Building a Culture of Success for Women in Chemicals - Ep 153

So on The Chemical Show is I interview people. I often ask them about how they get started in their career. And how to create culture and success. As well as how do we attract more people into the chemical industry? So today, I am interspersing my insights from my 150 plus episodes with leaders in the industry. Along with various guests of The Chemical Show.

So if you are listening and you're not currently subscriber, I'm going to tell you to pause right now and make sure you're subscribing to the chemical show. On whatever podcast player you're on, or if you're listening on and watching on YouTube. So when, as my kids would say, just smash that subscribe button. I don't know. I say that I'm throwing that in for my girls anyway. Creating a culture of success in chemicals includes these elements.

Number one, engaging students early, engaging them early to understand about chemistry and chemicals. So that's number one. The second one is to be inclusive and we're going to learn more about that. The third is engaging universities as well as creating support and mentoring for employees in the workplace. The fourth is really interesting one. Well, they're all really interesting, right. But the fourth one is about recognizing and utilizing your transferable skills.

So often we see people in the industry that maybe are surprising in terms of the fact that they're working in chemicals. Given where they've worked previously or the types of roles that they're in. So stay tuned and you're on a listen to that one about, um, recognizing and utilizing your transferable skills and the transferable skills of the people around you. So that's number four, number five. Empathy.

And the role that empathy plays in successfully innovating in our business with our customers, with our employees and with our teams. Number six, the importance of collaboration and, uh, being part of a whole, um, and helping our employees bring their whole selves to work. And we're going to learn more about that. And then number seven is. The criticality of customer alignment across the organization. So stay tuned. We're getting into each one of those as we go along today.

So first up, I am kicking off with Karen Tkaczyk who spoke to us in episode 111, Mitigating Risk in Chemicals through Language Translation. So Karen is a PhD chemist who worked in industry and now supports the chemical industry through language translation. So you ever wondered how the safety data sheets that you're reading in different countries got appropriately transcribed into a local language? Well, thank a translator.

Um, and according to Karen and many people that I've spoken with, have you ever wondered how Karen and others got interested in chemistry and the chemical industry? Well, Thank a teacher. Let's listen to Karen talk about the importance of engaging early. What got you interested in chemistry and ultimately what got you to what I would consider a non traditional field for a PhD?

As much science as I could, uh, leaning chemistry and as much language as I could, and I ended up in, my undergraduate degree in the UK would be an equivalent of what you would say chemistry major with a French minor. I did spend a year abroad working, in Rohm Poulenc, its now part of a pharma company Sanofi Aventis.. So I loved chemistry all through that time. I was the kind who went to organic chemistry in college and fell more in love with organic chemistry and kept going in that direction.

Right. We all know the clear split when you study organic chemistry. Right. Um, so I loved it and I went headlong into that, um, and went on to do a PhD in organic. Methodology in Cambridge with, um, the late, great Dr. Stuart Warren. So early on in that PhD though, I realized that I didn't want to be in academia. I definitely didn't want to be in that, that end of the spectrum. I wanted to apply the science.

So I, when I got out and I worked as a development chemist for what was then GlaxoSmithKline. Um, uh, still loved chemistry, uh, but we moved to the States. So my husband, we wanted an adventure. So when I moved to the States, I got a job in a cosmetics and medical device company. Think lotions and potions, wound gels, moisturizers. So that was broadening my experience, broadening my industrial experience. So that was really my chemistry, early career, then with kids.

So that's where the switch started. Um, I did go back to work, but then I decided I didn't want to work. I took a break, had two more kids. Um, and that was where. As a person, as a, you know, housewife, I suppose you, I, I discovered freelance translation. So I became a linguist at that point, translating chemistry. So that was where the switch happened. Yeah. You can't translate something you don't understand, right?

But you can't translate a chemistry patent or even a safety data sheet if you don't understand the chemistry. Right.

And in university in particular and in high school to get students into university and how that is one way that companies can help, um, create that diversity and inclusion and help support women in industry. If we'd look at the chemical industry, it's an old industry. It's industrial. It is STEM focused because of its history it can be hard to recruit people and in particular women and minorities into the industry.

Which makes it hard to be diverse, which is our measurement, which also affects inclusion. How do we, what are the opportunities to, to change it? One, does it, does this make it harder, you know, given that we're very STEM focused? Um, and how do we create inclusion more effectively in the industry and bringing more diversity into the industry? What do you observe with, you know, what you see and what your clients see?

Yeah, build that inclusive organizational culture where Everyone everyone when I get a call that we want you to come in and increase diversity at a chemical company. 1st question is how do you know? You don't have diversity. In your company, right? You mean by that? Well, if only 23 percent of graduates are female and chemical engineering, how many women do you have working for you? Because you can't have 23%. That means, right? Like, let's look at the numbers. I agree. Right.

You can't change the demographics back to your earlier point. The demographics in match the demographic out that need to match the demographics along across the organization. And that number is lower for people of color graduating. So I think we need to step back and go, well, wait a minute. How many disabilities, how many veterans, how many, right? Let's look at the whole spectrum of just of diversity.

And I also want you to recognize that, as humans, we are 99. 9 percent similar in the DNA code. That leaves one, like, 0. 01%. That's our specialization, right? That's our uniqueness. And I am diverse from you, Victoria. We have different eye color. We live in different areas. We had different childhoods. So we already have some of that diversity. When you build that inclusive organizational culture, when everyone is feeling heard, then you bring up, how do we recruit?

How do we drive attracting more diversity? And here's why we want it, right? The problem solving. Understanding our customer base. Okay. How are we going to get that? Well, this is where I go, you know, utilize your ESG, your environment, social and governance. Are you doing anything at the local university to attract women into STEM or minorities into STEM? Are you doing, like, I always come back and say, well, what are you doing to increase enrollment in your local university? Right.

Well, we're not doing anything. Well, then you're part of the problem. Because I can't we just can't manufacture diversity if we're not showing the way I have one organization here up in New Hampshire that actually created. A STEM program for all in high school, but it was really geared and the language was geared towards. Women of color, women of color, uh, low socioeconomics.

Yeah. So, and I say that, um, in that my daughter's going, we talked about this, my daughter, one of them is going into chemical engineering and she's going chemical engineering tissue. So it's. Really cool. It's no longer your industry is changing. It's no longer just chemicals like that's awesome. Um, she wouldn't have thought she would not have gone into this program. No, because we have right we're in a solid school district where she's getting IBM AP and all.

Yeah, they looked at a socioeconomic area that had a lot of diversity in their student population, especially girls created a stem lightbulb program, right, calm, they'd meet after school, they met with all kinds of chemical engineers, they met with a few other engineers as well mechanical came in civic civics came in civil engineers came in mechatronics came in, and the robotics. And then, if you were part of the program, here was the dangle, right?

If you completed the program, they gave you a thousand dollars towards college. And guaranteed you an internship your freshman year. That's worth even more. Yeah, that's huge. You're, right, like I step back and I'm like, holy crap. These, and these girls are all going to, right? They had 20, they had 20 graduate last year. Nice. They're all going to stem colleges, um, and they're all going to come back next year, their freshman summer and do an internship with this company.

They're not going to pay it's not a paid internship their freshman year. There's your 20, 000 dollars. There's your money. Yeah. I'm like, wow, you guys banked that well, um, and now we have loyalty because one thing we know about diverse candidates tend to be a lot more loyal. If the organization is inclusive, why would I ever want to wreck that boat? Because I've been kicked on the head enough in society.

Yeah. So, you know, so when I talked to this company, they're like, yeah, we, you know, yeah, we don't have the numbers we want right now, but in five years we are going to be leading.

And there's a couple of organizations, one in, in, in particular, um, that I've done some work with Chemical Educational Foundation, CEF, who actually target students in middle school to get them interested in chemicals and chemistry because you have to plant the seeds early, early. Yeah. Yeah. Because you can't fix it at the tail end. If you haven't fixed it at the beginning. Oh, All right. Well, I'm sensing a theme here engaging early while women and girls are still in school.

The next topic is the role of mentoring, sponsorship and support. I spoke with Juliana Pantalena of CEPSA on episode 90. Using Customer Insights to Drive Transformation. Juliana shares her insights about how creating a culture of mentoring and support is critical in creating a culture of success. Here's Juliana. from your point of view, maybe let's, I mean, I says, how do we start attracting more women into the industry?

Because I think that's, you know, you can only promote based on what the pool of available candidates is. We can only bring women into the industry that have not just the desire, but they also have the credentials, right? Either as engineers or finance or marketing, whatever it may be. How do we create that success? What's been critical for you and how do you think we help the next generation?

So I think that we need to straighten our, uh, relationship with our universities or even whatever we are working, you know, we're so global that we can work from everywhere, but straightened relationship with universities or even potentially schools, right? Because it's in school that women, well, everybody actually make the decision of what they're going to do with their lives just to trigger a little bit more on this. It's a pool of people that would be available, right?

But definitely, I like to have great people working within their teams, right? It can be men, it can be women, it can be different, uh, genres, uh, diversity, whatever, it doesn't matter. They need to bring value to the team. Um, women specifically, we definitely, uh, can, you know.

Try to look more for them, like when you're hiring an intern, you're hiring an analyst, um, a manager, a director, whoever, definitely keep our eyes open and understand the differences between the men and the women that are over there, uh, fighting for that job and, and get whoever is the best. I definitely need to say, because we need to be, conscious about that, but give women a little bit more on, on, you know, Availabilities or opportunities if so, but honestly, that's nice.

What made me be, made me like personally speaking, be here and hopefully continue to grow is the people that support me. So I have, and I used to have, and I still do, but you know, great, um, I would say coaches. But not because they were my coach. At one point they were my bosses, uh, during my whole career and they used to help me a lot. They understand what we go through. They can help us giving us advices, supporting what we do or, you know, how we tweak some things that needs to be better.

And that's for anybody again, men, women, whoever, but having people that support us. that you can, you know, just pick up the phone and say, Hey, I need help because this, this, this is happening. Doesn't matter if you still work with this person or not. That's what really makes a difference. So having a mentor, having someone that helps us makes the difference whenever you're trying to jump in your career and take some different or difficult decisions.

Um, and the episode is entitled on Creating a Unique Culture. Digital Transformation and Sustainability in the Chemical Industry. And what I think is really a great about these two ladies is they both had tremendously successful careers. And a big part of it is embracing and identifying transferable skills. And not being afraid to go after a different role. So Jen and Kelly, we'll both talk about that. I'm not going to steal their thunder. Here we go. Very different routes.

Um, Jen started early and I would say I'm, I was a late bloomer. So, uh, I actually studied accounting in college, and I'm a CPA and was just studying accounting because I was a school that was good at accounting and the practical side of me said I'll always have a job. So I, I started actually at JPMorgan Chase and and my pattern in life. was starting finance and end up over on the business side. So I went to banking school.

I ended up working for a customer, same thing started in finance, went over to the line. And that's why I love chemicals because in chemicals, I went right to the business side. And, I started at, it was actually Nalco Chemical company, um, which is now Ecolab and they were going through a merger and needed someone in Chicago.

So not only did I get to learn, uh, chemistry, but I also actually have my first full time sales job where, you know, when, when you're in banking, I think we call ourselves relationship managers. Right. And, uh, so. You know, really what I, I had skills in was solving complex problems, negotiating with lots of different, uh, stakeholders. And, you know, in banking, I just always wanted to be where we were making something, uh, and, and chemicals did that.

And there's a lot of innovation here and there's a lot of connectivity. That's awesome. And that's, it's interesting that you started in banking because I don't think of people making the leap from. Banking and finance in that world into the chemical industry, right? Kind of a, a bit of a hands off kind of clean industry into a hands on industry. So that is a big leap.

So we've got to make money, but often that comes with an investment too.

And yet today you lead People and Culture for Univar. Was that a stretch? I mean, cause it. It feels like a stretch and then again, not maybe so how about for you, what's your perspective on that?

And so if you can bring process and data, which was something that obviously I would have brought through operations and supply chain, but bring that over, to our human capital, it adds a lot of value, right? so I think that that's, um, very transferable to me. One of the things that I've loved about being at Univar Szolutions is that It's a company where you have a lot of opportunity. Um, I have spent a lot of my time at Univar Solutions on people centered solutions.

And so, you know, it, and particularly when we did the integration, focusing on culture, um, was something that was so important to take the culture of Univar and the culture of Nexeo Solutions. And, you know, how do we come together to create our own unique culture versus, you know, one or the other. And so, you know, it's almost like, I mean, what I've said to people is. Um, it wasn't my aspiration to, to be a chief human resources officer.

Um, but in a way I was interviewing for it for my entire career, you know, because it's always been so central to who I am.

She was featured on episode 96 of The Chemical Show, Increasing Demand of Biotechnology and Cleaning. Here we go. Yeah, absolutely. Um, so let's talk about innovation a little bit. So you're, that's your focus and it seems like it's been your focus for quite a long time. What does the innovation process look like at Barentz? Where does it start? Where does it end? How do you, how do you progress through that process?

I think, you know, innovation in general. We we need to have the technical expertise is the backbone, but we need to have empathy for the consumer empathy for the customer empathy with our team members along with curiosity. So those are the three things curiosity. Um, to ideate to look for new solutions to be innovative.

So when, as you guys look to recruit, younger employees, I'll say recent college grads, maybe not directly from college, but certainly like in the first five to 10 years, uh, millennials and gen Z, I guess we're getting into, um, What are they looking for? What are their priorities? I think this is sometimes a mystery, like, and we all have an opinion on it. Um, but what are they really looking for in companies that they're going to?

Continuing to expand the boundaries of what partnership means both internally and externally in every form, you know, um, employees are looking for ways that they can connect and find camaraderie in each other, whether remote or in person, employees are looking for ways in which they can feel and see the value that they're bringing and say, Hey, the work that I'm doing today matters.

And focusing on how we can continue to provide engagement opportunities or ways, ways in which they can feel invested in a part of Palmer Holland is definitely something that I think that they're after. And and not stopping there and saying hey yeah I really love being a part of Palmer Holland and. My needs are being met, but what is Palmer Holland doing for others? And, you know, how are they giving back? How are we being better strategic partners to some of our principals and our customers?

And, you know, what are the ways in which we are affecting our community? And, you know, positively, I think they're, they're after that. They want to see that and they want to see, you know, not just lip service, but they want to see. Um, an organization that's doing it. That's acting acting on that. Last week we had a Palmer Holland day of service where our workforce either in person or remote was given opportunities to give back to the community.

We had some organized, a food bank organization, Laura's home, and it really gave employees an opportunity to unplug maybe from the day to day, um, responsibilities that they always, you know, do, um, and say, Hey, I'm going to just take a moment with my colleagues and give back while we're doing it. And I think that's important because, it's all a blend, but, people are really looking for. an organization where they can have it all.

And that we can create opportunities to harness that and to bring the team into alignment to create that culture. So here's Sarah. Sarah, since you've been in your role have really been leading and driving transformation or just been part of, I guess, Advansix transformation journey. And you have a lot of people working for you, both from a business perspective and a manufacturing perspective.

When you think about that transformation and the people that are involved in it, what are the critical skills for the future?

Highlighting a couple customer focus planning and alignment and the ability to really do that and leadership for the post COVID era. Right. So you think about customer focus in a company that has a lot of history in manufacturing, this means that. Everyone in this organization has to have a picture where we're headed and how we serve our customers, right? So, you know, we all impact our customers. We're all in some way, shape or form customer serving, right?

And it's not always that internal customer. There's a big customer at the end here, right? And that's something that there's an opportunity to coach and mentor our teams to make sure they understand that the decisions they're making make a difference for our customers. Yeah. We talked a little bit about digitization and, you know, positioning and all that stuff earlier to planning and aligning piece.

I mean, I think that this is really around, um, strategy and communications and the ability to make decisions quickly to pivot directions, you know, make a decision, fail fast, move on, move at the pace of the industry. And I think also. You know, as, as we're kind of getting into this era, um, we've typically in the industry, it was what I've seen. We've thought about leaders as either strategists to transform or operators to execute. And I think now you need both of those.

Um, that ratio could change depending on what you need in business to business and time to time, but you know, those are important.

So a lot of great tips and tidbits here, um, in this episode of the chemical show. I hope that you enjoyed it. Please leave me a message. In fact, if you did enjoy it, you could leave a five-star review. We always liked those, but also go ahead and send me a message on LinkedIn. I'd love to hear from you in terms of what stood out for you and what would you add to this list? When we talk about building a culture of success. What else do we need to add?

So thanks for listening to the chemical show today. Keep listening, keep following, keep sharing. And we will talk with you again soon.