Gupta wins chemical industry medal

HOUSTON: Indian American, Raj L  Gupta, Chairman, President and CEO of Rohm and Haas Company has been chosen for the chemical industry’s most prestigious honour — the 2007 Chemical Industry Medal, by the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

The Chemical Industry Medal is awarded annually “for contributions toward the growth of the chemical industry.” The award is especially notable in that the membership of the SCI is composed of the leaders of the chemical industry, most of whom work within the highest ranks of their respective companies.

Gupta is being recognized for his continued commitment to the success of the global industry. “Throughout his career, during which he worked on three continents, Gupta has encouraged both his company and others to hire the best possible people, to always behave in an ethical and responsible manner, and to promote a wider understanding of the benefits the industry’s technology brings to every day life.”

“People all over the world want the same thing, regardless of nationality or ethnic origin,” he says.  During his 35-year career with Rohm and Haas, a Philadelphia-based Fortune 500 firm that makes products for the personal care, grocery, home and construction markets, and the electronics industry, Gupta has transformed the company into a global powerhouse that generates revenues of $8 billion a year.

Originally from Muzzaffarnagar, Gupta studied at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, (1967) and earned an opportunity for a fellowship at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He completed his MBA in Finance in 1971 from Drexel University while employed at Scott Paper Company.