The Chemical Show: Leadership Conversations on Strategy, Supply Chain, Innovation, Talent and Trends

In recent years, the demand for biotechnology in cleaning has been on the rise due to its effectiveness in providing eco-friendly and sustainable solutions to the cleaning industry. Biotechnology involves the use of biological agents or living organisms to create useful products and services, and in cleaning, it has shown significant potential in improving the efficiency and safety of cleaning processes. 

Victoria Meyer chats with Rashda Khan, Sr. Director of Product Innovation for Barentz, a member of the HI&I leadership team, and is responsible for support across the business, driving new product development, and innovation efforts. 

Topics discussed this week: 

• Product innovation in the value chain now versus many years back
• Increased demand for biotechnology in the cleaning  industry 
• Drivers that are moving us toward biotechnology in the cleaning world
• Education for the consumer, the customer, and the end user
• Challenges in  commercializing and scaling in bio-based products and applications
• Rashda’s role as Barentz influences the formulations, specifications, and applications of the new products
• The innovation process at Barentz 
• Being empathetic to our customers and our consumers
• Striking a balance when having innovation opportunities, and an array of potential suppliers
• Challenges in innovation during and after the pandemic

This is a great and interesting conversation, so tune in!  

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Adaptability is crucial in navigating today's unpredictable global economy, which can experience economic chaos through market volatility, political instability, natural disasters, or unexpected pandemics. In this week's episode, Karl Maier, author of Surfing Economic Chaos, shares his expertise on seizing opportunities amidst such chaos. With over 25 years of experience in managing and advising lower middle-market companies, Karl offers profit improvement workshops and CEO peer advisory roundtable groups.

Topics discussed this week: 

• Changes and trends in the industry
• Military prowess versus economic prowess and intellectual prowess to maintain competitiveness
• International Trade  five-star model 
• Energy as  a global hot topic 
• The shift in International Trade today
• Global changes with the repatriation of manufacturing in various countries, and less reliance on imports
• Economic chaos today
• How does the economic chaos affect the chemical companies?
• Understanding the current economic scenarios and putting strategies in place around them
• Focusing on the peak profits and opportunities

Join us in this episode as Karl and Victoria talk about the book Surfing Economic Chaos and the economic challenges and the current trends in the chemical industry today. 

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Partnering for plastics circularity refers to the collaborative efforts of stakeholders across the plastics value chain to create a more sustainable and circular approach to plastic production, consumption, and disposal. With increasing concerns about plastic pollution and its impact on the environment, there is a growing need for companies, governments, and individuals to work together toward a circular economy that promotes the reuse, recycling, and responsible disposal of plastics. 

In this week’s podcast episode, Victoria interviews industry insiders Dave Andrew, Vice President of New Market Development with ExxonMobil,  Bill Cooper, Sr. Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development at Cyclyx, Gulay Serhatkulu Sr. Vice President of Performance Materials at BASF, North America, and Jeremy Wallach, Partner with McKinsey. 

Previously recorded at the AFPM IPC, Victoria and panelists discuss how they are partnering with consumer brands, recycling consortiums, and others in the plastic value chain, who are working to accelerate a more circular economy for plastics.

Topics discussed in this week’s episode: 

• Partnering for plastic circularity
• Has circularity changed the customer-supplier relationship? 
• Various stakeholders in this journey of the chemical industry
• The biggest hurdles in trying to build plastics circularity in the value chain
• Collaboration for the plastic value chain
• Challenges to increase recycling rates
• The demand for circular plastics 
• The role of  brands in helping expand the recycling activity
• Collaborating with other companies - is it a hindrance or is it a help?

This is surely one of the most exciting episodes on The Chemical Show podcast that you shouldn’t miss. Tune in! 

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An Employee Value Proposition is essentially the set of benefits and rewards that a company offers to its employees in exchange for their skills, knowledge, and experience. It's the total package of what an employee gets out of working for a particular company. 

So with that, in this week’s podcast episode, The Chemical Show welcomes Jaycie Bradshaw as the quest, who is Human Resources Director at Palmer Holland, Inc. Palmer Holland is an Employee-Owned organization in this Specialty Chemical industry that focuses on driving strategic partnerships, business results, and empowering their employees to be successful. 

Topics discussed this week: 

• The reason why Jaycie got interested in HR
• What brought Jaycie to Palmer Holland?
• The significant change during the pandemic for Jaycie and the organization
• Things that influence Jaycie to guide recruitment and onboarding of new employees in Palmer Holland
• The practices integrated into the HR processes during post-pandemic
• Creating a strong employee value proposition to attract new people to join the organization 
• ESOP defined and explained 
• Keeping the balanced growth from business and employee perspectives with an uncertain economic future
• Leveraging training and development to help people move beyond into more of a collaborative value-selling approach
• Recruiting millennials and Gen Z
• The priority list of Jaycie and  Palmer Holland

Tune in as Jaycie shares her human resources background, which is a bit of a different switch from what the podcast usually talks to people about. Victoria and Jaycie are also going to discuss some insights about people, employees, and all the things going on today

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In the last week of March, Victoria Meyer attended the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers or AFPM International Petrochemical Conference, which was held in San Antonio. So in this week's episode, she will share her insights and reflections from that conference. There were thousands of attendees and people were there for meetings with business partners, suppliers, customers, and many other activities going on at that event. 

Topics discussed this week: 

• The chemical industry is in the process of setting a new equilibrium
• The need to tell your own story and to tell the industry story
• Be an advocate for the industry
• The demand decline in the chemical industry
• Optimism both for 2023 and for the long term
• Global markets and local impacts 
• Collaboration - we're all in this together

Tune in! 

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The chemical industry plays a crucial role in modern society. The ability to leverage innovation, the ability to meet a customer's needs,  the ability to go ahead and leverage at a global scale, and the capabilities to meet the world's needs are all very prominent today and vital to industrial gases and chemicals. 

In this podcast episode, Victoria Meyer speaks with Michael J. Graff, Chairman and CEO of American Air Liquide Holdings and EVP of the Air Liquide Group. Mike shares leadership, learnings and insights from more than 30 years in the energy, chemicals, and gas industries.  

Topics discussed this week: 

• Mike’s origin story and how it has influenced his life and career
• 6 key themes in the evolution of the chemical industry in the past 30 years
• The importance of Innovation 
• The role of Hydrogen in sustainability and Net Zero
• Leveraging partnerships and coalitions for a common goal
• Meeting the consumers’ needs around the world
• The continued importance of engineering education

This was an amazing and insightful interview. 

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Sustainability and innovation are transforming the chemical industry.  Central to that transformation is leveraging customer and consumer insights, to ensure that new, innovative products are meeting customer needs.

In this week’s podcast episode, I speak with Juliana Pantalena, who is the Marketing Head of Surfactants for CEPSA Química based in Madrid. She's brings a global perspective, having working in Brazil, US and Spain.  And, a keen focus on customer experience and driving value in established markets with new products. 

Topics discussed this week: 

• Juliana’s origin story and what drives her interest in chemicals and surfactants
• How sustainability and carbon reduction drives CEPSA  Chemicals
• CEPSA’s partnership with Unilever on NextLAB
• How CEPSA looks at consumer needs to drive product innovation
• A prioritization process for innovation
• Critical factors for Customer Experience
• The role of digitization in the company
• Increasing the presence of women in leadership in the chemical industry

This is an exciting episode, so tune in as Victoria and Juliana talk about how CEPSA uses customer insights to drive transformation and many other lively topics around the chemical industry. 

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The increasing awareness of environmental issues and the need for sustainable development has led to a growing interest in bio-based chemicals. Finding new applications for these chemicals is becoming increasingly important as we seek to replace traditional petroleum-based products with more environmentally friendly alternatives.

In this podcast episode, we have the opportunity of speaking with Anton Zhloba, who's an Application Technology Center Leader with Jungbunzlauer. His focus is developing applications and exploring new business opportunities where JBL's sustainable ingredients can make a difference. Over his career, he's worked in a variety of industries including food and beverage, pharma, biotech, and cosmetics in both Europe and the US. 

Topics discussed this week: 

• The origin story of Anton Zhloba and how he got interested in chemistry and the chemical industry;
• The reasons that brought Anton to Jungbunzlauer;
• The impact of sustainability and bio-based chemicals;
• JBL’s approach to global growth;
• The importance of customer-centric application development for Jungbunzlauer;
• And so much more! 

So tune in as Victoria and Anton share valuable facts and interesting pieces of information about finding new applications for bio-based chemicals. 

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An inclusive culture is one that celebrates and embraces the uniqueness and differences of everyone. There is evidence that companies or organizations with an inclusive culture tend to have people who are highly motivated, engaged, and productive at whatever they do. 

Listen to this week’s podcast episode as Victoria Meyer and Dr. Lauran Star, who is known for transforming leadership and organizational culture, talk about building an inclusive culture and what benefits it can give to all people in a company or organization and even to the quality of the working environment they’re in. 

Here are the interesting topics discussed this week:

• The origin story of Dr. Lauran Star and the reason why she got interested in DE&I and specifically inclusion
• The experiences and lessons that Dr. Lauran learned from joining the military
• Equity and equality in the society 
• Focusing on evidence-based DE&I 
• How to grow inclusion in the companies
• The difference between diversity and inclusion in a corporate environment
• What's the business case for inclusion? Why is it not the business case for diversity?
• How do companies measure inclusion and know if they're doing it right or not? 
• Building your leadership bench strength in your industry

Don’t miss this exciting podcast episode. Tune in! 

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Excellence is a quality that is highly valued and sought after in both personal and professional settings. As a company owner, being excellent can lead to increased customer satisfaction, improved employee morale and productivity, and ultimately, increased profits. For individuals, striving for excellence can lead to personal growth and development, as well as increased satisfaction and fulfillment in life.

At its core, excellence is about doing your best in everything you do, whether it's in your personal life or in the workplace. It's about setting high standards for yourself and pushing yourself to achieve them. This requires discipline, dedication, and a willingness to put in the hard work necessary to achieve your goals. 

When you strive for excellence as a company owner, you set the tone for your employees and create a culture of high performance. This can lead to increased productivity, improved customer satisfaction, and a stronger reputation for your company. Customers are more likely to return to a company that consistently delivers high-quality products or services, and employees are more likely to stay with a company that values excellence and provides opportunities for personal and professional growth.

In today's competitive world, especially in the chemical industry, excellence is more important than ever. To stand out in your field, you need to demonstrate that you are committed to delivering high-quality work and achieving your goals. By striving for excellence every day, you can create a life of success, fulfillment, and purpose.

With that, listen to Victoria and Sam Smolik as they talk about the importance of excellence in detail as well as the value of what Sam’s book can give to the readers. 

Here are the interesting topics discussed this week:

• 
  The origin story of Sam Smolik before he got involved in the chemical industry
• The most powerful lessons Sam learned throughout his journey
• Talking about Sam’s book “The Daily Pursuit of Excellence”
• What is Sam’s formula for operational excellence? 
• The importance of having an established and effective system in the business or company’s processes and procedures
• Different approaches to business operations into operational excellence of some leading companies

Tune in to learn more! 

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