The Chemical Show: Where Leaders Talk Business

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 equilibriumThe need to tell your own story and to tell the industry storyBe an advocate for the industryThe demand decline in the chemical industryOptimism both for 2023 and for the long termGlobal markets and local impacts Collaboration - we're all in this togetherTune in! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! The Chemical Show - The Chemical Show 

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 career6 key themes in the evolution of the chemical industry in the past 30 yearsThe importance of Innovation The role of Hydrogen in sustainability and Net ZeroLeveraging partnerships and coalitions for a common goalMeeting the consumers’ needs around the worldThe continued importance of engineering educationThis was an amazing and insightful interview. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

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 surfactantsHow sustainability and carbon reduction drives CEPSA  ChemicalsCEPSA’s partnership with Unilever on NextLABHow CEPSA looks at consumer needs to drive product innovationA prioritization process for innovationCritical factors for Customer ExperienceThe role of digitization in the companyIncreasing the presence of women in leadership in the chemical industryThis 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. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!

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. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! The Chemical Show - The Chemical Show 

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 inclusionThe experiences and lessons that Dr. Lauran learned from joining the militaryEquity and equality in the society Focusing on evidence-based DE&I How to grow inclusion in the companiesThe difference between diversity and inclusion in a corporate environmentWhat'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 industryDon’t miss this exciting podcast episode. Tune in! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! The Chemical Show - The Chemical Show

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 industryThe most powerful lessons Sam learned throughout his journeyTalking 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 proceduresDifferent approaches to business operations into operational excellence of some leading companiesTune in to learn more! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! The Chemical Show - The Chemical Show 

In early February, I attended the ever-popular  American Cleaning Institute (ACI) Annual Conference. This week, I am sharing with you all some insights that I’ve learned from that conference. There are valuable insights coming from companies across the cleaning value chain. It's everything from ingredient suppliers, surfactants, enzymes, and fragrances to formulators and industrial consumer product companies. Topics discussed this week: Sustainability is a topic in every industry. Partnering is critical to creating innovation and helping support the sustainability journey. The importance of transparency. How to create transparency around products, their impacts, and what they do and what they don't do.Economic headwinds - As we enter 2023, a concern about the duration and impact of these headwinds on demand and profitability. Growth and innovation across the cleaning products industry. Being green and buggy - The impact of green and bio-based raw materials and formulations.Tune in as Victoria shares all of the interesting key themes for the cleaning industry in 2023 from the ACI Annual Conference and a lot more juicy pieces of information that you need to know about this industry. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! The Chemical Show - The Chemical Show 

The energy sector is a category of companies that are responsible for extracting, refining, or supplying consumable fuels, like coal, oil, and gas. These companies are involved in the production and sale of energy and that includes fuel extraction, manufacturing, refining, and distribution. So in the upcoming years, with the continuous advancement of technology, we will see massive progression in engineering and innovation that will bring us inventions we can use, which are more sustainable and environment-friendly. In this episode of The Chemical Show, join Victoria Meyer as she interviews Mr. Tom Swanson regarding the commercialization of bio-based chemistry for energy. ​​Mr. Swanson currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Sales for Locus Bio-Energy focused on surfactant solutions designed for crude oil recovery, transport, and remediation. Lucas Bio-Energy Solutions took that technology looking at what could we use from a fermentation standpoint to take agricultural products and create something that would be a performance product that could be used in oil and gas.According to Mr. Swanson, he sees that there’s a host of different processing techniques used globally for crude, oil, and gas. But he kept his mind open to understand that people have a reason why they’re doing what they’re doing. Then, he realized the need of making that chemistry fit within the processes that those people are using. And this led him to the path where he is today.  Also, listen to this podcast as Mr. Swanson shares his story of how he go into the chemical industry, and explains more important details about what Locus Bio-Energy does, the products and the technology that Locus is bringing to market that makes it really unique or valuable, and so much more. So tune in! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! The Chemical Show - The Chemical Show

Sustainability and carbon reduction are key focus areas of the chemical industry. Many countries and companies have Net Zero targets to support a more sustainable future, including decarbonization.  Innovation is critical.     One of the key innovators in decarbonization is Syzygy Plasmonics and its co-founder Trevor Best.In this episode, Victoria Meyer speaks with Trevor Best, CEO of Syzygy Plasmonics about the importance of decarbonization and the innovations that Syzygy is bringing to the chemical industry. Victoria and Trevor discuss: Syzygy’s founding from technology-based at Rice University, the importance of hydrogen, and the role of light and energy in the chemical industry.  And, the focus on green chemical manufacturing. This episode of The Chemical Show is packed with valuable information that you don’t want to miss. So make sure to listen to this podcast. Tune in! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! The Chemical Show - The Chemical Show

Digital transformation is the process of integrating digital technology into all aspects or areas of your company or organization. In this episode, Victoria Meyer has a conversation with two experts in digital transformation. Christophe Cabarry is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of SpecialChem, who also brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic digital marketing in chemicals and materials. The second guest is Jay Bhatia, who is the Founder and CEO of Agilis Commerce, a technology startup based in Newark, NJ. Listen in as Victoria talks about digital transformation in the chemical industry, the significant changes that occur, the critical aspects of a partnership that you should know, and how companies build a business for digital and chemicals. Christophe and Jay also share their personal experiences in this industry, how they started their companies, and tell us some important details about them launching a new solution together in the market. This podcast is so exciting with the knowledge and expertise that Victoria and her guests share in this episode. So tune in! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! The Chemical Show - The Chemical Show