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WESTLAKE CORP

For the period ended Dec 31, 2023. Filed Feb 22, 2024.

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A company's yearly report to the SEC, with audited financial statements. It is the fullest account a company gives of its business, its finances and the risks it sees.

FY2023 · Filed Feb 22, 2024

WLK$63.16-1.5%Stored close · as of Nov 10, 2026

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Information about our Executive Officers

James Y. Chao (age 76). Mr. Chao has been our Chairman of the Board of Directors since July 2004 and became a director in June 2003. From May 1996 to July 2004, he served as our Vice Chairman. Mr. Chao has over 45 years of global experience in the chemical industry. In addition, Mr. Chao has been the Chairman of the Board of Westlake Partners' general partner since its formation in March 2014. From June 2003 until November 2010, Mr. Chao was the executive chairman of Titan Chemicals Corp. Bhd. He has served as a Special Assistant to the Chairman of China General Plastics Group and worked in various financial, managerial and technical positions at Mattel Incorporated, Developmental Bank of Singapore, Singapore Gulf Plastics Pte. Ltd. and Gulf Oil Corporation. Mr. Chao, along with his brother Albert Chao, assisted their father T.T. Chao in founding Westlake Corporation (formerly known as Westlake Chemical Corporation). He is the brother of Albert Y. Chao, father of Catherine T. Chao and David T. Chao and uncle of John T. Chao and Carolyn C. Sabat. Mr. Chao received his B.S. degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.

Albert Y. Chao (age 74). Mr. Chao has been our President since May 1996 and a director since June 2003. Mr. Chao became our Chief Executive Officer in July 2004. Mr. Chao has over 40 years of global experience in the chemical industry. In 1985, Mr. Chao assisted his father T.T. Chao and his brother James Chao in founding Westlake Corporation (formerly known as Westlake Chemical Corporation), where he served as Executive Vice President until he succeeded James Chao as President. In addition, Mr. Chao has been the President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Westlake Partners' general partner since its formation in March 2014. He has held positions in the Controller's Group of Mobil Oil Corporation, in the Technical Department of Hercules Incorporated, in the Plastics Group of Gulf Oil Corporation and has served as Assistant to the Chairman of China General Plastics Group and Deputy Managing Director of a plastics fabrication business in Singapore. He is the brother of James Y. Chao, father of John T. Chao and Carolyn C. Sabat and uncle of Catherine T. Chao and David T. Chao. Mr. Chao received a bachelor's degree from Brandeis University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.

M. Steven Bender (age 67). Mr. Bender has been our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since July 2017. From February 2008 to July 2017, Mr. Bender served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In addition, Mr. Bender served as our Treasurer from July 2011 to April 2017, a position he also held from February 2008 until December 2010. From February 2007 to February 2008, Mr. Bender served as our Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and from June 2005 to February 2007, he served as our Vice President and Treasurer. In addition, Mr. Bender has been a director of Westlake Partners' general partner since its formation in March 2014, its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since February 2021, and its Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from March 2014 to February 2021. Prior to joining Westlake, from June 2002 until June 2005, Mr. Bender served as Vice President and Treasurer of KBR, Inc., and from 1996 to 2002 he held the position of Assistant Treasurer for Halliburton Company. Prior to that, he held various financial positions within that company. Additionally, he was employed by Texas Eastern Corporation for over a decade in a variety of increasingly responsible audit, finance and treasury positions. Mr. Bender received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University. Mr. Bender is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Robert F. Buesinger (age 67). Mr. Buesinger has been our Executive Vice President, Housing and Infrastructure Products, IT and Digital since February 2022. From July 2017 to February 2022, Mr. Buesinger served as our Executive Vice President, Vinyl Products and, from April 2010 to July 2017, he served as our Senior Vice President, Vinyls. Prior to joining us, Mr. Buesinger served as the General Manager and President of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company L.P.'s Performance Pipe Division from February 2010 to March 2010. From June 2008 to January 2010, Mr. Buesinger held the position of General Manager in the Alpha Olefins and Poly Alpha Olefins business of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company L.P. From April 2005 to May 2008, he served as the President and Managing Director of Chevron Phillips Singapore Chemicals Pte. Ltd. and Asia Region General Manager for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company L.P. Prior to that, he held various technical and sales management positions within that company. Mr. Buesinger holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University.

L. Benjamin Ederington (age 53). Mr. Ederington has been our Executive Vice President, Performance and Essential Materials, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer since April 2023. From February 2022 to April 2023, Mr. Ederington served as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary; from July 2017 to February 2022; he served as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary; from December 2015 to July 2017, he served as our Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary; and, from October 2013 to December 2015, he served as our Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. In addition, Mr. Ederington has been a director of Westlake Partners' general partner since its formation in March 2014 and its Executive Vice President, Performance and Essential Materials, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer since May 2023. Mr. Ederington was Westlake Partners' general partner's Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary from March 2022 to May 2023; Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer and Corporate Secretary from February 2021 to March 2022; and, its Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary from March 2014 to February 2021. Prior to joining Westlake, he held a variety of senior legal positions at LyondellBasell Industries, N.V. and its predecessor companies, LyondellBasell Industries AF SCA and Lyondell Chemical Company, including most recently as Associate General Counsel, Commercial & Strategic Transactions. He began his legal career more than 25 years ago at the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson, LLP. Mr. Ederington holds a B.A. from Yale University and received his J.D. from Harvard University.

Thomas J, Janssens (age 58). Mr. Janssens has been our Senior Vice President, Operations—Performance and Essential Material & Corporate Logistics since March 2022. From January 2021 to March 2022, Mr. Janssens served as our Vice President, Olefins, Feedstocks & Energy; from December 2019 to December 2020, he was our Vice President, Olefins & Logistics; from July 2017 to November 2019, he was our Vice President, Corporate Development, Logistics & IT; from January 2016 to June 2017, he was our Vice President, Logistics & IT; and, from October 2015 to December 2015, he was our Vice President, Logistics & Business Process Improvement. Prior to joining Westlake, Mr. Janssens was a consultant, from September 2002 to June 2009, and later, a Partner, from July 2009 to September 2015, with McKinsey & Company, where he advised energy and chemicals clients on strategic, commercial, operational and business process improvement projects. He began his career with Shell International in 1991, where he held a variety of commercial, engineering and planning roles. Mr. Janssens holds a MSc in Chemical Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Johnathan S. Zoeller (age 48). Mr. Zoeller has been our Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer since March 2020. From August 2018 to March 2020, Mr. Zoeller served as our Vice President and Corporate Controller. In addition, Mr. Zoeller has been the Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Westlake Partners' general partner since March 2020. Mr. Zoeller joined us with over 19 years of public accounting experience, the majority of which was spent at KPMG LLP, where he was responsible for clients in the chemicals, oilfield services and oil/gas exploration and production industries. Mr. Zoeller held a variety of senior accounting positions at KPMG, including most recently as Partner, Audit from October 2011 to August 2018. He began his career with Arthur Andersen LLP in 1998. Mr. Zoeller holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree and a Master of Accounting degree from the University of Mississippi. He is a Certified Public Accountant.

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