Vijay Govindarajan, author and international expert on management strategy, to address GPCA Forum

DUBAI,   October  26, 2009 – Dr. Vijay Govindarajan, one of the world’s leading experts on strategy and innovation and author of international best seller Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators, will speak at this year’s Annual GPCA Forum, which is the Middle East’s largest petrochemicals event.

In line with the theme of this year’s Forum “Breaking through the crisis to pursue sustainable growth”,   Dr. Govindarajan’s special session during the Human Resources breakout will discuss “Leadership in an Era of Constant Change”. 

The Fourth Annual GPCA Forum, taking place December 8-10, 2009, organized by GPCA and co-organized by Chemical Week, will be held at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Dubai, UAE.
Dr. Govindarajan’s session will seek to answer key questions related to strategic innovation.  The need for companies to continuously innovate, identification of discontinuities that shape the future evolution of the industry, global opportunities as a result of shifts in the marketplace, ways of building the organizational DNA to create the future while managing the present, and execution of breakthrough strategies will all feature in the session. 

 Dr. Govindarajan is the Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International Business and the Founding Director of the Center for Global Leadership at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.  Currently he has taken leave of absence from Tuck for a year to be the 2009 Professor-in-Residence and Chief Innovation Consultant for General Electric.  Dr. Govindarajan regularly works with CEOs and top management teams in Global Fortune 500 firms to discuss, challenge, and escalate their thinking about strategy.  He has worked with 25% of the Fortune 500 corporations including: Boeing, IBM, J.P. Morgan Chase, New York Times, Sony, and more. 

A regular keynote speaker in CEO forums and major conferences around the world, Dr. Govindarajan has published seven books in addition to his international best seller. He has authored more than 70 articles which have appeared in journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, MIT Sloan Management Review and Harvard Business Review.

“We are extremely pleased that Dr. Govindarajan will be speaking at the GPCA Forum this year,” said Dr. Adbulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General of GPCA.  “His session will ensure that attendees walk away with new ideas and knowledge that can help their business strategies.  I am positive that Dr. Govindarajan’s insights and experience will offer participants  timely and relevant guidance in tackling some of the business challenges in the region.”

Al-Sadoun noted that the GPCA Forum is a platform not only for petrochemical companies in the region, but a platform for diverse businesses. Attendees of the Forum include CEOs and senior leaders from petrochemicals, chemicals, engineering, construction, shipping and logistics companies from around the world, as well as private equity executives, bankers, financiers and consultants.

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources H.E. Ali Al-Naimi, who is also the Chairman of Saudi Aramco, will deliver the opening keynote address at the Forum. Bahrain’s Central Bank Governor H.E. Rasheed M. Al-Maraj will address the Forum on the second day, about “Financing Opportunities and Risks for Mideast Petrochemical and energy Projects in a Global Crisis”. 

Other key speakers at the GPCA Forum  include are:  Stephen Pryor, President, ExxonMobil Chemical; Klaus Engel, Chairman, Evonik Industries; Brad Bourland, Chief Economist and Managing Director, Proprietary Investment, Jadwa Investments; Greg Garland, President and CEO, Chevron Phillips Chemical; Paul A. Laudicina, Chairman and Managing Director, A.T. Kearney; and Mark Garrett, CEO, Borealis.

About the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association
Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), the first such industry association in the Middle East, has grown from strength to strength since its inception in March 2006, steering   the regional industry towards a whole new era of co-operation.   As the Gulf’s representative body, GPCA aims to enhance the role of the region in international debate and policy making vis-a-vis petrochemicals and chemicals, to facilitate regional co-operation, and to ensure that growth is both sustainable and socially responsible.  GPCA’s mission is to offer its members networking opportunities through various platforms to meet and share knowledge; exchange insights and expertise and advocate the development, growth and prosperity of the petrochemicals and chemicals industry and related businesses in the Gulf.  Additional information is available at www.gpca.org.ae.

About Chemical Week
Chemical Week, part of Access Intelligence, LLC, is the world's leading source of news and analysis for key professionals concerned with the chemicals, petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and related industries. Chemical Week information is available face-to-face, daily, weekly and 24/7 via our websites, weekly print magazine, newsletters, custom publications, online buyers' guides, and conferences.  Additional information is available at www.chemweek.com.

For more information, contact:

GPCA
Gaurav Paul           
Communication Manager
Phone:  +9714 3217444
E-mail: gaurav@gpca.org.ae 

Chemical Week
Crystal Jarvie
Conference Marketing Manager
Phone: +1-212-621-4687
E-mail: cjarvie@chemweek.com

Creative Communication
Saeed Al Hasanieh
Creative Communication, Riyadh
Tel:      +9661-4642606
Email:  saidh@creative-communication.net

Other key contacts:

• For the latest event information and to register, visit www.chemweek.com/gpca or call +1 (212) 621-4978.  
• For sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, please contact

Dana Carey at dcarey@chemweek.com or +1 (212) 621-4972.