Stanley W. Silverman

As Founder and CEO of Silverman Leadership, Stan is a writer, speaker and advisor to C-suite executives. He writes a weekly nationally syndicated column on leadership, entrepreneurship and corporate governance in the Philadelphia Business Journal and 42 affiliated business publications across the U.S.

Stan is the former president and CEO of PQ Corporation, a global company operating in North America, South America, Europe and Asia Pacific in two core businesses – chemicals and engineered glass materials.

As a recognized thought leader, Stan has been an invited guest lecturer on leadership at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and at the LeBow College of Business at Drexel University. He has been a speaker on leadership and governance issues at Private Company Governance Summits and at numerous other events.

Stan is vice chairman of Drexel University. He is the former chairman of Drexel University College of Medicine, and former chairman of the Soap and Detergent Association. He has served on the boards of numerous public company, private company, private equity company and non-profit boards. In addition to serving on the board of Drexel University, Stan is a board member of Friends Select School as well as Faith in the Future, the organization that operates the 17 Catholic High Schools within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

He began his business career as a chemical process engineer at Atlantic Richfield, subsequently acquired by BP plc. Stan joined PQ Corporation in 1971. Prior to being named as CEO of PQ in January 2000, he held positions in engineering, operations planning, marketing, sales and business unit executive management, including president of PQ’s subsidiary in Canada. Stan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and a MBA degree from Drexel University. He is also an alumnus of the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.