Rebecca Somers is a partner in our Chemicals Practice. She supports chemicals projects around the world, with a particular focus on petrochemicals and bio-based chemicals. Now based in McKinsey’s Bangkok office, she spent a number of years serving clients out of our Washington, DC, office.

Rebecca has deep expertise in the dynamics shaping the global petrochemicals industry. She is known for having built a variety of cost curves to understand petrochemicals’ pricing mechanisms and margin outlooks. Select examples of her client work include:

• leading a holistic transformation program for a Southeast Asian integrated petrochemicals-refinery company; the project involved improving margins for polymer resins, specifically
• supporting a strategic investment analysis of Southeast Asian oleochemicals assets, including fatty alcohol and fatty acid plants
• advising a Southeast Asian petrochemicals company on global competitiveness; the project included determining competitive feedstock sources, building 15 chemical cost curves for inferring competitive position, analyzing the downstream market supply and demand, and crafting ten potential global growth opportunities
• helping an Asian commodities fertilizer player with a commercial due diligence study of a specialty fertilizers business for possible acquisition
• advising a large oil and gas company on future strategic initiatives, based on the circular economy; Rebecca and her team led benchmarking trips, assessed potential ideas applicable to client, and defined the pilot initiative for future growth.

Prior to joining McKinsey in 2008 , Rebecca investigated the surface chemistry and energy transfer mechanisms of fluorescent inorganic nanocrystal quantum dots for applications toward chemical and biological sensing during her graduate studies.