Wayne T. Smith

INDEPENDENT

Accomplished Executive in the Chemicals and Industrial Manufacturing Sectors

Background

• Wayne T. Smith is the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BASF Corporation, where he served in this role from May 2015 through May 2021. He was also a member of the Board of Management Directors of the parent company, BASF SE, from 2012 through May 2021. He joined the company in 2004.
• Prior to that, Mr. Smith was vice president and general manager of Specialty Construction Chemicals at W.R. Grace and Company, where he led the strategy development, growth and profitability of that unit worldwide. Before joining W.R. Grace, Mr. Smith served in positions of increasing responsibility with The BOC Group, culminating as vice president and general manager of the company’s Packaged Products business.
• Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Syracuse University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Qualifications, Attributes and Key Skills

• Mr. Smith brings 35 years of senior management experience in the industrial gases and chemicals industries, including extensive industrial gases leadership and operational experience.
• At the time of his retirement from BASF, Mr. Smith oversaw numerous business lines including Monomers, Performance Materials, Petrochemicals, Intermediates and North America.
• In his time at BASF, Mr. Smith was credited specifically with placing customer orientation even more at the center of BASF activities.