James R. Fitterling, vice chairman and chief operating officer of the Dow Chemical Company, has been appointed to the board of directors of Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara), effective Jan. 1.

Fitterling succeeds William Weideman, who has served as a member of Sadara’s board of directors since its inception in November 2011.

Sadara’s board of directors extended its thanks and gratitude to Weideman for his contributions and efforts during his tenure as a member of the board of directors and of the various committees on which he served.

As a member of Dow’s most senior leadership, Fitterling has played a key role in developing and executing Dow’s strategy to invest in a market-driven portfolio of advantaged and technology-enabled businesses.

Fitterling joined Dow in 1984 and has served in a variety of roles since then.

In 1998, he was appointed as global business director for liquid separations, followed in 2000 by his appointment as GM for Dow in Thailand and MD for the SCC-Dow Group of joint venture companies.

In 2010, Fitterling took on the role of EVP of the Dow Chemical Company and president, plastics and hydrocarbons, and in 2014 was appointed as vice chairman, business operations. Fitterling earned his Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri, Columbia.