Ellen J. Kullman (born January 22, 1956) is a United States business executive. Since November 2019, she has been the chief executive officer of Carbon (company).[1] She was formerly Chair and Chief Executive Officer of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company ("DuPont") in Wilmington and is a former director of General Motors. Forbes ranked her 31st of the 100 Most Powerful Women in 2014.[2] Kullman retired from DuPont on October 16, 2015.[3]
Ellen J. Kullman | |
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![]() Kullman in 2010 | |
Born | Ellen Jamison January 22, 1956 Wilmington, Delaware, US |
Alma mater | Tufts University Northwestern University |
Occupation | Business executive |
Titel | CEO of Carbon |
Board member of |
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Spouse | Michael Kullman |
Early life
editKullman was born Ellen Jamison in Wilmington, Delaware,[4][5] the younger daughter of Joseph and Margaret Jamison.[4] She has two older brothers and an older sister.[4] Kullman attended Tower Hill School in Wilmington and then studied mechanical engineering at Tufts University, where she received her bachelor's degree in 1978.[4] In 1983, she received a master's degree in management from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.[4]
Career
editKullman began her business career at General Electric and joined DuPont in 1988 as marketing manager in the company's medical imaging business.[4][5] In her later role as executive vice president she was responsible for four of DuPont's business platforms as well as for leading the company's growth in markets outside the USA.[4]
DuPont's board of directors elected Kullman President and a director of the company, coming into effect October 1, 2008, and Chief Executive Officer, coming into effect January 1, 2009.[6] She was the nineteenth executive, and the first woman, to lead the company in its 212-year history.[7] Fortune magazine named Kullman fifteenth in its list of the world's fifty most powerful women for 2008,[8] and fifth on the list for 2009[9] and 2010.[10] In 2014 she was ranked as the 31st most powerful woman in the world, up from 42nd in 2013.[2] The Wall Street Journal named her eighth on its 2008 list of "Women to Watch".[11]
Kullman was a director of General Motors from 2004 to 2008[12][13] and was elected to the board of trustees of Tufts University in 2006.[14]
On October 30, 2009, DuPont announced that its board of directors had elected Kullman as Chair of the company effective December 31, 2009.[15][16]
She was a member of the Executive Committee of The Business Council for 2011 - 2013.[17]
On June 6, 2013 the US-China Business Council announced that Kullman had been elected as its Chair.[18]
Kullman's retirement was announced by DuPont on October 5, 2015 (effective October 16, 2015) following a battle with activist investor Nelson Peltz and Trian Fund Management, his investment firm. Peltz sought 4 board seats and argued that DuPont needed to cut costs and meet financial targets, but had lost a shareholder vote earlier in the year.[3]
On October 14, 2016, Amgen appointed Kullman to its board of directors.[19]
On December 21, 2016, Kullman joined the board of directors of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. as an independent director.[20]
Awards and honors
editExternal videos | |
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"George Washington Carver Award acceptance speech", Ellen Kullman, Biotechnology Innovation Organization |
Kullman has been awarded Sellinger's Business Leader of the Year.[21] In 2014, she was given the George Washington Carver Award for innovation in industrial biotechnology. She is the first woman to receive the award.[22] In 2015, Kullman received the International Palladium Medal from the Société de Chimie Industrielle (American Section),[23] the Engineering Leader of the Year Award,[24] the Pete du Pont Individual Freedom Award,[25] and Delaware's Order of the First State.[26] She is also a recipient of the Msgr. Thomas J. Reese Award from Catholic Charities.[27]
Kullman was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2015 for leadership in the business growth and transformation of a global science and engineering company.
In 2020, Kullman was named as one of the Top 50 Best CEOs for Small/Mid-Size companies by Comparably.[28]
Controversy
editIn October 2019, Kullman responded to accusations that in her role as CEO of DuPont, she inappropriately delegated DuPont's environmental liabilities to a spin-off company, Chemours.[29] DuPont incurred environmental liabilities[30] as a result of contaminating drinking water with Perfluorooctanoic acid, a chemical which is harmful to humans and the environment, and is known to be the cause of multiple diseases in humans and animals, including cancers and birth defects,[31] and has resulted in cancer in 2,507 individuals living in Wood County, West Virginia.[32]
On March 26, 2018, Kullman's alma mater Tufts University announced they would be awarding her an honorary degree. In the weeks leading up to graduation, this was met by University-wide outrage.[33][34] During her speech at the University's graduation, hundreds of students protested with signs and turned their backs to her.[35]
Personal life
editKullman is married to Michael Kullman and they have three children.[4][5]
References
edit- ^ Kolodny, Lora (2019-11-21). "Ellen Kullman takes the reins as CEO of Carbon, a 3D printing start-up worth over $2.5 billion". CNBC. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
- ^ a b "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women". Forbes. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
- ^ a b de la Merced, Michael J. (5 October 2015). "DuPont Chief Executive Ellen Kullman to Retire". Dealbook. New York Times. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Eder, Andrew. "A new era dawns at DuPont Co". delawareonline.com. Archived from the original on 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
- ^ a b c "Biographical information on Ellen Kullman". www.webcitation.org. Archived from the original on 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
- ^ "DuPont: Investor Center – News Release". phx.corporate-ir.net. Archived from the original on 2014-01-17. Retrieved 2008-09-23.
- ^ "Bloomberg.com: News". www.bloomberg.com. 2008-09-23. Archived from the original on 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
- ^ "50 Most Powerful Women – Ellen Kullman (15) – FORTUNE". cnn.com. Archived from the original on 2008-10-02. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ^ "50 Most Powerful Women – Ellen Kullman (7) – FORTUNE". cnn.com. 2009-09-15. Archived from the original on 2011-05-30. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
- ^ "50 Most Powerful Women – Ellen Kullman (7) – FORTUNE". cnn.com. 2010-09-30. Archived from the original on 2011-03-24. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
- ^ Crittenden, Michael R. (2008-11-10). "Women to Watch". online.wsj.com. Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 2008-12-24. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
- ^ "WebCite archive of General Motors: Investors: Corp Governance: Board of Directors as of 09/29/08". www.webcitation.org. Archived from the original on September 29, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
- ^ "DuPont president resigns from GM board". www.marketwatch.com. MarketWatch. Archived from the original on 2008-10-25. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
- ^ "Trustee Information". www.tufts.edu. Office of the Trustees – Tufts University. Archived from the original on 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
- ^ "DuPont names Ellen Kullman as chair - MarketWatch". www.marketwatch.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
- ^ "DuPont's Board of Directors Appoints Ellen Kullman Chair". www.prnewswire.com. Archived from the original on 2011-04-17. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
- ^ The Business Council, Official website, Executive Committee Archived July 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ U.S.-China Business Council Elects DuPont Chair and CEO Ellen Kullman as Chair – Yahoo! Finance
- ^ "Amgen Announces Appointment Of Ellen J. Kullman To Board Of Directors". Amgen. Retrieved 2021-04-15.
- ^ "Ellen Kullman Joins Goldman Sachs Board of Directors". Goldman Sachs. December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
- ^ "DuPont CEO Ellen J. Kullman named Sellinger's Business Leader of the Year". Loyola University Maryland. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
- ^ "BIO Announces DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman to Receive the 2014 BIO George Washington Carver Award". Biotechnology Innovation Organization. March 13, 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
- ^ "Ellen Kullman, Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, DuPont, to be Awarded the 2015 International Palladium Medal". DuPont. October 7, 2014.
- ^ "Ellen Kullman Awarded 2015 Engineering Leader of the Year Award". Drexel University. February 26, 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
- ^ "Ellen Kullman 2015 Pete du Pont Individual Freedom Award Recipient". The Pete du Pont Freedom Foundation. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
- ^ "Ellen Kullman awarded state's highest honor". Delaware Business Times. 2015-12-08.
- ^ "Catholic Charities to honor Ellen Kullman with Msgr. Reese Award at April 2 tribute dinner". The Dialog. January 21, 2016. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
- ^ "Best CEOs 2020". Comparably. December 15, 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
- ^ "Ex-DuPont CEO's words raise a ruckus". c&en. 2019-10-30. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
- ^ "USA: Court rules out Chemours lawsuit against DuPont over liabilities for environmental contamination". Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. 2020-04-02. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
- ^ "Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and related substances: sources, pathways and environmental data" (PDF). Environment Agency. 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
- ^ Barry, Vaughn; Winquist, Andrea; Steenland, Kyle (November 2013). "Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) Exposures and Incident Cancers among Adults Living Near a Chemical Plant". Environmental Health Perspectives. 121 (11–12): 1313–1318. doi:10.1289/ehp.1306615. ISSN 0091-6765. PMC 3855514. PMID 24007715.
- ^ "Students, faculty respond to choice of Ellen Kullman as commencement speaker". The Tufts Daily. 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
- ^ "Editorial: Ellen Kullman is a bizarre choice for commencement speaker". The Tufts Daily. 2018-04-03. Archived from the original on 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
- ^ "Tufts students protest former DuPont CEO during commencement speech". May 20, 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-04-23. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
External links
edit- Kullman's bio at DuPont.com Archived 2011-05-10 at the Wayback Machine
- Fortune 500 Women CEOs