Helping Leaders Excel - CEO Perspective Group

Stanley W. Silverman

The former CEO of a global company, current public and private company board member, Stan Silverman has advised current and aspiring top executives on operational, strategic, governance and leadership issues. His experience and insights have helped many executives successfully take charge and deliver shareholder value.

The former president and chief executive officer of PQ Corporation, Silverman led a successful expansion of this privately held global company operating in 19 countries (North America, South America, Europe and Asia Pacific) in two core businesses - chemicals and engineered glass materials.

In addition to counseling chief executives on leadership and strategy, Silverman has advised private equity firms evaluating potential acquisition candidates. He is president of Horizon Venture Group LLC, a firm that invests as a limited partner in companies which have potential for growth and value creation.

He serves as a guest lecturer on Executive Leadership at the Wharton School and at the LeBow College of Business of Drexel University, where he holds the position of executive in residence. He has been an invited speaker at conferences on company governance issues. Mr. Silverman has experience as a director on public company, private company, private equity company, trade association and not-for-profit boards.

Silverman began his business career as a process engineer at Atlantic Richfield, subsequently acquired by BP, a global energy company. He joined PQ Corporation in 1971. During his career at PQ, he held positions in engineering, operations planning, marketing, sales and business unit executive management. Silverman became PQ Corporation president and chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors in January 2000.

He is a director on the boards of A. Schulman, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHLM), C&D Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: CHP), and Met-Pro Corp. (NYSE: MPR), as well as three private equity owned companies, Femco Machine Company, innRoad, Inc., and Exocor, Inc.

Silverman is a member of the board of trustees of Drexel University, and serves as chairman of the board's finance committee. He is also a member of the board of trustees of Philadelphia Health and Education Corporation (Drexel University College of Medicine). He is the former chairman of the board of the Soap and Detergent Association, and a former board member of the American Chemistry Council.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and a MBA degree from Drexel University. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.

Return to prior page…