Mark Vergnano

Mark Vergnano is an executive with more than four decades of experience in the chemical industry, recognized for his role as the founding president and CEO of The Chemours Company. Vergnano began his career at DuPont as a process engineer in its fibers business and held various leadership positions across multiple regions, ultimately serving as executive vice president. In that capacity, he oversaw several businesses and functions, including DuPont Chemicals & Fluoroproducts and Titanium Technologies.

Vergnano became the first CEO of The Chemours Company prior to its spinoff from DuPont. He led the company through a transformation plan that addressed financial challenges, established a new corporate culture focused on entrepreneurship, and implemented policies tailored to a smaller organization. Under his leadership, Chemours streamlined its business and cost structure, managed legacy liabilities, reduced its net debt to EBITDA ratio, increased EBITDA and free cash flow, and grew its market capitalization. The Chemours Company, a $6 billion revenue chemistry company, was named to the Fortune 500. Vergnano served as the initial president and CEO until his retirement from the chairman position.

Vergnano emphasizes safety and an inclusive workplace culture. At Chemours, he fostered values of customer centricity, safety, integrity, simplicity, and collective entrepreneurship. He is known for encouraging employee engagement and upholding corporate values. His commitment to workplace safety extended to his role as chairman of the National Safety Council and as a member of its board of directors.

Vergnano has also advocated for diversity in STEM fields. As FOSSI founding chairman, he guided the program’s strategy, bringing together organizations that pledged scholarship funds for students pursuing STEM degrees at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is the primary donor of the Vergnano Institute for Inclusion at the University of Connecticut and serves as chairman of its advisory council.

Vergnano’s contributions to the chemical industry have been recognized with honors such as the Chemical Industry Medal from the Society of the Chemical Industry, the HBCU Trail Blazer Award, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' "Doing a World of Good" award, and the AIChE Government and Industry Leaders (AGILE) Award. He is a member of the University of Connecticut College of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Engineers and Hall of Fame. Vergnano serves as chairman of the board of directors of Johnson Controls International and as a member of the board of directors of Waters Corporation.