It’s no secret that many salespeople don't know what procurement people want, and vice versa. Wouldn’t it be simpler if each side could just ask the other what they need? Selling and buying are all about building relationships and trust with one another, something that our guest today has been doing for 37 years with Exxon Mobil. Join Victoria Meyer as she talks to retired commercial expert Marty Levine about his career and experience with Exxon Mobil. Marty took on sales, sales management, mark...
Oct 18, 2022•31 min•Ep. 71
The majority of buyers these days are internet-savvy and digitally literate. For the chemical industry to keep up with its changing and rising demands, it must fully embrace digital commerce. Joining Victoria Meyer is David Haase, President of ChemDirect, to talk about the benefits of selling chemical products over the internet. He shares efficient strategies to cope with the people's need for rapid customer service and convenient information access. David also explains how to address the indust...
Oct 11, 2022•28 min•Ep. 70
We are at a very interesting intersection of market growth, innovation, and sustainability. For the chemical industry, this means seeing a number of companies entering the markets in relatively new waters. In this episode, Victoria Meyer flies solo as she gleans into the lessons from many of the industry leaders of green or renewable chemistry companies that have graced the show. She recalls their wisdom about market entry and the key points to succeed. From partnerships to the three phases of m...
Oct 04, 2022•19 min•Ep. 69
Jennifer McIntyre and Kelly Gilroy came to the chemical industry at different points in their lives. Jennifer started young, having been surrounded by a family who was already in the field. Kelly bloomed late, finding a connection to the industry while attending banking school. However different, both found value in the opportunities of creating a difference in chemicals through Univar Solutions . In this episode, they join Victoria Meyer to tell us about their careers and how they grew into the...
Sep 27, 2022•32 min•Ep. 68
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a global shutdown on an unprecedented scale. While a huge number of companies could not jump back after this worldwide crisis, some still managed to survive. Vink Chemicals is one of those that faced a COVID-hit market and proved bigger than its long list of adversities. Victoria Meyer talks with the brilliant minds behind this company, Branko Ulaga and Diana Lima. They share how they pulled this off despite their industry's highly regulated environment and unpredict...
Sep 20, 2022•32 min•Ep. 67
Many people have tried innovating and coming up with new ideas for a more sustainable world, but only a few have made a dent. The process is long, and it takes more than a brilliant mind to develop a breakthrough product that would revolutionize the use of plastic. One of those few is Avantium . In this episode, CEO Tom van Aken shares their initiatives that would soon revolutionize plant-to-plastics technology, and conversion of industrial sugars, in addition to using plant-based carbon sources...
Sep 13, 2022•31 min•Ep. 66
It's hard to recruit the right talent in the chemical industry because it's a very complicated and specialized industry. It’s looking for a specific set of skills, especially with the rise of technological innovation. Join Victoria Meyer as she talks to Ron Malachuk about talent acquisition and how to retain them. Ron is a Partner in the Chicago office of JM Search and a core member of the firm’s Chemicals and Materials practice. Learn what skills are needed to be a CEO or part of the board. Dis...
Sep 06, 2022•41 min•Ep. 65
The pandemic, disputes, recession, and inflation are just a few of the adversities that we all have to get through. But imagine what it's like to be in logistics. It's one thing for a company to keep afloat and another to advance. NUCO Logistics has not only done both, but they were also awarded the Ecovadis Silver Medal for their compliance in the areas of environment, ethics, labor, human rights, and sustainable approach to Shipping and Freight Forwarding. In this episode, President and CEO, N...
Aug 30, 2022•22 min•Ep. 64
Two heads are better than one. When building a business or providing service, having partners and leveraging their strengths is key to scaling your business. In this episode, Gulay Serhatkulu , Senior Vice President of Performance Materials North America at BASF , stresses the importance of partnership and teamwork when it comes to innovation and meeting specific client needs. She also talks about how generational differences play into managing expectations, innovation, and the quality and speed...
Aug 23, 2022•33 min•Ep. 63
Distribution is such an important part of the chemical industry, but we don’t often get to hear from the people who make this vital link possible. In this episode, Terry Hill , the CEO of Barentz , talks about a variety of things that are transforming this particular side of the industry right now. Sitting down with Victoria Meyer, Terry compares what the industry was like when he started and how it has changed and evolved over the years. He pays particular attention to the cultural shift and th...
Aug 16, 2022•32 min•Ep. 62
Plastic has been around for the longest time and is the staple material for packaging. And with the recent pandemic and online shopping, you would think that the use of plastic has diminished, but you couldn’t be more wrong. It has increased significantly along with the misconception of destroying the planet. Would you believe that you, as the consumer, play the biggest role in the life cycle of plastic materials and how it affects the environment? In this episode, Jonathan Quinn , Director of M...
Aug 09, 2022•31 min•Ep. 61
Extreme weather, heat waves, droughts. Climate change has continued to affect our environment and our lives. And what are we doing about it? Fortunately, there are companies like LanzaTech who dedicated 17 years and $500 million to innovating the use of waste carbon in sustainable fuels, fabrics, packaging, and other products that we use every day. In this episode, we are joined by their CEO, Jennifer Holmgren , to talk about their breakthrough in carbon capture and transformation. And how findi...
Aug 02, 2022•31 min•Ep. 60
According to Forbes, the inflation reading from January 2021 to January 2022 was a whopping 7.5%. Let’s face it, we are certainly facing inflation, and nobody is exempt, including the chemical industry. So what can chemical companies do to handle inflation and still manage to succeed? Today, Victoria Meyer shares five strategies for how chemical companies should manage and lead through these current economic times. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! http://www.thechemicalshow.com...
Jul 19, 2022•20 min•Ep. 59
Recently we have seen senior-level leaders transitioning, which opened new opportunities for internal succession or external job requisition. And with the significant changes in work setups and company culture, The Ropella Group , with its Chairman & CEO, Patrick Ropella , took to a new category with a different set of requirements when profiling candidates, specifically for C-Suite positions in the chemical, consumer products, and technology industries. In this episode, Patrick tells us wha...
Jul 12, 2022•36 min•Ep. 58
Chemistry pretty much affects our everyday lives even in its most trivial aspects. Therefore, chemical education is something all people must give some attention to, especially the youth. Victoria Meyer goes to the Chemical Educational Foundation to talk with the people behind it: Terry Hill ( Barentz ), Aileen Doyle ( Univar Solutions ), Calvin Emanuel ( Ecolab ), and Nicole Domingues. They dive into the importance of studying chemistry and how to make students more interested in it, mainly thr...
Jul 05, 2022•20 min•Ep. 57
Finding top talent is getting harder, and the chemical industry is not immune to this phenomenon. Here to unpack and offer solutions to this problem is Ron Malachuk . Ron is a Partner in the Chicago office of JM Search and a core member of the firm’s Chemicals and Materials practice. With vast experience in executive search, he joins Victoria Meyer to share some wisdom on how companies should adapt to this supply-demand imbalance for top talents. More than just attracting and hiring top talent, ...
Jun 21, 2022•34 min•Ep. 56
In this episode, Joshua Baca , Vice President of the American Chemistry Council ’s Plastics Division, shares how he got to where he is now, from working in politics to ending up with ACC. He believes that what he is doing now is fruitful, not just for him but for all of us in this society. He shares their advocacy strategies to help people better understand plastics’ advantages in key markets such as automotive, building and construction, packaging, and innovations that are helping address some ...
Jun 14, 2022•27 min•Ep. 55
SOCMA , or the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates, plays an integral part as the connector in the chemical industry. They match-make business partnerships so that projects can get up and running in the industry. SOCMA empowers its members with the latest industry knowledge and projects. Join Victoria Meyer and her guest Jennifer Abril , the CEO and President of SOCMA, as they talk about the company and its role in the industry. Discover the pillars of their strategic plan. Find o...
Jun 07, 2022•31 min•Ep. 54
You can't have commercial excellence without digitization. Technology is so present these days that you need to be up-to-date with everything. You need to fight for your customers, especially with all the supply chain disruptions and how competitive the landscape is today. Join Victoria Meyer as she talks to Martijn van Noordennen about commercial excellence and digitization in the chemical industry. Martijn is the senior director of the industry go-to-market for Salesforce . He also has a long ...
May 31, 2022•39 min•Ep. 53
How does the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers advocate for the chemical industry? Victoria Meyer talks with Rob Benedict , the Senior Director of Petrochemicals, Transportation, and Infrastructure for American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) . Rob shares the key initiatives and focus for AFPM. Rob discusses its position on creating greater competition in railroads and transportation, to be more competitive and effective for the chemical industry, including its recent...
May 24, 2022•24 min•Ep. 52
Right now in the chemical industry, it's innovate or die. Innovation in sustainability is one way big companies can help the environment. These days, people are driven by consumerism which results in more resources being used. Companies need to provide a solution where less is used and innovation plays a key factor there. Whether it's innovation in technology or in marketing, the chemical industry needs to have that goal. Join Victoria Meyer as she talks about sustainability innovation to the CE...
May 17, 2022•53 min•Ep. 51
The chemical market is complicated to navigate with the need to aggregate information and the difficulty of acquiring "real-time" updates. Today's guest is here to provide the insight you're looking for. Steve Lewandowski is the Vice President - Olefins at IHS Markit , a leading global provider of information, insight, and consulting services to the global chemical, petrochemical, and refining industries. He joins Victoria Meyer to discuss the trends in the chemical industry and the different fa...
May 10, 2022•37 min•Ep. 50
Starting from scratching and making successful business acquisitions is chaUDAllenging. Victoria Meyer welcomes back John Foley , the CEO of Verdant Specialty Solutions , to give a one-year update. John shares how vital it is to have your back-office team for you to stand on your own. And the challenges that relying on an outsourced back-office brings. Recruiting the right leaders who have previous experience in steering your business to where you want it to go is key. After all, you will nee...
May 03, 2022•29 min•Ep. 49
Sustainability isn't just a buzzword: It's an important component of saving our planet. The chemical industry has made great strides towards this goal, and more is yet to come. In this episode, Victoria Meyer flies solo as she breaks down three approaches the industry is taking to tackle sustainability. Victoria looks at these three critical components: Collaboration, Education, and Design, and she analyzes how they fit into the scheme of things. Tune in to learn more about the chemical industry...
Apr 26, 2022•22 min•Ep. 48
Sustainability isn't just a buzzword: it's an integral part of modern business. Even the chemical industry has gotten into the act, tackling sustainability in many different ways. In this episode, Victoria Meyer teams up with Jon Timbers , Chief Sustainability Officer at Epsilyte to tackle the question of sustainable technology in the chemical industry. Jon discusses what drives his passion for sustainable solutions, and gives us a peek at current efforts in the space. Brimming with insights, th...
Apr 19, 2022•31 min•Ep. 47
There is a big plastic waste challenge right now in the US. It's much cheaper to just dump plastics or products in a landfill these days. There is not much value right now on plastic sustainability for a circular economy. This is where the US Plastics Pact comes in. They are trying to eliminate these issues by 2025. Join Victoria Meyer as she talks to the Executive Director of the US Plastics Pact, Emily Tipaldo about their goal regarding plastics. Learn how they are focusing on reusability, rec...
Apr 12, 2022•41 min•Ep. 46
This is a historic episode as The Chemical Show celebrates its first anniversary. Join your host Victoria Meyer as she shares the plans and steps for the show in the near future, which could drive more engagement for listeners. She also discusses the different things the show had to go through from where it started last year, during the pandemic. It is without a doubt a failure without the listeners and subscribers. Tune in to hear the valuable lessons she gained throughout the year. Love the sh...
Apr 05, 2022•16 min•Ep. 45
How is the chemical industry becoming sustainable with its products and processes? Victoria Meyer welcomes Cameron Whaley , the President of Southern Chemical & Textiles, and Michael Suver , the Executive Vice President at Integrity Bio-Chem. Cameron and Michael share their collaboration on biosurfactants. They developed two sets: Tiger Surf and Eden Surf. They use all bio-based surfactants to go into all of the energy fluids. Synthetic surfactants are out of the equation. And they make sure...
Mar 29, 2022•23 min•Ep. 44
Net-zero is all about reducing water and energy consumption to improve the environment, save money, and help businesses be more resilient. Ecolab is addressing customer challenges that want to achieve net-zero. For them, it starts with water so if they can optimize water, they can help optimize their energy. Join Victoria Meyer as she talks to Calvin Emanuel about Ecolab and their net-zero solution. Calvin is the Vice President and General Manager, Net-Zero Solutions, at Ecolab. Learn how they f...
Mar 22, 2022•21 min•Ep. 43
The pandemic has taught us a lot of things we thought weren't important before. The whole chemical industry gradually learned to be more flexible, make big choices, and adapt to changes. Join your host Victoria Meyer as she sits down for a conversation with one of her initial guests when this podcast was launched. Today, Melissa Hockstad comes back to share her learnings in adapting to sudden changes, focusing on what matters, and making an impact in the world. She is the President & and CEO...
Mar 15, 2022•30 min•Ep. 42