Rafael Cayuela is DOW Corporate Chief Economist since 2013 and EMEAI Strategy Development
Senior Director since 2021; reporting to the EMEAI President and DOW VP for Corporate Development.
Rafael joined Dow in Madrid, Spain, in 2001 as part of the Commercial Development Program. From
2004 he was based in Midland, Michigan before relocating to Horgen, Zurich in 2007, where he is still
based. He is an economist by education and has more than 24 years of experience within the chemical
industry. During his Dow career, Rafael has held many roles in Plastics, Six Sigma, Hydrocarbons &
Energy, GA Rubber (Global Business Director), and since 2013 in the Corporate Strategy Team & OCEO.
Rafael holds a bachelor’s in economics from University Complutense of Madrid, a bachelor’s in
business administration from the University of Birmingham, UK; a Master’s degree in Economics from
the College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium & an MBA from Northwood University in Michigan, USA. He
also completed executive education at the University of Chicago (Executive MBA), Oxford University
on Blockchain and at Singularity University on Exponential & Disruptive Technologies. Rafael is the
author of the book "The Future of the Chemical Industry by 2050", published by WILEY in May 2013,
while working on his next one “Chemical Industry Under the 4th Ind. Revolution – Molecules vs. Qubits”.
Rafael sits on different Boards incl. the World Energy Council & World Biofuture Platform, UNEP
World Chemical Outlook and the High-Level Policy Group of the EU Council & EU School of Transitional
Regulation of Florence on Industrial Transformation. He also serves as Chairman of the Energy Charter
Treaty and CEFIC Mid Century Vision. During his first term, CEFIC released the “Industry Mid Century
Vision “Molecules Manager” in 2019 and CEFIC Chemical Industry Competitiveness Report ( Jan 2025).
He is also Dow Representative at WEF Strategy Office Community & IEA Executive Business Council.
Rafael is passionate about the role economics, chemistry and science to solve 21st Century Battles:
“How to Reconcile Humans with Nature (Sustainability), Humans with Humans (i.e. Income Inequality
& Inclusion & Diversity) and Humans with Machines (AI, Robotics)”. Rafael has been recognized as EU
Top 50 Tec Voices on Industrial Transformation by EU Patent Office in 2023. Rafael Cayuela | Epo.org
Rafael is married and father of two small children. Born in Madrid, Spain; he is fluent in Spanish,
English, French & Italian, while having basic German after living almost 20 years in Switzerland
