The Chemists’ Club is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2024 Winthrop-Sears Medal as Ms. Yvonne van der Laan of LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB). The award will be presented at the annual Egg Nog Gala ceremony on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at The Players, a historic club in New York City. This prestigious honor recognizes an individual or company that has contributed to the sciences and humanity through innovation and entrepreneurship.
Yvonne van der Laan is Executive Vice President, Circular and Low Carbon Solutions at LYB, one of the world's leading producers of polymers and polyolefin technologies. She oversees a team responsible for delivering on the company’s ambition to produce and market 2 million tons of recycled and renewable-based polymers by 2030. Under her leadership, LYB is investing across the value chain to become a full solution provider, able to scale critical recycling technologies. With more than two decades of experience, Ms. van der Laan has served in commercial and business leadership roles at LYB, Port of Rotterdam, SABIC, and DSM.
“We are extremely honored and humbled to receive this award in recognition of the consequential work underway at LYB to lead our industry’s transition toward circular solutions,” said Ms. van der Laan. “Our team is truly inspired by the ideals of the Winthrop-Sears Medal to advance humanity through the entrepreneurial achievements of a vital and innovative chemical industry. LYB is committed to unlocking the value of waste and delivering circular solutions at scale for everyday sustainable living.”
Recently, LYB laid the foundation for MoReTec-1 in Germany, its first commercial-scale catalytic advanced recycling plant. Using its proprietary MoReTec technology and catalysts, the unit converts post-use plastics into feedstock to produce new polymers with favorable economics supported by energy efficiency and a low carbon footprint. In addition to the company’s goals in the circular and low-carbon solutions space, LYB is targeting net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from operations by 2050. That is in addition to its 2030 goals to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 42% and Scope 3 GHG emissions by 30%.
“The work by Ms. van der Laan and her team underscores the importance of the chemical industry in driving innovation, particularly for a better planet. Polymers are an essential component of our daily lives, and it is terrific to see LYB spearheading the advanced recycling technology needed to deliver such critical lower-carbon options,” said Dr. Roland Stefandl, President of The Chemists’ Club. “This honor is a testament to LYB and its dedication to sustainability. We are thrilled to be able to acknowledge CEO Peter Vanacker’s leadership on this front, and the pioneering work of the Circular and Low Carbon Solutions team under Ms. van der Laan.”
Ms. van der Laan joins a select group of distinguished innovators and entrepreneurs. Most recent awardees include Albert & James Chao (Westlake), Dr. Robert Zeller (Oxy Low Carbon Ventures), Linda Rendle (The Clorox Company), William Wulfsohn (Ashland Global Holdings), George Corbin (Solvay), Heinz Haller (The Dow Chemical Company), and other esteemed chemical leaders from Solenis, Chemours, DuPont, and Huntsman, to name a few.
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The Winthrop-Sears Medal, established in 1970, is presented annually to recognize individuals who, through their entrepreneurial achievement, have contributed to the vitality of the chemical industry and the betterment of humanity. The medal is named in honor of two of America’s earliest chemical industry entrepreneurs, John Winthrop, Jr., son of the first Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and considered the first chemist in America, and John Sears, creator of the Massachusetts salt industry. The Winthrop-Sears Medal is presented at the Chemists’ Club’s annual Egg Nog Gala.
Founded in 1898, The Chemists' Club is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization devoted to the advancement of chemistry and related technologies. Membership is open to any individuals with an interest in, or affiliation with, the chemical sciences. The organization provides a forum for networking opportunities between students and professionals, supporting the growth of emerging talent to develop the industry’s future leaders. Marquee events sponsored by the Club include the Kavaler Award, the Bonding Conference, and The Winthrop-Sears Award presented at the annual Egg Nog Gala. For more information about The Chemists' Club, visit www.thechemistsclub.org.