Herbert Doan, businessman, philanthropist and the last Dow family member to serve as chief executive officer of Dow Chemical, the company founded by his grandfather in 1897, died on May 16. He was 83.

Mr Doan brought together disparate parts of the company into a more efficient and growth-oriented organisation, including rapid expansion outside the US. He set the ambitious goal of growing earnings by 10% per year. By the time of his retirement the company had met that goal, the best record of any major chemical company at the time.

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