In this fireside chat, Bob Patel, President of Standard Industries, discussed his immigration to the U.S. at an early age, the influences of his family on his educational and career choices, and his upward journey as a senior executive and then CEO of a number of large U.S. companies. He also highlighted the obstacles he overcame in his career, his view of the career ceiling environment now and in the future, and his advice about how Asian Americans can achieve success in corporate America.

Mr. Patel is the recipient of many awards, including the prestigious Society of Chemical Industry award presented this year. In his award recognition, the Chair of the Society of Chemical Industry stated, “Bob has earned a well-deserved reputation for being a transformative leader in our industry. For well over a decade, he has been at the leading edge of the most pivotal issues facing our industry, particularly the effort to eliminate plastic waste from the environment. As a co-founder of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, he collaborated with other leaders to bring organizations from across the value chain together to identify meaningful solutions.”