Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, in his capacity as Ruler of Abu Dhabi

تحت رعاية صاحب السمو الشيخ محمد بن زايد آل نهيان ، رئيس الدولة "حفظه الله"، بصفته حاكماً لإمارة أبوظبي

Supported by

Roger Kearns

President & CEO

NOVA Chemicals

Roger
Roger

Roger Kearns joined NOVA Chemicals as President and CEO in June 2023. Kearns leads the company’s ambition to reshape plastics to be our customers’ first and best choice. He is a senior executive with extensive international and industry leadership experience in the commodity and specialty chemicals spaces. Prior to joining NOVA Chemicals, Kearns was Chief Operating Officer at Westlake Corporation, the global diversified manufacturer of essential products (NYSE: WLK). He joined Westlake as Executive Vice President of Vinyl Chemicals in 2018 after previously serving for 32 years at Solvay, a global leader in materials, solutions, and chemicals. A member of Solvay’s Executive Committee for 10 years, Kearns held progressively senior roles on both the operational and investment sides of the business across a number of international markets, including the United States, Europe, and Asia. Kearns holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech and a MBA from Stanford. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and is a former member of the Georgia Tech President’s Advisory Board. Kearns also is a board member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) where he formerly served as Chair of the Audit Committee. In addition, he serves as a board member of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), sits on its Board Global Strategy, and serves as chair of the Board Plastics Committee. He is chair of the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) America. He has been listed as “one to watch” in the 2024 Top 40 Power Players by ICIS, a global ranking of the leading CEOs and senior executives making the greatest positive impact on their companies and the chemicals industry.

Session Overview
Tuesday, 3 November
14:15
Downstream, Chemicals & Industrial Value Chains Plenary Hall A 14:15 - 14:45
Petrochemicals: converting structural demand growth into sustained profitability

Petrochemicals are expected to drive a significant share of global oil demand growth as demand for plastics, fertilisers and industrial materials expands. Yet the broader demand outlook is more uncertain, with the IEA projecting global oil demand to contract by 420,000 barrels per day in 2026. Translating petrochemical demand into sustained profitability is also becoming more complex. Rapid capacity expansion, particularly in Asia and the Middle East, is intensifying competition and pressuring margins, challenging the assumption that demand growth alone generates returns. Producers are responding through integration, crude-to-chemicals investment and product portfolio strategies designed to extract greater value from each barrel. As refining systems prioritise fuel production during disruption, the challenge is converting market opportunity into stronger margins rather than relying on volume growth alone. The most successful producers will be those that combine scale, integration and product strategy more effectively than their competitors.

Attendee Insights:
Evaluate how producers are converting petrochemical demand growth into sustained profitability despite rising costs, intensifying competition and margin pressure.

14:15
Downstream, Chemicals & Industrial Value Chains Plenary Hall A 14:15 - 14:45
Petrochemicals: converting structural demand growth into sustained profitability
Petrochemicals are expected to drive a significant share of global oil demand growth as demand for plastics, fertilisers and industrial materials expands. Yet the broader demand outlook is more uncertain, with the IEA projecting global oil demand to contract by 420,000 barrels per day in 2026. Translating petrochemical demand into sustained profitability is also becoming more complex. Rapid capacity expansion, particularly in Asia and the Middle East, is intensifying competition and pressuring margins, challenging the assumption that demand growth alone generates returns. Producers are responding through integration, crude-to-chemicals investment and product portfolio strategies designed to extract greater value from each barrel. As refining systems prioritise fuel production during disruption, the challenge is converting market opportunity into stronger margins rather than relying on volume growth alone. The most successful producers will be those that combine scale, integration and product strategy more effectively than their competitors.
Attendee Insights:
Evaluate how producers are converting petrochemical demand growth into sustained profitability despite rising costs, intensifying competition and margin pressure.

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