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Davis Arifin

PartnerSingapore

Serves chemical and oil and gas companies across Asia, helping them navigate rapidly evolving sectors while driving performance improvement, business growth, and tech-enabled transformation

Davis is a core leader of McKinsey’s Chemical & Agriculture and Oil & Gas Practices in Southeast Asia. He brings deep expertise in downstream industries, including refining, petrochemicals, specialty chemicals, oleochemicals, fertilizers, and lubricants. With a strong focus on strategic and operational initiatives, Davis helps major clients design and execute industry-leading transformations that unlock the full potential of their assets and create a culture of performance excellence.

Davis also leads tech-enabled transformation in Asia. He is passionate about harnessing analytics and AI to drive margin improvements and new business building.

Examples of Davis’s recent client work include:

  • leading a transformation program for a top-quartile integrated refinery and petrochemical player in Asia, achieving more than $500 million in EBITDA per year
  • building a growth and restructuring master plan for a leading fertilizer and chemical company in Southeast Asia
  • guiding the AI and analytics strategy and new business build for a specialty chemical player in Northeast Asia
  • developing the growth and tech-enabled transformation strategy for a leading lubricant company in Southeast Asia
  • advising on commercial due diligence for new market entry to Southeast Asia for an agricultural business
  • supporting the development of an oleochemical expansion strategy for a global bio-based fuel company
  • unlocking $100 million per year through a cost transformation program for one of the largest refineries in Southeast Asia

Beyond his client work, Davis leads McKinsey’s social responsibility efforts in Southeast Asia. He established the Young Leaders for Inclusion (YL4I) program to nurture future leaders from underprivileged backgrounds and nonprofit organizations.

A chemical engineer by training, Davis holds two U.S. patents. Prior to joining McKinsey, he worked for global chemical and industrial multinationals across Germany, Singapore, the United States, and Australia.

Outside of work, Davis loves tennis and traveling around Asia with his wife, son, and daughter.

PAST EXPERIENCE

BASF
Global strategic marketing and innovation manager

Siemens
Research and development scientist

EDUCATION

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MSc, PhD, chemical engineering

National University of Singapore
MSc, PhD, chemical engineering

Bandung Institute of Technology
BSc, chemical engineering