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

"It's not a matter of if a company is going to adopt technology transportation management system, but more of when? When are they going to do that? Because you have to if you want to improve anything within your company, it starts with having access to the data and being able see it from what it is." - Jennifer Braun, VP Trinity Logistics

On this episode of The Chemical Show, host Victoria Meyer speaks with Jennifer Braun, VP of Trinity Logistics, about navigating the dynamics of the chemical shipping industry. They discuss Trinity's efforts to combat the talent gap through onboarding and communication programs, separate recruiting and reward departments, and advanced technology-driven tools. They also cover Trinity's focus on customer-centricity and adapting to their needs, as well as its stability during the industry's current rebalancing period. Other highlights include Trinity's extensive sustainability efforts and its ongoing expansion and leadership program. 

Tune in to hear expert insights and predictions on the future of the chemical shipping industry.

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For more insights and information, check out www.thechemicalshow.com

“Understanding your value, driving value, and demonstrating it creates opportunity and creates growth, especially in times of market softness." - Victoria Meyer

On this episode of The Chemical Show, host Victoria Meyer discusses the importance of getting back to basics and understanding a company's unique value in order to thrive during market softness. She highlights the story of a materials company that successfully increase sales by emphasizing their value in use to customers.  She also discusses the importance of regularly revisiting marketing strategies and market segmentation to adapt to changing market dynamics.   

Listen in to this episode to learn about:

• Diving deeper to understand value to your customers
• The importance of demonstrating value to customers
• Customer and market segmentation – why you need to revisit it quarterly
• Considering alternatives including make-v-buy decisions. 

This episode serves as a helpful guide for businesses looking to navigate market softness and build resilience by focusing on their unique value and understanding the needs of their customers. 

For more insights, visit www.thechemicalshow.com.

Have a question or topic you’d like addressed?  DM Victoria (King) Meyer or The Chemical Show podcast on LinkedIn. 

"People didn't think about the demographics enough. They didn't think about the role of real estate and debt. And they built capacity on the assumption of, say, 6% or 7% consistent growth, which we are unlikely to experience in the future." – John Richardson, Senior Consultant, ICIS

In this episode of The Chemical Show, host Victoria Meyer and guest John Richardson of ICIS discuss China's aging demographic and the future of the chemical industry. They delve into China's projections for becoming a net exporter in polypropylene, limitations on becoming a net exporter in polyethylene, and the current oversupply and weak demand growth in HDPE.

Topics covered include:

 - China's aging demographic and its impact on the future of the chemical industry

- The growth in China's petrochemical capacity and its impact on supply and demand in the market

- The factors influencing the chemical industry's margins and pricing, including fluctuations in energy costs

- The impact of geopolitical factors on the industry, including concerns about energy costs in Europe

- The impact of demographic changes on housing demand and local government spending in China

Whether you're in the industry or just curious about the global forces at play, this episode is essential listening.

https://www.icis.com/asian-chemical-connections/2023/06/why-china-could-become-self-sufficient-in-hdpe/

https://www.icis.com/asian-chemical-connections/2023/05/chinas-pp-industry-short-term-tactics-and-long-term-strategy/

'Customers are always going to say, oh, the reason that we don't do business with you is your price. That’s BS. Price is not the reason. It’s a good excuse.   It’s your job to find the real reason."

A question that has come up recently:   “Why are we the last choice for a specific customer?   They call us when they’re in crisis and we help them out.  Then, nothing.   How do we move to being a first-choice or regular supplier?”

In this episode of The Chemical Show, host Victoria Meyer explores why some companies are the last-choice supplier for their target customers and provides specific tactics on how to become a first-choice supplier instead. She discusses the various factors that contribute to a company's status as a last-choice supplier, including timing, limited offerings, poor reputation, and corporate fit. By understanding their target customers' business and procurement strategy, fixing any issues in their offering, and demonstrating improvement and value, companies can become a first-choice supplier, rather than a last-choice one.

Our Thursday episodes will address key questions from listeners and strategic or tactical topics of relevance to chemical industry leaders.

Have a question that you’d like addressed on a future episode?   Send Victoria a direct message on LinkedIn or Instagram.   

For more information, check out www.thechemicalshow.com

“There's a huge opportunity for B2B companies to enter podcasting.  People get personally connected to you and your brand, and its a great opportunity for storytelling.”

On this episode of The Chemical Show, host Victoria Meyer celebrates the podcast's 100th episode.  And, in a role-reversal, is the interviewee instead of the interviewer.

Today’s guest interviewer is Madeline Meyer, a summer intern at Progressio Global and computer science major at Texas State University.  They discuss Victoria’s journey in the chemical industry, from working as a project engineer at Amoco to starting her own boutique consulting firm. They also explore the evolution and current and future state of the industry, including localization, sustainability, and the UN Plastic Treaty negotiations. 

Victoria highlights the value of personal connections through storytelling and previews her upcoming event, the Chemical Summit, launching in October 2023. Lastly, she announces that the podcast will be adding a second episode each week and will focus on business issues and her own expertise and perspective. 

Tune in to learn more about the chemical industry's transformation through the eyes of its leaders.

Visit www.thechemicalshow.com.

And visit www.thechemicalsummit.com to learn more and register.

AI is a tool. It's obviously a very powerful tool... And so I think there is value in having some kind of framework for helping evaluate these things and looking at allowing people to make wise choices." - Ethan Mirsky

In this episode of The Chemical Show, we explore how NobleAI is revolutionizing the chemical industry by using science-based AI. As we learned, traditional AI approaches didn't work for this problem, so Noble's team focused on incorporating scientific laws, design constraints, and materials properties into a model that could provide relevant insights and understanding. 

Tune in as The Chemical Show welcomes Ethan Mirsky in this episode, who is the President of NobleAI, a company that focuses on accelerating product development with Science-Based AI. Ethan emphasizes the importance of customer data privacy, the benefits and potential negative effects of AI and algorithms, the importance of creating a framework to evaluate their use, and many more! 

Topics discussed this week:

• The problem with traditional AI approaches
• Importance of customer data privacy
• Role of AI in Science and Engineering
• Concerns and need for frameworks with AI
• Customer data and expertise in the modeling process
• NonleAI updates and goals

This is an exciting podcast episode to learn more about how science-based AI is changing the game in the chemical industry.

Please subscribe to The Chemical Show on your favorite podcast player.  And, visit www.thechemicalshow.com to subscribe to our email list and get additional insights.

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! 

On this episode of The Chemical Show, Victoria Meyer takes us through the world of business transformation and the key factors that lead to success. With a staggering 70% of transformations failing to meet their objectives, Victoria believes that a clear vision and a customer-centric approach are critical. She breaks down different lenses, including the "easy to do business with" lens, and how feedback from stakeholders should be considered. Furthermore, Victoria Meyer emphasizes the importance of empathy, as understanding the experiences and values of employees, customers, and counterparts can lead to a more successful transformation. With her years of experience leading and advising companies, Meyer offers a unique perspective on achieving targeted results in business transformation.

Please subscribe to The Chemical Show on your favorite podcast player.  And, visit www.thechemicalshow.com to subscribe to our email list and get additional insights.

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

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! 

“There are great entry points to talk about, to educate, to talk about where stuff is coming from and where it goes. That's what I'm really trying to do in the Column.” - Darius Mortazavi. Darius is the founder of The Column, an email newsletter that provides context and commentary on events in the industry at large—it’s an endeavor that he hopes will unite different sectors of the industry, and foster an online community. In this episode, Victoria and Darius talk about some invaluable insights into the chemical industry, the current trends through different mediums that many people use and have access to today, the importance of educating people who are interested in this space, and so much more!

Topics discussed this week:

• The origin story of Darius Mortazavi
• What made Darius interested in chemicals and led him to start The Column?
• Working in the industry versus what is expected based on education
• The inception of The Column
• The current and future changes in the industry
• The leverage of using social media and other online platforms 

Please subscribe to The Chemical Show on your favorite podcast player.  And, visit www.thechemicalshow.com to subscribe to our email list and get additional insights.

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

Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

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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