of living around
the world,’ he asserted.
Sanders was keen to highlight the importance of strong leaders
in the chemical industry in achieving these goals, referring
to former recipients of the Chemical Industry Medal such as
Ed Holmer and Gene McBrayer, who were key in shaping ExxonMobil
into a company able to embrace the opportunities and challenges
presented by the growth in petrochemicals and their derivatives,
and helped lay the foundations on which today’s leaders
are building.
Sanders concluded his speech by emphasising his great faith
in the chemical industry and its people, and calling for all
to work together to help push the industry onwards and upwards.
‘I believe in a bright future driven by technological
advancement and creative science. I see a better world made
possible by innovation and the power of the human mind. I
envision an acceleration of scientific invention. And I predict
that the next generation of scientists, researchers and engineers
will do amazing things,’ he said. Click
here to read the full text.
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