Lori Ryerkerk is a visionary leader in the energy and chemical industries and a dedicated advocate for women in engineering. With more than four decades of experience at Celanese Corporation, Shell, Hess Corporation, and ExxonMobil, Lori has built a reputation for transformative leadership and strategic innovation.
From 2019 through 2024, she served as CEO and Chair of Celanese Corporation, a Fortune 500 global chemical and specialty materials company. Under her leadership, Celanese experienced remarkable growth, achieving $11 billion in sales, and earning recognition for its sustainability initiatives, corporate citizenship, and inclusion efforts.
Lori’s journey from an Iowa State chemical engineering graduate to one of the 47 female Fortune 500 CEOs is a testament to her dedication and innovative spirit. But her impact extends beyond the boardroom. She is a passionate mentor and advocate for the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program at Iowa State. She co-founded the Ryerkerk-Griffith WiSE Faculty Fellowship, which strengthens educational offerings and enhances the program’s prominence on campus. In addition, the Ryerkerk-Griffith Completion Grant in Engineering provides financial assistance to undergraduate students facing financial hardships, helping them complete their degrees.
Lori and her husband, the Honorable Carl R. Griffith, are longtime supporters of Lamar University and the Lamar University Foundation. Both were actively involved as volunteers and donors for many years prior to their marriage in 2017. In recognition of their sustained generosity, they were named members of the Mirabeau Society in 2020 and the Lamar University Legacy Society in 2021.
Through a generous $1 million planned gift, Lori and Carl established the Carl R. Griffith and Lori Ryerkerk Griffith Scholarship in Criminal Justice and the Carl R. Griffith and Lori Ryerkerk Griffith Scholarship in Engineering, further strengthening educational opportunities for future Lamar University students.
