2025 International Petrochemical Conference

2025 International Petrochemical Conference

Sunday, March 23 - Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Grand Hyatt San Antonio
600 E. Market Street
San Antonio, TX 78205

 

Schedule of Sessions and Special Events


Sunday March 23, 2025

08:00 am - 07:00 pm Registration

05:00 pm - 07:00 pm Welcome Reception


Monday March 24, 2025

07:30 am - 08:00 am Breakfast

07:30 am - 05:00 pm Registration

08:00 am - 09:50 am General Session - Welcome and Introductory Remarks
Chet Thompson, AFPM President and CEO

2025 Petrochemical Heritage Award Presentation

The Petrochemical Heritage Honoree recognizes those whose contributions to public understanding are noteworthy, who have displayed significant entrepreneurship in the petrochemical profession or industry, and who have been active in philanthropic and/or communal affairs. This year’s honoree is Lori J. Ryerkerk, Former CEO Celanese. Presentation of the honor and remarks from the Founders Club President and presentation of the “Petrochemical Heritage Award”.

Morning Keynote: Emerging Markets and the Effects of Globalization Rana Foroohar is a global business columnist and associate editor at the Financial Times and a global economic analyst at CNN. . Sought after for her astute analysis, Foroohar speaks to the changes occurring in business, politics, economics, and foreign affairs. Her weekly column is a real-time commentary on emerging markets, the effects of globalization, and the disruption of big tech.
 
Mr. Chet Thompson photo Mr. Chet Thompson
President and CEO
AFPM
Biography
 
Rana Foroohar photo Rana Foroohar
CNN Global Economic Analyst and Financial Times Columnist
Financial Times
 
Ms. Lori Ryerkerk photo Ms. Lori Ryerkerk
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President
Celanese Corporation
Biography

09:50 am - 11:00 am Reflections from the C-Suite - Join AFPM CEO Chet Thompson and CEOs of leading petrochemical companies to discuss the most pressing issues facing the industry. Topics will include sustainability, workforce, market outlook and opportunities for the industry in 2025 and beyond.
 
Mr. Chet Thompson photo Mr. Chet Thompson
President and CEO
AFPM
Biography
 
Brook Vickery photo Brook Vickery
President and CEO
INVISTA
Biography
 
Mr. Steve Prusak photo Mr. Steve Prusak
President and CEO
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
 
Mr. Juhan Robberts photo Mr. Juhan Robberts
Senior Vice President, Chemical Products
ExxonMobil Product Solutions Company

11:30 am - 01:30 pm Petrochemical Leadership Luncheon - Invitation Only

This is a formal meeting of the AFPM petrochemical committee open to invited guests. Luncheon attendees are provided updates on current items of interest and briefings from preeminent executives on the latest topics impacting the petrochemical industry.

02:00 pm - 03:00 pm Global Petrochemical Financial Forum – Petrochemical Manufacturers Reflect - Representatives from member companies provide their outlook (globally and regionally) on Petrochemical markets. Panelists will provide insights into the financial outlook of petrochemical businesses, share challenges and opportunities for the sector and preview expectations for the economy. Panelists would include Chief Financial Officers and Commercial experts from leading petrochemical companies.
 
Raphael Crawford photo Raphael Crawford
Senior Advisor
Egon Zehnder
 
Ms. Justine Smith photo Ms. Justine Smith
SVP, Petrochemicals
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP
 
Mr. Daniel Valenzuela photo Mr. Daniel Valenzuela
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
TPC Group
 
Chris Musso photo Chris Musso
Senior Partner
McKinsey & Company

03:00 pm - 04:00 pm Energy Market Outlook – Impact on the Global Chemical Industry - Petrochemical Market Outlook – Amrita Sen is the Founder and Director of Research at Energy Aspects, a global research house that advises over 500 companies globally on energy markets and geopolitics. Amrita leads development of Energy Aspect’s views on crude, oil products, natural gas and carbon markets, as well as wider energy transition, policy, politics and macroeconomics landscape. Amrita will provide her insights on how global markets, policies and macroeconomics are impacting the petrochemical sector.
 
Dr. Amrita Sen photo Dr. Amrita Sen
Founder & Director of Research
Energy Aspects

04:00 pm - 05:00 pm Value Chain Perspectives on Advanced Recycling and Fostering Circularity - Value Chain Perspectives on Advanced Recycling and Fostering Circularity – A panel discussion on partnering to provide solutions for circularity. Topics would include advanced recycling, polymer selection, packaging design, collection, and recycling. Specifically, the panel examines how different aspects of the plastics value chain are striving to reach circularity together as well as enabling policies domestically and globally.
 
Robert Benedict photo Robert Benedict
Vice President, Petrochemicals and Midstream
AFPM
 
Mark Bacchus photo Mark Bacchus
Senior Manager - Chemical Management Office - Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs Division
Toyota Motor North America
 
Tania Ferlin photo Tania Ferlin
Director, Sustainability Advocacy
Husky Technologies
 
Christoph Gahn photo Christoph Gahn
Vice President Circularity & Sustainable Raw Materials Petrochemicals
BASF Corporation


Tuesday March 25, 2025

07:30 am - 08:00 am Breakfast

07:30 am - 12:00 pm Registration

08:00 am - 10:15 am Petrochemical Industry Experts Showcase - 8:00 - 8:45 am: S&P Global Commodity Insights – Petrochemicals: Feedstock Availability, New Markets and the Investment Cycle: Our experts will cover the impact of the energy transition on global petrochemical feedstock markets, from the future of the US ethane advantage to the availability of aromatics feedstocks as gasoline demand peaks. Many value chains are overbuilt and yet the industry needs to be planning substantial investment now to meet long term demand growth. The changing geopolitical landscape is shifting trade patterns and as China develops self-sufficiency, new export markets are emerging.
Tony Potter, Vice President, Chemicals, Derivatives, Plastics & Materials
Darryl Rogers, Vice President, Commodity Insights, LPGs/NGLs
Walt Hart, Head of Global Olefins & Derivatives
Andrew Neale, Executive Director, Aromatics


8:45 - 9:30 am: Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS, A Dow Jones Company – Global Competitive Theatre: U.S. Increasing Competitive Advantage: The Trump Administration's impact on the chemical sector will be manifold - from the impact on regulations, feedstock availability, the retreat from ESG, sectoral growth opportunities, encouragement for trade & domestic production, disruptions in global trade, the impact on tariffs on trade and investments, to how chemical sector partnerships evolve - make for a fascinating analysis. Join our experts in thought-provoking presentations and discussion as we look into the future.
Dewey Johnson, Senior Vice President, Dow Jones & Global Head of Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS
Carlo Barrasa, Vice President, Global Energy & Feedstock Markets, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS
Steve Lewandowski, Vice President, Global Olefins and Derivatives, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS
John Mathew, Vice President, Global Business Development, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS


9:30 - 10:15 am: Petrochemicals – Business Not as Usual: Technology is shaping industrial and scientific processes but also determining employee skill sets and customer interfaces and preferences. The convergence brought by technologies in these areas presents opportunity: the intentional leverage of industry and technology intersections can propel innovation, operational excellence, and competitiveness. Deloitte’s research shows companies that adopt strategies that help them weather uncertainty while positioning them competitively in the high-tech future may improve their positions significantly. In this Industry Showcase we will explore several important trends for companies to consider while developing strategies, that include cost efficiency, end market growth, innovation, sustainability, and supply chain improvements all powered by new tech and new ways of working to be most competitive.
Mike Bechtel, Deloitte’s Chief Futurist
Kate Hardin, Deloitte’s Executive Director for Energy, Resources, and Industrials
Dave Yankovitz, Deloitte’s Principal Chemical Industry Leader
Bob Kumpf, PhD. Managing Director


10:15 am - 11:15 am Women in Industry Presents: Evolving for Tomorrow’s Workforce - When It Hits the Fan: A New World Order
This Women in Industry session is brought to you by the Women in Industry Committee.
 
Katie Mehnert photo Katie Mehnert
Founder & CEO
ALLY Energy

11:30 am - 02:00 pm International Petrochemical Luncheon: A Conversation with the Right Honorable Boris Johnson - A Conversation with Boris Johnson: Fireside Chat focused on democracy, freedom, and free market capitalism with unparalleled insights into global security, the world economy, and his continued work supporting freedom around the world.
 
Hon. Boris Johnson photo Hon. Boris Johnson
Former UK Prime Minister