Rui Vogt Alves da Cruz

Rui Cruz is currently the Vice President for Dow Enterprise Innovation and Growth, a global research and development organization that drives the long-term R&D vision for Dow. Critical capabilities include high throughput R&D; computational modeling; artificial intelligence; quantum computing; formulation and material science; recruiting; analytical, university and government relations and external funding; sustainability and life cycle analysis; and engineering and process sciences. 

Prior to this role, Cruz was the Senior Regional R&D Director for the Europe, Middle East, Africa region and Core R&D Director for Europe. He joined Dow in Brazil in 2001, having worked in human resources, customer services, technical services, and R&D for several different businesses and technologies. 

Cruz studied chemical engineering at the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo and the Karlsruhe University (KIT) in Germany. He has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of São Paulo, with academic and industrial experience in modeling, process evaluation, product and application development, pulp and paper technology, alternative feedstocks and biotechnology. In 2024, he received the prestigious HENAAC Great Minds of STEM Scientist of the Year Award and in 2020, received the inaugural AIChE Management Division Young Leader Award.