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Learn how to reach the C-suite from women who've led the way in the chemical industry. Victoria Meyer hosts an enlightening panel discussion featuring Kristen Corbitt, President and CEO of Mays Chemical, a Ravago Company; Angie Griffin, Chief Commercial Officer of Third Coast; and Emelia Nosser, Chief Procurement Officer of Pactiv Evergreen. These leaders share their unique paths, highlighting pivotal moments and the choices that propelled them to the top. From temporary roles to leadership positions, their stories underscore the significance of adaptability, resilience, and the power of saying yes even when the path is uncharted.
The discussion explores navigating significant career transitions, balancing professional and personal lives, and addressing biases in the industry. The panelists reveal invaluable insights on maintaining positivity amidst change, the importance of seeking opportunities that leverage one's strengths, and fostering a supportive environment for both personal and career growth. Aligning leadership values with company culture and embracing change are emphasized as key elements in achieving sustained success in the dynamic landscape of the chemical industry.
Join us on this week’s episode to learn more about these topics:
- Origin stories and pivotal career moments
- Adapting to change and transition in the chemical industry
- Impact of bias in the industry
- Balancing career and family
- Leadership advice for early to mid-career professionals
Killer Quote: "Change is inevitable whether or not you're bouncing from one company to another or one role to another. Take in all you can from each of those experiences, making sure that you're learning from each, knowing that everything is temporary." - Angie Griffin
Creators and Guests
What is The Chemical Show: Where Leaders Talk Business?
Looking to lead, grow, and stay ahead in the trillion-dollar global chemical industry? The Chemical Show - the #1 business podcast for the chemical industry - is your go-to resource for leadership insights, business strategies, and real-world lessons from the executives shaping the future of chemicals. Grow your knowledge, your network, and your impact.
Each week, you'll hear from executives from across the industry - from Fortune 50 to midsize to startups. You’ll hear how they're tacking today's challenges and opportunities, their origin story (what got them here!), how you can take and apply these lessons and insights to your own business and career.
We talk:
- Business Transformation
- Innovation
- Digitization of business
- Strategy
- Supply Chain
- and so much more
Founder and host Victoria King Meyer is an expert interviewer - who brings out the best in each guest. She gained her industry experience at leading companies, including Shell, LyondellBasell and Clariant. Today, she is a high-performance coach and advisor to business leaders in chemicals and energy, as well as the host of The Chemical Show podcast, and founder of The Chemical Summit.
Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest!
Websites:
https://www.thechemicalshow.com
https://www.thechemicalsummit.com
https://www.progressioglobal.com
Welcome to The Chemical Show, the
podcast where chemical means business.
I'm your host, Victoria Meyer,
bringing you stories and insights
from leaders, driving innovation and
growth across the chemical industry.
Each week, we explore key trends,
real world challenges, and the
strategies that make an impact.
Let's get started.
VictoriaM: Welcome back excited to
have this conversation today with some
really great leaders As we get started
though a couple of announcements So
in honor of International Women's Day
and Women's History Month in March, we
are featuring interviews with female
executives throughout the month of March.
So stay tuned.
You're going to hear a lot of
great stories and insights from
women across the chemical industry.
And you definitely want to tune in.
Um, the second piece is of course,
if you are new to The Chemical Show,
follow us on LinkedIn, subscribe
on your favorite podcast player.
Um, and then the third piece is mark
your calendar for our next Chemical
Show live, which will be held on
April 9th, uh, details
will be forthcoming.
So let's get started.
I am super excited to welcome some really
amazing women to The Chemical Show today.
So we have Kristin Mays Corbitt, who is
the president and CEO of Mays Chemical,
um, which is now a Ravago company.
And I think Kristin might share a
little bit of that story with us.
Uh, Angie Griffin, who is Chief
Commercial Officer for Third Coast
and then Emelia Nosser, who is Chief
Procurement Officer for Pactiv Evergreen.
I just really thought it's a great
chance to share some insights, share
some stories about how these ladies
got to the positions that they are.
And as we're calling it,
it's the Road to the C Suite.
If you guys are a basketball
fan, right, we are in.
March Madness is approaching.
So it's the Road to the final four.
Well, this is the Road to the
C-Suite, um, which may be harder
than the Road to the Final Four.
So I don't know.
We'll see.
Anyway, um, let's go
ahead and get started.
I love to start all of our
conversations with origin stories.
So, you know, tell us a
little bit about yourself.
What got you interested in the industry?
Um, and how you got to
where you are today.
I'm going to start with Emelia.
Emelia: Okay.
Uh, so hi to everybody.
Um, I didn't get in the industry
deliberately, so I kind of fell into it.
I got a temp role at, um, What
was called Lever Brothers at
the time, which is now Unilever.
And, um, they put me in purchasing to buy,
uh, aroma chemicals to make fragrances
with, and I fell in love with it.
So for me, being able to work for a
company that you make something, you can
see it as tangible, you can touch it.
It's in a store, it's in people's homes.
Um, it contributes to
their life in some way.
I like that.
I like being able to tell people,
you know, they say, what do you do?
And I go, ah, you know, we make the,
we make the paper for Starbucks cups.
Like it's, it just seems more real to me.
Um, and so that's how I got into it.
And I've been in it for over 35 years and,
and I've never felt the need to leave.
I love it.
VictoriaM: Awesome.
Thanks for that.
Angie, how about you?
Angie: Well, honestly, it was
out of a bit of desperation.
So, um, I have a degree in English,
and after I graduated and didn't have
any marketable skills, I doubled down
and got a master's degree in English,
um, and then I graduated from there
and still had no marketable skills.
But fortunately, it was about the same
time Equistar was forming in Houston.
I was living in Florida, but my uncle
was, um, an employee at what they
call, excuse me, Little Lyondell,
which was, the old polymer business
and he was peddling polypropylene
for the carpet fiber business.
Um, and they were looking for
people to fill out their supply
chain base at Equistar in Houston.
They were trying to move people from
Cincinnati, which people from Cincinnati
weren't really willing to move to Houston.
And he told me they were looking
for customer service reps and the
pay was, I think, 30, 000 a year.
And there was insurance.
As an English major, I never
thought I'd make 30, 000 a
year or have medical insurance.
So I hopped at the chance and moved to
Houston and I thought it'd be temporary.
Knew nothing about petrochemicals,
knew nothing about the industry.
Um, but, but like Emelia fell
in love with, with the, the,
the company, with the industry.
Um, I think.
for the majority of the population.
They have no clue how the things
that they consume and use on a
daily basis get in front of them.
Um, it's a fascinating industry to be in.
So, um, fell in love with that, fell
in love with Houston, fell in love with
Tex Mex and, um, haven't gone back.
And, and
VictoriaM: you left Lyondell.
You're now at Third Coast.
When did that happen?
Angie: Um, in 2013, so midway through,
uh, what, where I am today, about
halfway through the career so far.
VictoriaM: Awesome.
And, and by the way, your
story about, you know, like you
came to Houston temporarily,
that is like everyone's story.
I, I had an event last night and
people were making some intros and
everybody kind of collectively said,
well, I moved here for five years.
And then it's been, you know,
20 years or 25 years or in this
one person's case, 50 years.
So it's a hard place to leave.
Angie: I think that's special
because there are so many of us
that didn't, you know, grow up here.
There's a nice community.
It's very diverse.
Yeah.
Lots of different
backgrounds and experiences.
VictoriaM: Very true.
Awesome.
Kristin, how about you?
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Kristin: Yeah.
So my story is probably a
blend of Angie's and Emelia's.
Um, I, I too was a, uh,
temporary, um, employee at first.
I, we had someone, um, at first I,
it is a second generation owned.
So, Um, as anybody who has been around
family business knows, uh, you get tapped
to work summers to work breaks right
to do filing to do kind of the scut
work, um, that, uh, nobody else really
wants to do, but it's it's necessary.
So I had spent, um, The better part
of my teenage years, uh, working
in the business, just doing filing,
doing spreadsheets for accounting.
Um, and one summer I actually
learned the customer service role.
So I would help out.
I didn't learn the entire role,
but just enough to be dangerous.
I would help out placing
orders, calling for invoices,
checking the status of orders.
And, um, so fast forward to my junior
year in college, um, we had someone who
went out very suddenly, uh, at the company
in the customer service department, and
she handled one of our major customers.
At the time, my cousin was running
the customer service department.
Um, and she said, Hey, we're
looking for somebody to hire.
We have no idea how long this
person is going to be out.
Can you, uh, and we're not even really
sure that we want to hire somebody else
if her leave is going to be fairly short.
Can you come fill in
for a couple of weeks?
Um, you know, maybe a month at the most.
And that was January of, um, 1997.
The long story short, the employee
never came back and I am still
here almost 30 years later.
But I really gravitated
towards the business.
And here's where it resonates with
what Emelia said, because, our
primary focus at Uh, legacy Mays
was food, pharma and personal care.
And so it was really fascinating to me
to be able to tell people, um, all right,
we'll turn your cereal box over and all
of those ingredients on your cereal box.
They probably came from my warehouse in
Indy or my warehouse in Detroit, which
is close to Battle Creek at the time
where they were manufacturing cereal.
Or maybe my warehouse
in, in, uh, New Jersey.
So, um, that that's what I do.
And that was the easiest way to explain,
but it, you really do have a sense
of pride when you, you are handling
material that then goes into an end
use product that, you know, you can.
Direct people to or you can hold
in your hand or you know, you you
have in your cabinets every day.
Um, and it's just it's really fulfilling.
So, um, that's kind of a blend of the two.
But I had no idea.
I was still in college.
I had no idea.
Um, what I was going to do after college.
I was a business major, um, by by trade.
So, um, I really didn't have any
chemical experience, but you didn't
need it because it at the end of the
day for what I What I did and where I
started, it was just, it was business.
It was buying at one cost and then marking
it up and selling at another price.
So that's how I got in the business.
VictoriaM: That's awesome.
And I think you're right.
I think that's one of the pieces
across the chemicals industry
and the plastics industry is how
tangible our products can be.
Although most of the general public
doesn't appreciate that, right?
They, they look at it and they say,
oh, I can't pronounce that word.
Okay.
I can't pronounce charcuterie.
Barely.
And yet I'm more than
happy to participate.
So, um, it's, you know, one of
those interesting pieces on it.
Um, so, you know, each of you
started in a different place, um, and
you've obviously been successfully
climbing the ladder, so to speak.
Um, but I'm sure at points that
wasn't necessarily apparent
that that would be true, right?
I don't think any of us start in
our career and think, I'm making
it up to the top of the I'm not
even sure I want to make it to the
top of the pile sometimes, right?
Sometimes you're just putting
one foot in the front of another
and, and trying to keep going.
Um, were there any really pivotal or
defining moments in your career that
either, you know, one, maybe you doubt
your path or two helped you secure your
path and maybe helped you, you know, take
the next step to get onto this path to
the C suite, um, and made a difference.
Angie, how about you?
Let's start with you.
Angie: Yeah, I wouldn't
say on the downside.
I, um, like you said, I didn't
really have a, uh, a defined path.
I think some people in our career
and say, I'm going to do this and
this is my next step and have a plan.
And sometimes they work out.
Sometimes they don't.
I was, um.
Highly focused on just learning, um,
and, um, taking every experience I
could to broaden my, um, my knowledge.
So at Lyondell, when I was there, I
bounced around supply chain quite a bit
and then moved into a commercial role.
And when I moved to, um, Third Coast,
which had been my customer, um, they hired
me to run one segment of, of the business.
About five years in, um, the founder,
um, CEO is still, still our leader.
Uh, just came up to me, pulled me
into his office without any warning.
And he said, uh, I want to know if
you want to run Third Coast Chemicals,
which is one of our affiliates.
And I immediately said, yes, without
thinking about it, and it wasn't
a position that even existed.
That company had been kind of rolled
up under shell shared services
didn't have a distinct leader.
Um, it had a distinct P and L, but not
anybody who was the 1 throat to choke,
so to speak, that was managing it.
So, um, I think that was the moment where
I, um, was tested, hand selected, which
was, affirming, uh, and then I knew
in that moment that I had his support.
And I think that was, um, uh, the thing
that just pushed me over the edge.
It wasn't anything I needed to
consider or be nervous about because
he had all the confidence in me.
And, and, um, that helped
me have confidence in me.
I panicked later.
Um, but in the moment I said, yes.
Um, and again, it just wasn't anything
I'd planned or even thought of,
but that was the moment it shifted.
And I really started to hone my leadership
skills and learn more of the, um, the
business side from, from managing a
PNL, um, trying to put together a team.
We didn't even have a team at that point.
So, um, just really building
that business from the ground up.
Um, but that was it.
VictoriaM: I think that's cool.
And then, and then the power of
saying yes, even when you're not
sure what you're saying yes to,
um, can make a real difference.
Kristin, how about you?
You, you started in customer service,
um, which was not necessarily, uh, a
guaranteed road to anywhere other than
maybe headache sometimes, you know, were
there any really defining moments for you?
Kristin: So I can think of a couple,
and it's funny because Angie mentioned
her starting salary, and it's funny
what gets ingrained, because mine was
25, 131 starting in customer service.
That's precise.
With benefits, right?
Um, and I was really in an opportunity
to participate in the 401k program,
so I was extremely excited about that.
Um, But yeah, again, it was
supposed to be temporary.
I think one of the very pivotal
moments for me was I worked in
customer service for a couple of
years and then, um, I graduated.
I graduated from college, and, um, my
father said, All right, well, we're
gonna you can continue to work here,
but I'd really like you to get involved.
Um, mace chemical is just
one of my investments.
I'd really like for you to get involved
in, um, some of the other investments.
And so I worked for 2 years or a
year, excuse me, as an analyst, just
really learning about All things
other than May's chemical company.
Um, and that was nice.
And so I had an office on the other
side of our building, but I would always
gravitate back to the chemical business.
And I mean, it was probably the
most mundane of tasks, right?
So it'd be like matching paperwork,
Matt, sending out invoices.
But just so I could kind of keep,
um my thumb on what was going
on in in the chemical business.
Because I had by then I had, you
know, made several good friends.
I had been in a pseudo um, customer
service leadership position and
uh, you know, really just trying to
understand um, what was going on.
That, that was kind of my first
clue that I was going to be
here for longer than I thought.
Um, after I spent a year as an
analyst, I said, well, I had a young
child and I said, well, um, I don't.
want both of us to be in
school at the same time.
So if I'm gonna go back and get a
secondary degree, I need to go ahead and
get it now while she's still in daycare
while I've still got a bit of flexibility
and I can like put her to bed at seven.
Um, so I worked for, um, two
years full time while I got my
MBA from Indiana University.
And, um, And I looked at a couple
of different schools, but I decided
to stay because I had the job.
I knew I could work around the job.
And, um, I also knew I had the support
system to be able to work and go to school
full time and take care of my daughter.
And so, you know, you never put it
together, you know, going through
it, but looking back, the decision
not to leave Indiana, Indianapolis
was another pivotal moment.
And then when I graduated, I had
several job offers, um, and at the time.
We were making the decision.
We had gone through ERP implementation.
And as many of you know, those
don't always go as planned.
And so it was so it was, it
was pretty disastrous for us.
I mean, a loss of customers.
It was and then we kind of had
a migration of employees away
from the business as well.
Because all because of kind of the ERP
system and the frustration with that.
And, um, so I would say that was probably
the most pivotal moment was deciding to
stay in the midst of the chaos and help
figure out how we get out of this mess.
Um, because, you know, by that
time, I had been working for about.
Five or six years in the business
really had an entrenched myself,
um, had some very good relationships
internally and externally.
And so, um, really just hanging around
and wanting to solve the problem.
And that's kind of when I knew, okay,
I'm going to be here for long term.
And I really need to look at, uh,
now I've got, I'm equipped with the
tools because I did, um, get an MBA.
I had been in several management meetings
and all right, let's dig in and figure
out what the challenges of the business.
challenges are and and how
to go about solving them.
And so I think that was the most
pivotal was the decision to stay
after I got my NBA and really dig in
and um, to deal with those problems.
I obviously knew that I was going to
have to be in upper management and and
somewhere in the C suite eventually.
VictoriaM: Yeah, that's
a, that is a big deal.
And I, I know, um, many people at
family owned companies don't stay right.
There's, there's a reason that
family owned companies are often,
you know, only a single generation,
maybe two generations and, and.
You know, I mean, I look at
my own kids and they don't
necessarily want to do what I do.
And so that's a, that's a really
hard part of being in business.
Yeah.
So, and I know we're going to come
back and talk a little bit more about
you and May, so we'll get to that
in a bit, but you know, right, we're
in a period right now where it feels
like there's a lot of uncertainty.
Right.
There's, um, companies keep making
announcements about layoffs.
People are making transitions or thinking
about making transitions or being forced
to make transitions between companies,
between businesses, um, et cetera.
And I, each one of you have had.
Some significant transitions,
whether it be, um, across companies.
Right.
So Angie, you went from very big
company to a very small company.
Uh, Kristin in, you know, going
from a small midsize family
owned company to a giant company.
Now that Revago's, um, acquired Mays.
Um, and then of course, Emelia,
you've gone mostly through public
companies, which is interesting.
We were talking before we got
on that, this sale of Pact of
Evergreen and going private is
its own, um, bit of uncertainty.
What have you guys found to be
really critical in maybe just making
yourself ready for those significant
transitions, um, and figuring out how
to be successful in a new environment,
which, you know, the grass is not
always greener on the other side.
Um, and you have to figure out how
to navigate in that new environment.
So what have you found
to be really effective?
How about Emelia, you start.
Emelia: Okay.
First, I'm going to apologize if you
hear my dog's bark in the background.
And second, I feel like a slacker.
My first job was 20, 000 a year,
and I was in New York City.
You guys are like, what?
I feel like kind of, I was, I'm at the
bottom end of the, the pole or something.
Um, you know, I, I have changed
companies many, many times, uh,
which I guess is good and bad.
And I've changed industries each time.
What for me, what I try to do is,
If I'm going to make a change, I
want to make a change where I'm
either going to take on a new role.
That's going to give me a breadth of
experience or get into a new industry
to see if I can learn something new
about how I do what I do, but in
a different, in a different place.
Um, what I found helpful
was I never tried to do.
Like everything at the same time.
So I never tried to change an
industry with a new job, with a new
function and in a new state, um,
that can, that, that can be a lot.
Um, but what you can also do when you
make change, it gives you a chance to,
I don't want to say reinvent yourself.
Cause there's something
wrong with who you are.
But you learn things at every job
you're in and every company you're in.
And it gives you an opportunity to
learn from those mistakes and maybe
do things a little bit differently.
When you're in a new role,
you're in a new company.
And so I always thought it was kind
of fun to be able to, you know,
try, try to do something different.
Try to be somebody different,
try to, you know, evolve in,
in, in all of those changes.
And then it's also really helpful
if you're making a transition.
It helps to have an advocate.
Maybe somebody pulled
you into that company.
Or maybe somebody recommended
you, or, you know, someone who's
there, um, because navigating a new
company can be, can be complicated.
And so having somebody who can help you,
but also having somebody who's got your
back, I think can make that transition
a little bit easier, but change is good.
And if there are ways for you to
have opportunities where you can
expand your knowledge, expand your
capability, I think you should do it.
I think you should always try it.
VictoriaM: Awesome.
I love
that.
Angie, how about you?
Angie: I think one thing to keep
in mind is even if you stayed at
the same company for your entire
career, those companies evolve.
And, and even, you know, when you're
in one position, if you stayed in
the same position, and you might be
in that job for three or four years,
and there's two different managers,
Emelia: you're
Angie: going to have to adapt.
Um, so, so change is inevitable,
whether or not you're bouncing
from one company to another, one
role to another, um, just, um.
Taking all you can from
each of those experiences.
Um, making sure that you're
learning from that, knowing
that everything is temporary.
Even our industry is evolving.
Um, so, you know, I work for a company
where the founder is still heavily
involved, but we're having to adapt
and adjust to how the industry is
changing, how the world is changing.
So I think just being open to that
flexibility, um, and that makes any
move that you make, whether it's
just from one position to another
or adapting to a new manager.
Are changing companies, um, moving
like Emelia mentioned, packing up
your family, moving somewhere else.
It's all about embracing the growth
and not the fear, I think, because
nothing's permanent, even the
bumps in the road along the way.
You'll get past those.
But if you can just be resilient.
Always be true to yourself.
Always be open to new
experiences, new perspectives.
You'll be able to navigate that forever.
I didn't make the jump to Third Coast.
That was not an easy one for me to make.
And it came out of a
real personal situation.
My husband's in a commercial role at,
at Lyondell, um, and he's a little
bit further in his career than me.
And it was getting complicated.
You know, if he moved into a certain
role, there was a perception.
Well, we can't have Angie in that
role because Brian's in this role.
And there was a lot of shuffling
going on to accommodate that.
And I was like, this is,
this is a little silly.
Um, yeah.
And so, uh, just knowing that
I needed more room to grow, um,
which seems counterintuitive to go
to a smaller company to do that.
But I needed to be able to spread
my wings as much as he was.
And so that was really what
precipitated that change.
Um, that's more of a personal,
uh, issue than anything else.
VictoriaM: Well, yeah, I mean, I think
it all ends up being, um, We each
have to find our reason, right, why
we, why we would do that and how we
become successful in what we're doing.
Kristin, how about you?
I mean, this is, I think you're
still maybe in the midst of
some big changes company wise.
Yeah.
Kristin: Yeah.
Um, so I, I will, I will echo the
sentiment of just having an advocate
advocate to help you navigate.
Um, that has been invaluable.
Um, and for the first 25 years of my
career or so, that was my father, right?
So, so he helped me, um, navigate,
he helped me understand, um, and
that was really Invaluable for
me because it the learning didn't
always take place on the job.
The learning took place at a Sunday
dinner table or on a family vacation.
Um, you know, well, hey, what?
Why does this happen the way it does?
Or why do we have this
person in this role?
And, and, um, really?
Having a desire to help you learn,
having that, that person that has a
desire to help you learn and navigate
and understand, and, um, then really
help you with some of your challenges,
I think again, is, is invaluable.
Um, the other thing that has been
very helpful for me, um, in, in
navigating all kinds of change,
because change is inevitable, um, is
really just having a positive mindset.
Um, and.
You know, that is easier said than done.
And that work does not happen one time.
And then you always
have a positive mindset.
It is literally day in and day out
listening to, um, motivation, listening to
reaffirming words, um, really doing some
quick reflection on, well, hey, remember
when this situation was, um, you know,
you thought it was unbearable or you,
you didn't know why it was happening.
And then you got through it and it
has, you know, made you better, made
you stronger, made you understand
something a bit more, just reflecting
on, you know, change and how it
has occurred in the past and.
Trying to stay positive because part of
being in leadership is, um, you know,
helping your your team to stay positive
and you've got to exude that positivity.
Um, or at least exude a sense of.
Neutrality.
Um, when going through when going
through change because your team
is going to go the way that you go.
So if you are negative about change or
you are questioning change or you are, you
know, just just very leery about change,
your team is going to be the same way.
And I learned that very early on when
I was a team lead in customer service.
We had we had one negative
person that was in our group.
Um, and we found that all of us Have
become so negative about everything.
It's like, wait a minute.
You know, we can't all sit here
and commiserate on these things.
Somebody's got to, you know, be positive,
or at least be forward thinking and
say, all right, it's not good right now.
But how do we make it good?
How do we make it better?
And, um, And so you can kind of get
in a rut, but it's just having the
mindset and doing the work to keep
the positive mindset about change.
Um, you know, oldest book in the world.
But, uh, when I was maybe 3 or
4 years in, I got a, uh, a book
recommendation who moved my cheese.
Right?
And.
Um, we read it and we were going
through some change at that time.
It was, you know, 98 99.
We were about to hit Y two K.
We were, um, all nervous about
our computer systems and about
what was going to happen.
And, and, you know, we were just
changing some org structure things.
And so we all read that, um, that
book as a company and, uh, you
know, it still resonates today.
I literally just mentioned it yesterday
that you've got to stay positive about.
Change because, um, you know, it,
it really helps you get through it.
VictoriaM: I think it's great.
And I think you guys all kind of
had touched on, on that piece of it.
And I listened to something, you know,
speaking about listening to positive
things, I was listening to something
this morning and it talked about how, um.
The self fulfilling prophecies or
the, you know, the expectations
you have become realized, right?
Whether it's about a person,
whether it's about a situation,
whether it's about yourself.
And so if you're thinking it's going to
be awesome, it's going to be awesome.
You're going to find the awesome.
If you're thinking it's
going to be horrible, you're
going to find the horrible.
Um, and so finding that mind space to be
positive, growth oriented, looking on the
better side, helps navigate a lot of this.
Um, okay.
We're going to keep moving with,
this has been a great conversation.
Kristin, we're going to put the
elephant on the table a little bit.
Um, and we talked about it.
There's going to be some people that say.
Well, your name's on the company.
Of course, it's easy to get to the top.
And yet, I know that you've
had to earn that, right?
Um, and in fact, maybe you can
share even just if, if there were,
you know, if you have any siblings
that would have potentially also
been, um, in leadership of Mays.
Um, and then you've also recently
helped the company navigate a really
significant decision in selling to Ravago.
Um, and then taking a leadership
position in a much larger company.
Um, But let's just start with this
whole idea that it's easy to get to the
top when your name's on the company.
I'm, I'm guessing it maybe
is sometimes even harder.
Kristin: Yeah, I think it, um, I
think my path was, um, I don't know.
I don't want to say it was more difficult,
but I think it was just as difficult
as anyone else walking in the door.
And that's why I mentioned
my starting salary.
One of the first revelations I had
is that someone who was brought
in after me made more than I did.
And, um, it was, it was
completely justified.
Um, he was a, a male and he was bilingual.
Um, he did not have the experience
that I had, so he had to be
fully trained from the beginning,
but he, he made more than me.
And I was like, hey, that,
there's, there's not going to
be any nepotism here, I guess.
Um, not that I was expecting it, but, um.
I think a big part of my career path
and my kind of my jagged journey to
the C suite was really gaining, uh,
functional, relatable knowledge about
every single aspect of this business.
Um, and.
That is really what gave me the
credibility and gave people the
confidence in my ability to lead the
company because I had worked alongside
with so many, um, of, of my colleagues
over the course of of the years.
Um, and I really did have a functional
role working in or managing every
single aspect of our business.
Um, and, and so that gave me me.
And and I still look to do that today.
Um, so, so it gave me the confidence
that I knew what I was talking about.
Um, but it gave other people the
confidence that, oh, she's not just
leading us because she happened to be
the second child born to Bill Mays.
No, she's paid her dues and she
has worked alongside of us and she
understands this and then she can me.
Advocate for what we need, or she
can relate to what we need in this
department or that department.
I always tell folks all the time.
My job as a leader is to get
you the resources you need
so we can get the job done.
And, um, so I think that is really
what helped me gain both the internal
credibility and the internal confidence.
Um, and then the external credibility
had I been, you know, Okay.
Somewhere else and then come in and,
and run started to run the business.
I think I would've had a, a
much more challenging path, um,
because, and, and a much more,
you know, steeper learning curve.
Um, but, but I think it was impor
it, it, it was, and it continues to
be important to me to, and, and I'm.
I'm just weird like that.
So I really like processes and
I really like, um, understanding
how things are supposed to work.
So I will, you know, I will
ask those types of questions.
I will say, well, let me do this
job for a day so I can understand.
You know what challenges you face because
it's not enough for you to communicate
those challenge challenges to me.
I want to experience them.
I want to see.
All right.
How do I think through how to handle them?
So I think, um, I think
there was, uh, not there.
There were a lot of, um, maybe I'll
say false narratives in the beginning
when I came on about, um, oh, well,
why does she have this position?
Or, you know, is she going
to climb to the C suite?
And she, is she going to
be, you know, given it?
Or is she going to have to earn it?
And I still talk to
people who we hire today.
And they're like.
She's so involved in the business.
Like she knows everything.
She sees everything.
And I'm like, yeah, because that's how I
make myself a better leader is to really
understand the challenges that we have.
And then how do we get the resources
to try to solve those challenges?
Um, but, but I did deal with that.
I dealt with that as, as a person
with, um, the last name, Okay.
On the building and so much so that
I, when I was married to my first
husband, I changed my name, right?
Like, I didn't want there to be any,
um, you know, any stigma attached.
So, so I, you know, took my husband's
name, my first husband's name.
And that's just, you
know, externally, that's.
Who I was known as, and no one,
no one knew, um, and no one was,
you know, any the wiser that,
um, I was related to ownership.
And that was really when I was in
an external, more external facing
position at that point in time.
So, um, it, it is tough.
I will tell you there were,
there, it was not easy.
Uh, uh, I, I was, um, removed from a
position at one point in time and, and
moved because, um, I was very vocal
about what I thought was the correct way
and the incorrect way to, to do things.
Um, and so, uh, if there were
sides to take, mine was not taken,
it was the other person's side.
Um, so, so it wasn't, it wasn't an
easy road and it wasn't just a given.
Um, and that was even
a learning experience.
Uh, not about not being vocal, but it's
how you voice some opposition, right?
And how you do that.
Um, In an environment, in a business
environment, because I was just used to,
well, I mean, you know, you, you have,
hey, dad, I don't think that's right.
You know, you just say it and you, you
can't do that when you're in business
with your, your family members.
You've got to have, um, you
got to have a little bit of a
line about how you communicate.
So, um, I think, uh, navigating
the transition to Robago, um,
has been very interesting.
And, and Emelia, you, um, we
were talking earlier about a
little bit about private equity.
And I think we always knew that, um,
if we were going to sell, we wanted to
try to sell to a family owned company.
Um, Somebody who shared our values.
And I think with the Russ family who
are, they're the owners of Revival, we
have found a great, um, partnership.
And so it always helps when you
are aligned with ownership who
that ownership is on values.
Yeah.
You won't aligned on every single
decision, but on, on values and on
just good old fashioned principles.
Um, I, I think that it's.
Extremely helpful when going
into a transition like this.
So, um, yeah, I and I think I did
because there were several other people.
Obviously, Roboto existed before us.
Um, and there were several other
people and high high positions.
But I think, um, the folks who came in and
looked at us realized that, um, We had a
good team and that I was the real deal.
Cause that's always the
first question, right?
Okay.
Is she there just as a figurehead?
Is this a lifestyle business is,
you know, or is she really digging
in and running the business?
And I think through conversations,
um, again, I had to kind of prove
myself that I knew what I was
talking about, um, in order to
earn, uh, the, the position to, to.
play a larger part and to have a
larger role in the, in the company.
So, um, I think it'll always be there.
I don't think I'll ever get rid of it.
Um, but, but I'm okay with it and,
and I'm okay with, you know, talking
the talk because I can walk the walk
because, you know, I, I really have.
Uh, dug in and educated
myself on this business.
VictoriaM: Yeah, I love it.
Okay.
And I think that's a great, um,
a segue to our next question.
In fact, we've got just a couple of
questions, so we're going to kind
of spitball these a little bit fast
so that we can get to questions and
answers from the people that have
joined us live, but, um, bias, right?
Let's be, um, bias exists.
It's just part of life.
Um, and.
There's this whole aspect of, you
know, there's one, there's not a lot of
women at the top in chemical companies.
Heck, there's not really a lot of women
inside commercial and operational and
line roles inside chemical companies.
And you know, Uh, Kristin, a bit of
your story makes me think, um, about
the fact that you felt like you had
to do everything and know everything
in order to earn your position.
Um, and you know, we don't know
what might have transpired, um, if
somebody else was taking that role.
But it also strikes me that sometimes
it feels like women have to do.
Better than men to get the next role
have to be You know Stronger more
engaging do more work to earn their
their place I I'm just gonna throw
this out to anyone I mean, what do you
guys think in terms of do you see this
as bias and and what needs to change?
And is it changing?
Angie: I think I think it's
changing for the better.
So we all started our
careers in the 1900s.
And, uh, if you were to put a panel
of women that were in leadership,
um, on the screen, then they
wouldn't look like any of us.
Um, when I started in the industry, the
women that were in leadership, even in the
commercial roles were engineers with MBAs.
And they looked like their male counter,
they dressed like their male counterparts.
It was a cookie cut.
They had pleated pants and
golf shirts for God's sake.
I mean, I, I did not wear pleated
pants or golf shorts and their, their
golf swing was better than the, you
know, their, their peers and, and
they didn't hit off the women's tees
and, and it was just almost like this
message of you've got to be this.
type of a woman to have that job.
And, and I think that has
changed for the better.
I do think women are conditioned
to, um, wait to be tapped on the
shoulder, which, which is exactly
what I did in my example earlier.
I didn't ask for a job.
I was, um, uh, approached,
um, where men will seek.
The job they're not quite qualified for
because it's the next job they want.
Um, but I do see a change.
The younger women I work
with are way more assertive.
Um, they ask for what they want.
We have a, uh, a team of engineers.
50 percent of them are women.
Um, I do see change.
I think it's getting better.
The one challenge I see is.
Um, as a mother, um, it's very
difficult, especially if your spouse
works, which most of our spouses do.
Moms don't always have the luxury of
getting to work early and staying late.
And, um, there's a perception
that if you're not working longer,
you're not working as hard.
I think that's one that
we still have to overcome.
And so, um, some of these women's
careers kind of stall at that point,
they decide to become mothers.
Um, and I think that's still
something we have to adapt to.
We have to overcome.
VictoriaM: Absolutely.
And in fact, um, you know,
it's a great segue into the
next question around balance.
So each one of you are navigating
successful careers and families,
um, and a lot of other obligations
and, and just life, right?
So what's critical in helping you
navigate that is, you know, is
there such a thing as balance?
Are you, do you believe in having it all?
I don't know.
Emelia, you want to jump in on that one?
Emelia: Yeah, I mean, uh, you know,
I certainly have a lot of kids.
Um, and, uh, I've been really
lucky that I've worked for not
only companies, but managers who
were really supportive of family.
They believed in family.
They believed in work life balance.
But I also think as an individual, you
know, you have to be comfortable and
confident in asking for what you need.
You know, in your, in your life, in
your family and not feel like, you
know, there's going to be, I'm sorry,
my earpiece fell out, but not feel
like you're going to be, um, that it's
going to damage your career in any way.
Um, I think workers about results and
if you can deliver those results and you
can deliver it in the way that that works
for you, um, then that's what it's about.
And so I think you have, you have to have
confidence that as long as you're meeting
expectations and you can do that, finding
a way to have balance in your life.
Um, it was never a roadblock for
me, but it was also a priority.
For me.
And so I probably searched out those
conditions without even knowing that
I was searching out those conditions
and making sure that I was in those
places where I was going to have that,
that, you know, not a lot of friction
about, about having that, um, that need.
And, and so it did, it did
work out for me and I wouldn't
have it any other way at all.
I was, I'm very happy that
that's the way that it worked
out, but I was also willing to.
You know, to ask for it and make sure that
it was something that I was able to get.
VictoriaM: Yeah.
Awesome.
Um, and I know for, for me personally,
and I'll just say, um, even today
as running my own business, but also
when I was working corporate, I, I was
really clear with my calendar and just
blocking my critical time that I needed
for my family, um, to make sure that.
You know, I could take vacations that
if it's the first day of school and I'm
always, you know, seeing my kids off
for the first day of school that, okay,
well I've got that day saved and I'm
and managing around, um, time blocks and
expectations, because otherwise, if you
don't seek your own balances, you talked
about Emelia, you're not going to get it.
Nobody's going to give you balance.
You have to claim it for yourself.
All right.
So we're going to do one final
question and then we're going to,
um, wrap this piece of it and go
to the questions from the audience.
If you have one piece of leadership
advice for early to mid career person,
that's really looking to achieve your
levels of success, what would it be?
And I'm gonna ask the same
question for each one of you.
So Kristin, why don't we start with you?
Kristin: Yeah.
I think, um, the ability to
be nimble and be flexible.
Um, whatever that means to you.
So we just, you know, we just got off
the question of work life balance.
And so that may mean something
totally different to me than
it does to Angie or to Emelia.
But being able to be flexible
because the industry, I think for
a long time, um, had small changes.
But no real dynamic changes.
And then probably in the mid 2000s,
um, we saw an influx of of change
within industries within consolidation
within, um, you know, regulation.
And so I think just the ability
to stay nimble and stay flexible
within, um, the chemical space
is is going to be a great thing.
component of success and trying
to make your way to the C suite.
VictoriaM: Awesome.
Love that.
Angie, how about you?
I
Angie: got a piece of advice.
Uh, when I was at Lyondell, there was
a, a big push for, um, people to take
positions that would round them out
or develop a weakness and, uh, someone
said to me, you should always take
positions and seek positions that.
strengths, not those that
develop your weaknesses.
Um, and sometimes I know that's hard
to navigate when, uh, especially if
your corporate culture is to say,
Hey, you need to, you need to come
out of this supply chain role and
be a business analyst, which God
bless you, Kristin, for doing that.
Not in my wheelhouse.
But if I had done that, that would
have been detrimental to my career.
I, I would not have.
Succeeded and, you know, performance
evaluation time would come around and
like, Oh, she's just not cutting it.
You know, when I was shining in
another role, so I think be selective.
It's okay to say no in
the appropriate way.
Um, and just make sure you're always
putting yourself in the best position,
um, to, uh, to, to utilize your strengths
and where you can add the most value.
VictoriaM: AwesomEmelialia.
Emelia: Um, I would say, uh, a
few things probably, um, don't
be afraid to make a mistake.
I think a lot of times it's more
about how you recover from a
mistake than the actual mistake.
Uh, you learn a lot from mistakes.
You also learn a lot from managers that
you don't like, so don't be afraid of
working for somebody that you don't like.
It teaches you what you don't
want to be when you're a manager.
Um, I would say get uncomfortable
with being uncomfortable.
You'll find out a lot about yourself
if you do something that makes
you really uncomfortable and, um,
accountability and communication, you
know, you got to be accountable for
your work for yourself for your actions.
You can only control those things.
You can't control anybody else.
You can only control
how you react to them.
Um, and I think that I wish that
that when, when we were all in school
that they, they made us focus more
on communication, written, oral,
just, I think people underestimate.
How do you take something from
your head and, you know, every,
you assume everybody knows what,
you know, and that's your point of
communication where you start and, uh,
communication is absolutely critical.
Absolutely.
VictoriaM: I love that.
Awesome.
Well, ladies, thank you for joining
me today and for sharing your wisdom
with the people that are alive with us
today, as well as the people that are
part of The Chemical show community.
And, um, I've really enjoyed
today's conversation.
Thanks for joining us
today on The Chemical Show.
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You can find me at Victoria King
Meyer on LinkedIn, and you can also
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