Covestro LLC is a new company—sort of. Until 2015, it was the Material Sciences division of Bayer. Now as an independent company, it’s not only establishing its new image and identity as a world leader in the polyurethane and polycarbonate manufacturing and supply sector, it is working to establish a corporate culture of sustainability, mentorship and diversity.
And to achieve part of it—diversifying its supply chain—Covestro President Jerry MacCleary told the African American Chamber of Commerce PowerBreakfast audience he would like their help.
“We have committed to developing a new culture,” he said during the April 21 event at the Rivers Club, Downtown. “The one I hope we have is vibrant, colorful, and has people who are risk-takers, who think faster, and where everyone is treated with respect.”
MacCleary said the company has made strides toward creating a more diverse future for the company. One example is its Adopt-A-School program, designed to get kids interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) early so they can drive the industry in the future.
He said the program recently brought kids from Imani Christian Academy in East Hills to the company’s campus.
“I got harder questions from their fifth graders than I get at town hall meetings,” he said.
Another step MacCleary has taken in that direction has been the hiring of Dina Clark, who was in attendance along with the company’s entire procurement team, as its head of diversity and inclusion.
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