Telly Zachariades, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Chemicals Investment Banking at Piper Sandler
New York, November 13, 2025 – The Chemists' Club is pleased to announce the very first Kavaler Lifetime Achievement Award, which we are very proud to present to Telly Zachariades, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Chemicals Investment Banking at Piper Sandler. His lifetime services to the chemical industry have facilitated its efficient functioning, effectiveness and profitability.
The award will be presented to Mr. Zachariades on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at a black tie dinner ceremony at the historic Metropolitan Club of New York, in New York City. To register: Please click here
Since 2013, The Chemists' Club has presented the Kavaler Award annually to honor an industry leader for recent achievements at one company. For 2026, we have decided to suspend that schedule so that we can honor Mr. Zachariades as he moves to an advisory consulting role prior to retirement. This award for lifetime achievement differs from the past awards by recognizing major contributions to the industry, not just one company, and over an entire career. We will resume the regular Kavaler Award in 2027.
It is a measure of the very high regard in which he is held that Piper Sandler will join us in honoring Mr. Zachariades by sponsoring the award gala in accordance with prior years and in keeping with their role in consistently sponsoring the annual Kavaler Award since its inception.
"I am both humbled and honored to be recognized for this award, which represents the pinnacle of my career in the industry. Chemicals M&A, where I have spent almost the entirety of my career, is an industry facilitator and I am proud of the fact that the vast majority of the more than 200 transactions I've been involved with over the past 44 years have added value to both counterparties," said Telly Zachariades, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Chemicals Investment Banking.
The Chemists' Club has selected Mr. Zachariades for his impressive, far-reaching work in investment banking in the chemical industry. Our decision was supported by his exceptional reputation throughout the sector for fairness and honesty.
He was one of the co-founders of The Valence Group in 2007, a boutique M&A-focused investment bank, which was acquired in 2020 and became the chemicals investment banking group of Piper Sandler. Mr. Zachariades currently serves as Vice Chairman of that group. Since 2007, his group has completed more than 120 transactions aggregating $100bn+ in enterprise value. Personally leading more than half of these, he has helped shape the industry we know today.
Among his larger and more transformative contributions in recent years have been:
He founded Valence by building on his experience as global head of Bear Stearns' chemicals investment banking practice for 7 years and before that as a senior investment banker covering the chemicals industry at JP Morgan Chase for 17 years, based in both London and New York.
"Telly Zachariades has had a remarkable career and truly deserves this award," said Dr. Roland Stefandl, President of The Chemist' Club. "The Chemists' Club has come to know him well over years of working closely with him. I am delighted that we are honoring him with this Kavaler Lifetime Achievement Award."
For more information on the Kavaler Lifetime Achievement Award and Gala, please contact Dr. Roland Stefandl, President, The Chemists' Club, at RolandStefandl@thechemistsclub.org, +1 (201) 888-0440.
The Chemists' Club has presented the Kavaler Award annually since 2013 to honor an individual's recent achievements at their company. In 2026, The Chemists' Club will instead present the first Kavaler Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize a person's achievements across the chemical industry and over an entire career. This will be the sole Kavaler Award in 2026. The regular Kavaler Award will resume in 2027.
The Chemists' Club Kavaler Award is a revival of the Kavaler Award presented from 1990-1999 by Chemical Market Reporter to leading chemical CEOs. The first award of the new era was in 2013 and has been presented annually since. The most recent honorees have been Ilham Kadri, Syensqo; Jim Fitterling, Dow; Matthias Zachert, LANXESS; and Lori Ryerkerk, Celanese.
The awards are named in memory of Arthur Kavaler, who for 46 years served as reporter, editor, and eventually publisher and editor-in-chief of Chemical Market Reporter. As Andrew Liveris of Dow said, "he was a probing reporter and editor with unwavering conviction." He had a major impact on chemical industry journalism for many decades. Kavaler passed away at the age of 91 in 2012.
https://www.thechemistsclub.org/kavaler_award.php
Founded in 1898, The Chemists' Club's is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization whose membership is open to anyone with an interest in the chemical sciences, including: chemists and chemical engineers, chemical industry management, consultants, financial analysts, attorneys, academics, and students (dues-free). It provides networking opportunities for members to mix and meet with others in the chemical process sector, such as biotech, chemical, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paper, and similar industries. The Club also supports the growth of the chemical industry by working with college students and introducing them to the range of career opportunities available in the chemical industry today.
Piper Sandler Companies (NYSE: PIPR) is a leading investment bank driven to help clients Realize the Power of Partnership®. Securities brokerage and investment banking services are offered in the U.S. through Piper Sandler & Co., member SIPC and NYSE; in the U.K. through Piper Sandler Ltd., authorized and regulated by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority; in the EU through Aviditi Capital Advisors Europe GmbH, a tied agent of AHP Capital Management GmbH, authorized and regulated by BaFin; and in Hong Kong through Piper Sandler Hong Kong Ltd., authorized and regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission. Alternative asset management and fixed income advisory services are offered through separately registered advisory affiliates.
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The Chemists' Club
Michelle Stefandl
michellest@thechemistsclub.org
To attend The Chemists' Club Kavaler Lifetime Achievement Award Gala:
Register Here
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