In 1990 he was named vice president and then president of DuPont’s Asia Pacific operations. He became senior vice president in 1992 and executive vice president and a member of the Office of Chief Executive in 1995. Fortune magazine named Holliday one of “Tomorrow’s CEO’s” in 1996 and he was elected director and then president of DuPont the next year. The Board of Directors named Holliday chief executive officer in 1998 and chairman in January 1999. He was elected Chairman of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development in January 2000. He served as CEO until Ellen Kullman took over in January 2009. He remained chairman of the board until Kullman also took over that post at the end of 2009.