MARCH 10 • 2022 | 31
Life at headquar-
ters proved to be even
more exciting than the
up-and-coming executive
had imagined. Dow and
DuPont had been longtime
rivals in the chemical indus-
try, giants whose leaders for
years had toyed with the idea
of merging in order to opti-
mize their complementary
strengths. The theoretical
basis for joining forces was
actualized in 2015 when the
two companies proposed a
highly unusual plan to merge
into one big company — and
then to split into three sepa-
rate publicly traded compa-
nies, pursuing three different
businesses: performance
chemicals and packaging
(Dow); specialty materials
and nutrition (DuPont); and
agricultural chemicals and
seeds (Corteva).
When the plan was
announced at the end of 2015,
Ungerleider had risen to vice
chairman and chief finan-
cial officer of Dow. He then
became chief financial officer
of DowDuPont, the $80 billion
entity that was to be split into
three. As the board contem-
plated the proposed leader-
ship and management teams
for the three new corporate
entities, a dilemma arose: The
new Dow had been blessed
with two excellent candidates
for CEO: Ungerleider and Jim
Fitterling, another longtime
Dow veteran.
“We wanted both of them to
say,” said Steve Miller, then a
director of DowDuPont. “Both
are accomplished and effective
leaders. We were quite eager
as a board to figure out a solu-
tion.”
The solution was naming
Fitterling, a few years senior
to Ungerleider, as CEO, with
Ungerleider as president and
chief financial officer.
The board’s calculation that
Ungerleider’s devotion to Dow
would overcome any disap-
pointment proved correct. “I
think the board made a great
decision. I mean, I’ve known
Jim Fitterling for 30 years. He’s
a tremendous individual. A
tremendous leader. I think in
many ways our skills are high-
ly complementary. He’s the
pilot, I’m the co-pilot — we’ve
both got to be able to fly the
plane.”
As his corporate and civic
profile grew, Ungerleider came
to the attention of Jewish com-
munity leaders in Detroit, who
invited him to travel to Israel
in 2019, his first visit, as part
of a delegation that included
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“The trip was life-changing
for me,” he said. “I came home
and I was kicking myself and
told my wife we have to go
again. And I can’t believe it’s
taken me more than 50 years
of my life to see Israel. It was
special. It was spiritual. I don’t
even know if I have the words
to describe it.”
As a leader in many fields
and a member of Bay City’s
synagogue with his wife and
two children, Ungerleider
looks forward to one day
undertaking a similar role on
behalf of his people:
“I don’t know what the
Jewish community needs in
the state, but I think they can
count on me to help with my
resources and my expertise.
Whatever I can do to help
contribute, I would. I cer-
tainly am passionate about
the faith.”
Elan S. Carr, Daniel Elbaum
and Hon. Ronald Klein
have been awarded the
Gitelson Silver Medallion
by the Alpha Epsilon Pi
Foundation. The award
recognizes AEPi alumni
for their commitment to
Jewish communal ser-
vices. Carr, an attorney,
served as the United States
Special Envoy to Monitor
and Combat Anti-Semitism
from 2019-2021. Elbaum is
the head of North America
for the Jewish Agency for
Israel (JAFI) as well as the
president and CEO of the
Jewish Agency International
Development (JAID); Klein
has worked in the private
sector as a business and
transactional attorney for
over 25 years and in the
public sector as an elected
official. He is a member of
Holland & Knight’s Public
Policy & Regulation Group
and co-chair of the firm’s
Israel Practice Group.
Carr
Elbaum
Klein
Mi BANK announced Bruce Kridler’s
appointment as director of its new Private
Client and Family Office initiative. In his
new role, Kridler will oversee the delivery
of additional products and services to Mi
BANK’s high net worth and ultra-high net
worth clients. Some of these services will
be provided directly by Mi BANK, and oth-
ers will be delivered by Mi BANK through
strategic relationships it will develop with other providers.
Hy Safran, 37, director of philanthropy,
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
& United Jewish Foundation, was named
as one of Oakland County’s 40 Under 40.
The 40 Under 40 class honors young pro-
fessionals who live and/or work in Oakland
County. These individuals exemplify
Oakland Together, a vision for a community
working together to leverage its strengths,
address its challenges and find value in working with
regional partners.