Leadership Overview
Westlake has 6 executives leading key functions including strategy, information technology, financial management, human resources, family association relations, and regional manufacturing operations.
Focused on delivering essential materials for global infrastructure, Westlake maintains a commitment to operational excellence and sustainable growth across international markets through advanced chemical manufacturing and housing product innovation.
Focused on delivering essential materials for global infrastructure, Westlake maintains a commitment to operational excellence and sustainable growth across international markets through advanced chemical manufacturing and housing product innovation.
Leadership Roles at Westlake
Jean-Marc Gilson - President & Chief Executive Officer
Jean-Marc Gilson, the President & Chief Executive Officer at Westlake, directs the overarching strategic vision for the global manufacturing enterprise. Overseeing the Performance and Essential Materials segment, Gilson ensures alignment between chemical production capabilities and international market demand. This leadership role involves managing complex supply chains across North America, Europe, and Asia to maintain competitive advantages in PVC and epoxy resin markets. By optimizing capital allocation, Gilson drives long-term value for shareholders while navigating the cyclical nature of the chemical industry. Jean-Marc Gilson also coordinates with the Board to refine corporate governance and sustainability initiatives. Through rigorous oversight of operational efficiency, the President & Chief Executive Officer secures the company's position as a leader in essential materials. Ultimately, Gilson fosters a culture of innovation that supports the development of high-performance products for the construction and automotive sectors.
Jonathan Baksht - Senior VP & Chief Financial Officer
Jonathan Baksht, the Senior VP & Chief Financial Officer at Westlake, manages the financial health and capital structure of the organization. Overseeing fiscal planning, treasury operations, and investor relations, Baksht ensures the company maintains the liquidity required for large-scale infrastructure investments. This leadership role involves analyzing market trends in the housing and chemical sectors to guide strategic acquisitions and divestitures. By implementing robust financial controls, Jonathan Baksht supports the expansion of manufacturing footprints in North America and international markets. The Senior VP & Chief Financial Officer also collaborates with executive leadership to optimize cost structures and improve profit margins across both business segments. Through disciplined risk management, Baksht secures the financial stability needed to fund research and development in polymer composites and PVC technologies. Ultimately, the Senior VP & Chief Financial Officer drives the fiscal strategy that sustains long-term corporate growth.
Earl Vital - President, Family Association, Westlake Chemical
Earl Vital, the President, Family Association, Westlake Chemical at Westlake, manages the engagement and communication strategies between the organization and its foundational stakeholders. Overseeing the alignment of family interests with corporate mission, Vital ensures consistent messaging and long-term strategic continuity. This leadership role involves facilitating high-level discussions regarding the company's role in the global housing and infrastructure markets. By maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders, Earl Vital supports the stability of the corporate governance framework. The President, Family Association, Westlake Chemical also coordinates with the executive team to ensure that long-term vision remains integrated with current operational goals. Through the management of these critical relationships, Vital preserves the core values that have defined the company since inception. Ultimately, the President, Family Association, Westlake Chemical provides the necessary continuity to support the company's ongoing expansion and market influence in the essential materials sector.
Yaoming Li - President, (Westlake Huasu)
Yaoming Li, the President, (Westlake Huasu) at Westlake, directs the manufacturing and market expansion efforts within the Asian region. Overseeing the production of PVC and essential chemical derivatives, Li ensures that regional operations meet the high quality and safety standards required for international distribution. This leadership role involves managing local supply chains and adapting product offerings to meet the specific needs of the regional construction and packaging industries. By optimizing local production capacity, Yaoming Li directly contributes to the company's global market share in the Performance and Essential Materials segment. The President, (Westlake Huasu) also coordinates with global leadership to integrate regional output into the broader corporate supply network. Through the implementation of efficient manufacturing processes, Li drives operational excellence in a highly competitive market. Ultimately, the President, (Westlake Huasu) secures the company's strategic presence and growth trajectory within the critical Asian industrial landscape.
Mark Schmidt - Chief Information Officer
Mark Schmidt, the Chief Information Officer at Westlake, architects the digital infrastructure supporting global manufacturing and distribution networks. Overseeing enterprise-wide data security and systems integration, Schmidt ensures the seamless flow of information across the Performance and Essential Materials and Housing and Infrastructure Products segments. This leadership role involves deploying advanced analytics to improve production efficiency and supply chain visibility. By modernizing legacy platforms, Mark Schmidt directly impacts the company's ability to respond to rapid shifts in international construction and industrial markets. The Chief Information Officer also manages cybersecurity protocols to protect proprietary chemical formulations and sensitive operational data. Through the implementation of scalable cloud solutions, Schmidt enables real-time decision-making capabilities for regional teams. Ultimately, the Chief Information Officer maintains the technological backbone necessary for sustaining high-volume manufacturing operations across diverse geographic regions.
Katy Theroux - Senior VP, Chief Human Resources Officer
Katy Theroux, the Senior VP, Chief Human Resources Officer at Westlake, designs the talent acquisition and organizational development strategies for the global workforce. Overseeing employee engagement, leadership training, and performance management, Theroux ensures the company attracts the specialized expertise required for complex chemical manufacturing. This leadership role involves fostering a safe and inclusive work environment across diverse international facilities. By aligning human capital initiatives with corporate objectives, Katy Theroux supports the operational success of the Housing and Infrastructure Products segment. The Senior VP, Chief Human Resources Officer also manages compensation structures and succession planning to retain top-tier talent in a competitive industrial landscape. Through the promotion of professional development programs, Theroux builds the internal capabilities necessary for continuous innovation in material science. Ultimately, the Senior VP, Chief Human Resources Officer cultivates the workforce culture that drives productivity and safety standards throughout the organization.
Explore Leadership Teams in Chemicals & Related Products
Pidilite Industries is a consumer products and specialty chemicals manufacturer. The company includes a variety of brands, with products ranging from adhesives, sealants, and automotive chemicals to art materials, textile resins and wood finishes. The company develops products through an in-house research and development division.
Company Leadership
SM
SB
SD
Founded in 1998, Petronas Chemicals Group Berhad is a chemicals producer and investment holdings company. Petronas offers business segments in manufacturing and refining of polymer and olefin products as well as derrivatives. PCG is headquartered out of Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia.
Company Leadership
MN
SS
Founded in 1943 and headquartered in Houston Texas, TPC Group is a producer of value-added products derived from petrochemical raw materials such as C4 hydrocarbons, and provider of critical infrastructure and logistics services along the Gulf Coast.
Company Leadership MM
ED
CA
TK
Since 1922, Nazdar has provided printing professionals with products and services to meet the demands of a continually changing graphics world. Our history has been one of continual innovation, developing new chemistries for new substrates, the first UV curable screen inks in the marketplace, and the most comprehensive line of screen printing inks for graphic, commercial and industrial applications. As technology rapidly changes the way we communicate in print, the graphics imaging industry becomes increasingly more competitive. To stay competitive, our customers demand more from us than higher performance ink and chemical products - they want us to be an innovative partner in their production process. Because of this active customer involvement, product development begins long before we go into the lab. It begins with the customer. Our customers bring us the ink and printing challenges they face everyday in their businesses. New applications, unusual environmental and usage conditions, difficult adhesion problems... and we're always ready to respond. Many of our standard screen printing ink products began as R&D challenges for a specific customer who had a specific need. Today, our award-winning R&D professionals are working on developing innovative screen inks, digital inks, and chemical solutions that deliver the performance - and price - our customers need to stay competitive.
Company Leadership
GR
CD
JT
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Westlake Top Executives and Leadership Team
