Charles Otis "Chad" Holliday, Jr. (born March 9, 1948) is an American businessman known for his leadership roles in several major corporations. He is the former chairman of Royal Dutch Shell, former chairman of Bank of America, and former chief executive officer of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont). Holliday has also been involved with the Council on Competitiveness and chaired the Business Roundtable's Task Force for Environment, Technology and Economy.
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Early Life and Education
Holliday was born in 1948 and grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from John Overton High, where he met his future wife, Ann. In 1970, Holliday earned his B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Tennessee. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity Zeta chapter.
Career at DuPont
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Holliday started at DuPont in the summer of 1970 at DuPont's Old Hickory site. Over the next two decades, Holliday held a wide range of marketing and business positions, primarily in the company's fibers and chemicals businesses.
He rose through the ranks, holding managerial positions such as manager of Corporate Plans, global business director for Nomex, and global business director for Kevlar. Holliday also served as director of marketing for Chemicals and Pigments.
In 1990, DuPont sent Holliday overseas to run its Asia Pacific operations. Business analysts gave Holliday much of the credit for helping to double DuPont's Asia business during his nearly eight-year stint there. Annual sales increased to $4 billion, in part through his initiation of joint ventures in several countries, including Japan. In 1995, Holliday was named chairman of the region.
In January 1999, Holliday was named DuPont's CEO, and he added the title of chairman later in the year. Holliday was the 18th CEO of DuPont in more than 200 years of DuPont history.
Under Holliday's leadership, DuPont established a goal of achieving sustainable growth - increasing shareholder and societal value while simultaneously decreasing DuPont's environmental footprint. As a result, DuPont has shifted from being a chemical company to being a science-based products and services company.
Leadership Philosophy and Impact
Known as a strong negotiator who liked his subordinates to take new and untraditional approaches to improving business, Holliday was also recognized as a leader who emphasized providing strong customer service and meeting shareholders' expectations.
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Throughout his career, Holliday has preached the marriage of good business and sound environmental practices. “I think we need to take back the trust that we’ve lost along the way,” he once said in an interview. “But we have to do it by the right action, not just talk."
Transition and Later Roles
On September 23, 2008, DuPont announced that Holliday would retire as CEO on December 31, 2008, and that its board of directors had elected Ellen J. Kullman as his successor.
After retiring from DuPont, Holliday continued to be active in the business world. In 2009, he was elected to the board of directors of Bank of America, serving as chairman from 2010 to 2014. Charles O. (Chad) Holliday, Jr. is the Former Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell plc.
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He also serves on the boards of CH2M Hill, Hospital Corporation of America and the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils. He chairs the Executive Committee for United Nations Sustainable Energy for All. Chad is Lead Independent Non-Executive director at Venterra Group plc and lead investor at Resource Resolutions, plc. National Academy of Engineering.
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Awards and Recognition
Holliday co-chaired the Tickle College of Engineering’s effort for the Campaign for Tennessee and serves on the Development Council board. He has received the Nathan Dougherty Award, the college’s highest honor, and a Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Summary of Key Positions Held by Chad Holliday
| Position | Organization | Years |
|---|---|---|
| CEO | DuPont | 1999-2008 |
| Chairman | Bank of America | 2010-2014 |
| Chairman | Royal Dutch Shell | - |
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