WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.010 --> 00:00:01.359 Hi, this is Victoria Meyer. 00:00:01.420 --> 00:00:04.850 Welcome back to the chemical show where chemicals means business. 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:09.119 Today I am bringing you a chemical show classic. 00:00:09.620 --> 00:00:10.149 What is that? 00:00:10.149 --> 00:00:10.860 You might ask? 00:00:11.140 --> 00:00:15.569 Well, a chemical show classic is an interview that just stands the 00:00:15.569 --> 00:00:20.490 test of time, both for what the leader is saying for the impact 00:00:20.490 --> 00:00:22.180 that it has today and beyond. 00:00:22.180 --> 00:00:22.934 So here we go. 00:00:23.285 --> 00:00:27.205 Today, I'm republishing my interview with Michael Graff, who's the 00:00:27.205 --> 00:00:29.555 former CEO of American Air Liquide. 00:00:29.955 --> 00:00:30.935 So, why now? 00:00:31.314 --> 00:00:35.865 So Mike has recently retired and he was recently recognized at 00:00:35.925 --> 00:00:41.335 ACC's board meeting for his ongoing commitment and impact to the industry 00:00:41.625 --> 00:00:43.675 and especially responsible care. 00:00:43.785 --> 00:00:49.715 So ACC has named the Michael Graff Progressive Achievement Program, which 00:00:49.735 --> 00:00:54.035 will continue to help responsible care practitioners strive for operational 00:00:54.035 --> 00:00:56.145 excellence and drive safety performance. 00:00:56.435 --> 00:01:01.104 And they see this as really just a great opportunity to recognize the 00:01:01.105 --> 00:01:06.045 commitment, the impact, and that long term excellence and focus that 00:01:06.045 --> 00:01:07.895 Mike has brought to responsible care. 00:01:07.895 --> 00:01:10.985 So kudos to Mike and kudos to ACC. 00:01:11.085 --> 00:01:13.425 And by the way, I'm attaching a link to the show notes. 00:01:13.820 --> 00:01:17.850 to Chris John's, uh, LinkedIn post that recognizes his achievement. 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:21.180 And I might be pre staging ACC cause I'm sure they're going to 00:01:21.320 --> 00:01:22.680 issue a press release as well. 00:01:22.980 --> 00:01:27.589 Um, when that's issued, I will attach that to our show notes and transcript as well. 00:01:27.590 --> 00:01:28.820 So stay tuned. 00:01:29.460 --> 00:01:31.889 Secondly, why is this a classic? 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.950 Number one, and I go back to when I recorded this episode 00:01:34.950 --> 00:01:37.094 with Mike in April of 2023, 2023. 00:01:37.765 --> 00:01:38.925 He is a great speaker. 00:01:38.955 --> 00:01:44.495 It is a great leadership narrative, both from his early beginnings through 00:01:44.495 --> 00:01:48.294 his career to the impact and the ongoing commitment to the industry. 00:01:48.325 --> 00:01:53.930 So Super interesting and just a supreme speaker and a supreme interview guest. 00:01:53.930 --> 00:01:54.660 So that's one. 00:01:55.250 --> 00:02:02.030 Secondly, it really highlights Mike's commitment to the industry, to supporting 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:06.830 the future of the industry through education, through his alma mater's, 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:09.030 through AICHE and other programs. 00:02:09.340 --> 00:02:12.020 And I think many leaders do this. 00:02:12.430 --> 00:02:15.409 Um, but Mike has really taken it up a notch. 00:02:15.430 --> 00:02:19.790 And so I think it's Often when I talk to leaders, a lot of our conversation 00:02:19.790 --> 00:02:23.600 is about the business, and you expect executives and CEOs to be really 00:02:23.600 --> 00:02:25.350 focused on their own bottom line. 00:02:26.070 --> 00:02:31.900 Mike is also focused on the industry bottom line and on helping create 00:02:31.960 --> 00:02:37.499 educational opportunities to raise people up, um, in status, right? 00:02:37.499 --> 00:02:41.650 So we know that engineering and education is a wonderful way to move 00:02:41.660 --> 00:02:43.670 people from one social class to another. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:48.240 Um, and I think that's one of the things that Mike might say about it. 00:02:48.540 --> 00:02:52.150 Uh, but he also just really talks about the importance of 00:02:52.160 --> 00:02:53.580 supporting engineering education. 00:02:53.580 --> 00:02:56.350 In fact, One of the things that Mike said, and I'm paraphrasing a little 00:02:56.350 --> 00:03:00.930 bit, um, but what he told is he talks about in this interview is engineering 00:03:00.930 --> 00:03:05.920 principles and engineering approaches to solving problems are critical to 00:03:05.920 --> 00:03:08.280 meeting the world's needs over time. 00:03:08.510 --> 00:03:09.500 And this is around. 00:03:09.995 --> 00:03:14.355 the world's needs for energy, water, chemicals, food, and more, right? 00:03:14.355 --> 00:03:15.555 So all these great things. 00:03:15.555 --> 00:03:20.335 And so, you know, if you're an engineer, if you're a STEM professional, you 00:03:20.335 --> 00:03:21.974 recognize the importance of this. 00:03:21.975 --> 00:03:25.124 And I think, um, Mike has done more than just talk about it. 00:03:25.154 --> 00:03:29.915 He gives his time, he gives his energy and he gives his commitment to his Alma 00:03:29.915 --> 00:03:33.935 maters, Illinois tech, which is where I know him from and Purdue, um, as well 00:03:33.935 --> 00:03:37.255 as to AICHE and has been recognized across the board in those areas. 00:03:37.255 --> 00:03:38.015 So anyway. 00:03:38.550 --> 00:03:39.570 You're in for a treat. 00:03:39.760 --> 00:03:43.950 Um, if you listened to this episode the first time it was published, I'm just 00:03:43.950 --> 00:03:45.200 going to encourage you to listen again. 00:03:45.210 --> 00:03:48.340 And if you've never listened to this episode and heard Mike 00:03:48.340 --> 00:03:50.460 speak, you are in for a treat. 00:03:50.460 --> 00:03:51.840 So enjoy the interview. 00:03:51.900 --> 00:03:53.069 Let me know what you think. 00:03:53.119 --> 00:03:54.190 And we'll talk again soon. 00:03:55.050 --> 00:03:56.530 Welcome back to The Chemical Show. 00:03:57.240 --> 00:03:58.400 I'm Victoria Meyer. 00:03:58.440 --> 00:03:59.900 I'm glad to have you here again today. 00:04:00.870 --> 00:04:05.670 Today I'm speaking with Michael Graff, who is the chairman and CEO of 00:04:05.790 --> 00:04:09.970 American Air Liquide Holdings and is also the EVP of the Air Liquide Group. 00:04:10.660 --> 00:04:13.060 Mike is in charge of the Americas Hub and is also the 00:04:13.060 --> 00:04:14.570 chairman of the Board of Air Gas. 00:04:14.590 --> 00:04:18.820 He's got over 30 years of experience in the energy chemicals and polymers 00:04:18.820 --> 00:04:23.080 industry, um, and is here today to just bring some insight to us in terms 00:04:23.340 --> 00:04:25.870 of hydrogen, gas, and other things. 00:04:26.640 --> 00:04:28.020 Mike, welcome to the Chemical Show. 00:04:29.420 --> 00:04:30.440 Well, thanks, Victoria. 00:04:30.570 --> 00:04:31.400 It's great to be here. 00:04:31.400 --> 00:04:32.120 Thanks for having me. 00:04:32.630 --> 00:04:33.200 Absolutely. 00:04:33.200 --> 00:04:34.080 Glad to have you here. 00:04:34.980 --> 00:04:36.600 What's your origin story? 00:04:36.690 --> 00:04:40.670 What got you interested in energy and chemicals and what ultimately 00:04:40.670 --> 00:04:41.730 brought you to Air Liquide? 00:04:42.910 --> 00:04:45.190 So it's probably a combination of things. 00:04:45.310 --> 00:04:51.720 Um, like many of us that ended up studying engineering, uh, I had an affinity 00:04:51.730 --> 00:04:57.450 for math and physics and chemistry, uh, analytical things, uh, and, and 00:04:57.450 --> 00:04:59.250 it seemed to excel at that at school. 00:04:59.260 --> 00:05:00.630 So that, that's a part of it. 00:05:01.770 --> 00:05:05.960 I actually grew up in Chicago Southside and I had the benefit of growing up 00:05:05.960 --> 00:05:11.220 in the city and all the benefits of schooling and activities and those 00:05:11.220 --> 00:05:12.680 types of things the city brings. 00:05:13.250 --> 00:05:16.140 But on my dad's side of the family, we also had a family farm. 00:05:16.740 --> 00:05:21.860 And so I spent summers, I spent long weekends out working on the family farm. 00:05:22.270 --> 00:05:24.860 Uh, and you know, you see the world through a different light 00:05:24.900 --> 00:05:26.300 when you when you do that. 00:05:26.725 --> 00:05:30.795 And, and so somehow I was always naturally inquisitive, trying 00:05:30.795 --> 00:05:31.765 to understand how things work. 00:05:31.795 --> 00:05:32.785 Why did it work that way? 00:05:32.795 --> 00:05:33.685 How do you make that work? 00:05:33.695 --> 00:05:34.505 How does that happen? 00:05:34.885 --> 00:05:37.195 And so somehow that combination of that. 00:05:37.550 --> 00:05:42.960 Uh, that just natural aspect of being inquisitive on how the world works, 00:05:42.960 --> 00:05:48.590 how things work, along with the fundamentals of all those analytical 00:05:48.810 --> 00:05:52.510 and scientific principles that are somehow deeply embedded in me kind 00:05:52.510 --> 00:05:55.590 of drove me into into engineering, specifically chemical engineering. 00:05:57.440 --> 00:05:58.000 That's awesome. 00:05:58.220 --> 00:06:02.830 And, uh, and then you launched from that into the chemical 00:06:02.830 --> 00:06:04.750 industry and into Aralakid. 00:06:05.890 --> 00:06:06.330 I did. 00:06:06.330 --> 00:06:06.610 Yeah. 00:06:06.610 --> 00:06:10.820 So I started my career actually with standard all of Indiana, which 00:06:10.840 --> 00:06:12.790 uh, became later known as Amico. 00:06:13.310 --> 00:06:17.540 And I actually started in R and D and I was in a group, it was a 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:19.380 think tank called plastic products. 00:06:19.940 --> 00:06:27.950 And so back then, uh, there was a lot of, I would say, drive, uh, a 00:06:27.950 --> 00:06:32.460 lot of innovation thinking about how plastics and polymers could enable a 00:06:32.460 --> 00:06:33.960 lot of things in the world around us. 00:06:34.300 --> 00:06:38.890 And, and so I joined this group that was thinking about some weird concept, 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:44.640 like a one piece plastic bottle, uh, we were thinking about, um, how you 00:06:44.640 --> 00:06:49.020 could develop, uh, plastics and polymers that you could use under the hood. 00:06:49.340 --> 00:06:52.630 So they can handle high temperatures and under extreme conditions 00:06:52.630 --> 00:06:53.800 deliver what they needed to. 00:06:54.230 --> 00:06:56.730 We didn't know anything about personal computers at the time 00:06:56.730 --> 00:06:58.040 because nobody really had one. 00:06:58.040 --> 00:07:01.790 And a lot of the things we developed for that and so on. 00:07:01.790 --> 00:07:05.370 And it went into a lot of products that are in use in the world today 00:07:05.370 --> 00:07:09.060 in healthcare and electronics, uh, in everyday life and automotive, 00:07:09.060 --> 00:07:10.250 whatever the case may be. 00:07:10.740 --> 00:07:11.830 And I just kind of evolved. 00:07:11.850 --> 00:07:16.430 I ended up in engineering and then I was working more in the refining. 00:07:16.905 --> 00:07:20.165 Uh, and and marketing of transportation fuels. 00:07:20.165 --> 00:07:25.025 So I was able to design and build and then help operate a number of 00:07:25.025 --> 00:07:27.205 refineries in the old Amico system. 00:07:27.630 --> 00:07:30.940 And then, and then I took on a lot of different roles and I was in planning. 00:07:30.940 --> 00:07:32.040 I was in finance. 00:07:32.290 --> 00:07:36.740 Uh, I was in long term corporate planning for the organization, uh, 00:07:36.740 --> 00:07:39.870 working for the chairman, uh, and then ended up back in chemicals. 00:07:39.890 --> 00:07:44.300 And I had the chance to operate, uh, globally, uh, many of the chemical and 00:07:44.300 --> 00:07:46.240 polymer businesses in the old Amico. 00:07:46.540 --> 00:07:47.870 And then I leveraged that. 00:07:47.910 --> 00:07:52.730 I moved into Ara Laquid now, 16 years ago, and, uh, I've been involved in 00:07:52.730 --> 00:07:54.460 more of the industrial gas space with. 00:07:55.080 --> 00:07:58.470 Customers who do many of the same things that I did in my past and many 00:07:58.470 --> 00:08:04.150 others as well, uh, and have had a chance now to see both in, in, in the 00:08:04.150 --> 00:08:08.140 first part of my career in the second part of my career, how innovation, 00:08:08.390 --> 00:08:11.410 uh, how deep scientific principles. 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:17.100 how the world around us continues to evolve and needs solutions that are 00:08:17.140 --> 00:08:21.630 embodied in those basic principles to be, uh, who we want to be in the future, 00:08:21.630 --> 00:08:25.050 to be successful in the future, to help the world achieve its long term goals. 00:08:25.479 --> 00:08:26.350 Yeah, that's right. 00:08:26.350 --> 00:08:30.560 And it's so interesting, as you say, the, the connectivity between where you 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:34.350 started and where you are today and, uh, your customers or your suppliers 00:08:34.350 --> 00:08:38.020 and your suppliers or your customers, and it's a really interconnected world. 00:08:39.670 --> 00:08:41.280 It is absolutely, which makes it fun. 00:08:42.015 --> 00:08:42.405 It does. 00:08:42.425 --> 00:08:42.875 Absolutely. 00:08:42.875 --> 00:08:44.085 So what do you see different? 00:08:44.085 --> 00:08:46.275 You've been in the industry, uh, in, in different parts of 00:08:46.275 --> 00:08:47.415 the industry for a long time. 00:08:48.025 --> 00:08:51.245 What's different today versus when you started? 00:08:52.915 --> 00:08:55.355 So there's probably some similarities and then there's 00:08:55.355 --> 00:08:57.255 definitely some, some differences. 00:08:57.665 --> 00:09:02.425 Um, I think that the ability to leverage innovation, uh, the 00:09:02.425 --> 00:09:04.665 ability to meet a customer's needs. 00:09:05.370 --> 00:09:11.900 Uh, the ability to go ahead and and I would say leverage at global scale, 00:09:12.220 --> 00:09:17.050 uh, capabilities to meet the world's needs are all very prominent today. 00:09:17.050 --> 00:09:18.210 And they were very prominent. 00:09:18.210 --> 00:09:20.880 Then I think the world is sped up. 00:09:20.920 --> 00:09:22.860 I think the world has evolved in a way. 00:09:23.275 --> 00:09:26.335 Uh, that innovation is ever more key. 00:09:27.455 --> 00:09:31.835 I think looking at the world's issues, whether that's how do 00:09:31.835 --> 00:09:33.315 you address climate change? 00:09:33.525 --> 00:09:35.135 How do you decarbonize industry? 00:09:35.155 --> 00:09:37.735 How do you decarbonize the transportation sector? 00:09:38.015 --> 00:09:43.685 Um, how do you, uh, enable the digital world of tomorrow, uh, with with 00:09:43.695 --> 00:09:47.975 all of the digital capabilities, uh, to allow that to occur? 00:09:47.995 --> 00:09:50.515 How do you create better mechanisms for health care? 00:09:50.905 --> 00:09:54.475 How do you do this based on scientific technologies and principles? 00:09:54.475 --> 00:09:59.495 And I could go on, but all of these things require innovation, and they 00:09:59.495 --> 00:10:05.185 require ever more rapid development of innovation in the world around us. 00:10:05.415 --> 00:10:06.815 So I think I think that's one difference. 00:10:07.855 --> 00:10:12.475 I think another big difference is the application of technologies, 00:10:12.715 --> 00:10:17.525 the application across whether whether that's disciplines. 00:10:17.860 --> 00:10:21.070 Uh, whether that's across industries, somehow everything 00:10:21.070 --> 00:10:22.130 is ever more integrated. 00:10:22.380 --> 00:10:26.750 I think that the, the evolution, uh, that we see is that it's 00:10:26.760 --> 00:10:30.700 not just about one idea from one place that solves this big issue. 00:10:30.890 --> 00:10:35.620 It requires teams of people could be within the same company could be from 00:10:35.630 --> 00:10:39.700 different companies that are able to leverage strengths and their ideas and 00:10:39.700 --> 00:10:44.500 their innovation and really drive, uh, a new solution in the world around us. 00:10:45.130 --> 00:10:49.600 I think another key thing is customers and patients have 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:51.180 always been critically important. 00:10:51.570 --> 00:10:56.690 But I think As the world has evolved, I think that whether it's industry, 00:10:57.010 --> 00:11:01.620 uh, whether it's the approach from a healthcare standpoint, this 00:11:01.640 --> 00:11:07.160 patient or the customer is ever, ever more of a focus as a center 00:11:07.160 --> 00:11:08.380 point of what you want to achieve. 00:11:08.380 --> 00:11:12.824 It's not just I've developed this, so maybe you want to buy it and use it. 00:11:13.275 --> 00:11:17.765 It's about developing solutions that are tailored to those individuals, to 00:11:17.775 --> 00:11:22.335 those companies, to those customers or patients and ensuring that you 00:11:22.345 --> 00:11:26.215 leverage all of your capabilities to meet those needs in a safe way, in a 00:11:26.215 --> 00:11:28.135 reliable way and a high quality way. 00:11:28.645 --> 00:11:34.525 Um, but a lot of times, especially if we look now at the energy transition as an 00:11:34.525 --> 00:11:39.855 example, or how do you create, uh, the next node from a transistor standpoint? 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:44.370 They need solutions and we bring some of those solutions. 00:11:44.410 --> 00:11:47.320 And so I think that the customer centricity of what we do is 00:11:47.320 --> 00:11:50.630 ever more so than it was, and we're ever more integrated and 00:11:50.630 --> 00:11:53.440 understanding our customer's needs and what we can bring to the table. 00:11:54.220 --> 00:11:56.100 I think another key thing is employees. 00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:02.220 When, when I first joined, uh, you know, industry, when, when I first started 00:12:02.220 --> 00:12:08.859 my career, um, the information age wasn't upon us, uh, and, and I think in 00:12:08.859 --> 00:12:12.089 general, as, as each generation evolved. 00:12:12.445 --> 00:12:19.055 The desire to understand not just what we are doing as a company, but more 00:12:19.055 --> 00:12:22.255 importantly, why, why do we do what we do? 00:12:22.265 --> 00:12:23.905 Why do we want to make this change? 00:12:23.915 --> 00:12:25.015 Why does this occur? 00:12:25.015 --> 00:12:28.545 Rather than someone just directing something to happen and everybody 00:12:28.545 --> 00:12:30.025 took it as that's what we need to do. 00:12:30.025 --> 00:12:36.055 We just move on a lot more in depth understanding and discussion, which 00:12:36.055 --> 00:12:40.365 has only led us to ever better ways to operate companies, ever better ways 00:12:40.365 --> 00:12:42.025 to work together and bring solutions. 00:12:42.035 --> 00:12:43.115 So I think that's different. 00:12:43.685 --> 00:12:48.105 I think the career development of employees is very different, right? 00:12:48.525 --> 00:12:51.325 You know, when you, when you joined a company years ago, you joined 00:12:51.325 --> 00:12:53.785 a company and one day somebody called you in the office and said, 00:12:53.785 --> 00:12:54.865 well, we've got a job for you here. 00:12:54.865 --> 00:12:55.035 And. 00:12:55.420 --> 00:12:56.190 You better take it. 00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:58.580 And that's what it is today. 00:12:58.580 --> 00:13:01.700 Employees, they, they own their career, which is critically important. 00:13:02.170 --> 00:13:03.760 They, they develop themselves. 00:13:03.800 --> 00:13:07.090 We help develop them, but it's, it's a joint effort. 00:13:07.260 --> 00:13:10.600 And, and, and so you want to make sure that you hire the right people, but 00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:14.240 then you, you develop them, you give them opportunities, you stretch them. 00:13:14.560 --> 00:13:18.730 You allow them to achieve what it is they want to achieve in their career. 00:13:19.250 --> 00:13:21.090 And then finally, the last point, and I could go on, but I 00:13:21.090 --> 00:13:23.910 think the last point is, is the relationship with the community. 00:13:24.540 --> 00:13:25.330 I think that. 00:13:25.805 --> 00:13:29.625 As a company, Air Liquide, for example, has always worked hard 00:13:29.625 --> 00:13:31.255 to be a part of the community. 00:13:31.255 --> 00:13:36.025 We've always had a sustainable DNA or a sustainable backbone to our culture. 00:13:36.675 --> 00:13:39.885 But, but if you just think about how things have evolved in industry 00:13:39.885 --> 00:13:44.975 in general over time, you know, the 70s, Uh, you know, the vernacular was 00:13:44.975 --> 00:13:48.335 anything goes, you know, and I just mean in general society or whatever. 00:13:49.835 --> 00:13:52.965 And today I think people are very concerned about what 00:13:52.965 --> 00:13:53.995 happens in my community. 00:13:54.325 --> 00:13:57.785 People are very concerned about, are you a good citizen? 00:13:57.795 --> 00:14:00.785 If you're going to build a facility, if you're going to operate in my community, 00:14:01.065 --> 00:14:02.675 are you giving back to the community? 00:14:03.075 --> 00:14:04.705 Are you engaged in the community? 00:14:05.025 --> 00:14:06.355 Do you leverage the community? 00:14:06.365 --> 00:14:09.345 Do you create opportunity for the people in our community? 00:14:09.345 --> 00:14:10.975 And I think all of those things. 00:14:11.280 --> 00:14:14.400 Our first and foremost in our mind, certainly as we do things that are the 00:14:14.400 --> 00:14:17.060 key, but I've seen that evolve over time. 00:14:17.330 --> 00:14:21.750 And, and I think that, that, that relationship between the company and the 00:14:21.750 --> 00:14:26.720 community, uh, being a good citizen in the community, a good corporate citizen 00:14:27.040 --> 00:14:29.300 has really evolved in a very positive way. 00:14:29.850 --> 00:14:30.750 Yeah, that's awesome. 00:14:30.750 --> 00:14:35.140 I mean, I was, there's a lot there to unpack and I may not unpack it, but, 00:14:35.160 --> 00:14:37.640 but what I think is really interesting. 00:14:37.640 --> 00:14:40.660 What I draw from that is business has gotten a lot more personal. 00:14:41.085 --> 00:14:41.375 Right. 00:14:41.375 --> 00:14:46.335 So it's really this recognition of individual needs, customer 00:14:46.335 --> 00:14:49.535 needs, the why behind. 00:14:50.190 --> 00:14:53.860 Employees the why behind the customers and what they need the why 00:14:53.860 --> 00:14:59.160 in the community and creating that connectivity and personalization 00:14:59.170 --> 00:15:03.480 really to to make that collaboration and the fact that we're actually all 00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:06.300 part of the same ecosystem is happen. 00:15:06.370 --> 00:15:07.120 It's important. 00:15:08.195 --> 00:15:08.765 Absolutely. 00:15:09.225 --> 00:15:09.655 No, no. 00:15:09.765 --> 00:15:10.385 Interesting. 00:15:10.935 --> 00:15:15.625 So, so let's talk a little bit about sustainability and net zero, right? 00:15:15.625 --> 00:15:19.465 So I know that this is a big part of, uh, heck it's, it's 00:15:19.465 --> 00:15:20.875 on everybody's minds today. 00:15:21.325 --> 00:15:25.195 Um, and I think in a lot of ways. 00:15:25.680 --> 00:15:29.180 The way that we're, the industry is responding to sustainability and net 00:15:29.180 --> 00:15:34.950 zero has moved companies from like Air Liquide from kind of boring industrials 00:15:35.580 --> 00:15:37.780 to central solution providers, right? 00:15:37.780 --> 00:15:41.410 And drivers of the energy transition when we look at things like hydrogen 00:15:41.410 --> 00:15:43.040 for mobility and other things. 00:15:44.130 --> 00:15:45.320 What's Air Liquide's approach? 00:15:45.350 --> 00:15:49.665 What's What's central to Air Liquide when we think about the world that we're in 00:15:49.665 --> 00:15:51.715 today with sustainability and net zero? 00:15:53.705 --> 00:15:57.405 So so first of all, I never thought about anything being boring in the 00:15:57.405 --> 00:16:00.295 past But I mean, it's industrial gas. 00:16:00.315 --> 00:16:01.865 It was kind of an afterthought. 00:16:01.865 --> 00:16:07.245 It's a It may feel that way to many but yeah It comes back to something 00:16:07.245 --> 00:16:12.085 I mentioned before that, you know the world around us And, and especially 00:16:12.085 --> 00:16:16.965 from an early key perspective, trying to understand the needs of the world around 00:16:16.965 --> 00:16:21.605 us, not just today's needs, which we work really hard to make sure we meet each 00:16:21.625 --> 00:16:26.165 and every day for our customers and our patients, but in order to think about the 00:16:26.165 --> 00:16:31.535 future, and I mentioned before, you know, the digital age and where that goes better 00:16:31.535 --> 00:16:37.045 healthcare and clearly climate change, the energy transition is, is top of mind. 00:16:37.570 --> 00:16:42.380 And I actually think that the focus on all three of those areas, uh, while 00:16:42.380 --> 00:16:47.050 it was prominent just a few years ago, somehow all that accelerated during 00:16:47.060 --> 00:16:52.260 COVID, I don't know if people had more chance to, to contemplate, uh, the 00:16:52.270 --> 00:16:54.190 world around them and, and themselves. 00:16:54.190 --> 00:16:55.900 And all of a sudden they were. 00:16:56.550 --> 00:17:00.170 Earnest of healthcare became ever more acute and the need to connect 00:17:00.180 --> 00:17:01.980 digitally became ever more important. 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:04.750 And all of a sudden where they live and the environment around 00:17:04.750 --> 00:17:06.109 them became ever more important. 00:17:06.380 --> 00:17:10.830 But, but all of those things are, are, are clearly something that evolved in a 00:17:10.830 --> 00:17:14.750 very strong way from a climate standpoint, first of all, I would say, and I mentioned 00:17:14.750 --> 00:17:18.730 this before, I think air Laquit has always had a very sustainable approach 00:17:19.020 --> 00:17:21.470 in how we think about the company itself. 00:17:22.280 --> 00:17:24.609 How we act within the communities in which we operate. 00:17:25.330 --> 00:17:27.834 And how we meet our customers or our patients needs. 00:17:28.615 --> 00:17:31.715 And it's always kind of been foundational in the, in the company. 00:17:31.875 --> 00:17:34.165 Certainly you've got to have good financial returns to grow. 00:17:34.165 --> 00:17:35.485 And that's part of sustainability. 00:17:35.975 --> 00:17:41.385 Um, but we were always trying to think of what the world may, may require. 00:17:41.385 --> 00:17:44.085 And, and how can our technologies help enable that? 00:17:44.085 --> 00:17:47.295 Or what technologies do we need to develop that makes sense for us 00:17:47.295 --> 00:17:48.935 to develop, to be a part of that. 00:17:49.665 --> 00:17:51.895 And, and we have seen that happen over time. 00:17:51.905 --> 00:17:56.585 I mean, over 120 years, basically two individuals. 00:17:56.790 --> 00:18:02.180 Working in a garage or a warehouse outside of Paris developed the first commercially 00:18:02.180 --> 00:18:06.650 viable way to separate the air you and I are breathing and liquefy it. 00:18:07.670 --> 00:18:13.390 And that was the beginning of oxo acetylene torch cutting and welding up 00:18:13.390 --> 00:18:16.560 until then steel was metals were hard cut. 00:18:17.220 --> 00:18:20.580 And if you wanted to join two pieces of metal together, you used rivets. 00:18:21.290 --> 00:18:24.710 And, and so it's not that the industrial age happened because 00:18:24.710 --> 00:18:25.650 of us, but we're a part of it. 00:18:26.050 --> 00:18:27.710 We were part of contributing that. 00:18:28.200 --> 00:18:32.110 And I think with all of these types of things, whether that was how our large 00:18:32.110 --> 00:18:35.610 industries business that serves the big commodity industries, like refining and 00:18:35.610 --> 00:18:39.690 chemicals and steel evolved over time, whether it's in manufacturing, whether 00:18:39.690 --> 00:18:44.070 it's in semiconductors, whether it's in healthcare, we were always able to develop 00:18:44.070 --> 00:18:46.410 new technologies and new capabilities. 00:18:46.850 --> 00:18:51.780 Today with climate change, if we think about our goal to net zero. 00:18:52.315 --> 00:18:52.895 As a country. 00:18:52.895 --> 00:18:54.405 We want to be there by 2050. 00:18:54.975 --> 00:18:59.315 Uh, if we are going to achieve that we need to have the 00:18:59.325 --> 00:19:01.095 technological capabilities. 00:19:01.385 --> 00:19:03.885 We need to be able to build at scale today. 00:19:05.005 --> 00:19:07.965 And in the end, it's about the solutions. 00:19:08.555 --> 00:19:13.505 So it starts with Air Liquide having this broad portfolio of technologies. 00:19:14.145 --> 00:19:18.985 We have the ability to produce hydrogen via any route necessary. 00:19:19.565 --> 00:19:21.725 We can take any sort of hydrocarbon. 00:19:22.170 --> 00:19:26.340 We can we can convert that into hydrogen and we have the state of the art carbon 00:19:26.340 --> 00:19:31.120 capture technologies to capture almost all of the CO2 that's generated that 00:19:31.120 --> 00:19:32.910 you can then sequester or use elsewhere. 00:19:33.350 --> 00:19:38.000 We also have all the technologies to utilize, whether it's solar or wind 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:43.460 power, whether it's hydroelectric power from a dam in a variety of different 00:19:43.490 --> 00:19:48.330 electrolyzer technologies to go ahead and produce truly renewable hydrogen. 00:19:48.760 --> 00:19:52.750 Not unlike the first industrial scale PEM electrolyzer that we built some 00:19:52.750 --> 00:19:57.260 three years ago now and is operating well, uh, up in Beacon Corps in Canada, 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:02.220 utilizing power from Niagara Falls and demonstrating that you can do this 00:20:02.220 --> 00:20:03.910 at industrial scale and make it work. 00:20:04.210 --> 00:20:10.220 But we've also developed the technologies to take off gas from a landfill, utilizing 00:20:10.220 --> 00:20:15.080 our membrane technologies, convert that to a renewable natural gas, a biogas, and 00:20:15.080 --> 00:20:17.120 then convert that to renewable hydrogen. 00:20:17.490 --> 00:20:19.340 So we've got all those technologies. 00:20:19.890 --> 00:20:24.620 We've got all the capabilities and the proven ability that we demonstrate 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:29.870 in each and every day to transport hydrogen by a pipeline, uh, by a tube 00:20:29.910 --> 00:20:33.940 trailer as a liquid, uh, we have the state of the art technologies for 00:20:33.950 --> 00:20:37.790 liquefaction, uh, and we have the state of the art technologies for every type 00:20:37.790 --> 00:20:39.410 of carbon capture you might imagine. 00:20:39.710 --> 00:20:40.450 What that means. 00:20:40.950 --> 00:20:45.400 Is right now people are trying to figure out if I wanted to carbonize my industry 00:20:45.400 --> 00:20:47.820 if I wanted to carbonize my site. 00:20:48.230 --> 00:20:49.310 How do I go about that. 00:20:49.730 --> 00:20:53.190 And we're able to go in, given the breadth of all these technologies 00:20:53.420 --> 00:20:58.860 and bring solutions and help them understand first of all what they need 00:20:58.860 --> 00:21:00.784 to consider in order to achieve that. 00:21:01.285 --> 00:21:02.405 And then to implement it. 00:21:02.965 --> 00:21:04.855 Similarly with the transportation sector. 00:21:05.105 --> 00:21:09.175 If we are going to decarbonize the transportation sector, we've got to do 00:21:09.175 --> 00:21:14.855 a lot of things in terms of how we go ahead and drive mobility to zero emission. 00:21:15.655 --> 00:21:20.595 And a lot of that utilizing hydrogen fuel cells can be accomplished. 00:21:20.925 --> 00:21:26.225 In the end, the energy transition itself, um, will not occur 00:21:26.255 --> 00:21:28.095 only because of hydrogen. 00:21:28.505 --> 00:21:28.835 But it. 00:21:29.325 --> 00:21:32.035 The energy transition will not happen without hydrogen. 00:21:32.335 --> 00:21:36.795 I think that if you look at the focus in the world around us, I think the 00:21:36.795 --> 00:21:43.025 estimates are by 2050 roughly 20 percent of all of the energy needs 00:21:43.025 --> 00:21:44.565 of the world will be met by hydrogen. 00:21:45.185 --> 00:21:49.485 And so that's industry that's mobility that can even be grid backup. 00:21:49.995 --> 00:21:55.295 So I think whether it's on carbon capture or hydrogen, the sustainability mindset 00:21:55.295 --> 00:22:00.095 we've always had are now in a place we are now in a place where we can deliver that. 00:22:00.445 --> 00:22:04.205 And the good thing is it's not a wish list of things we could do. 00:22:04.965 --> 00:22:09.375 We have already demonstrated all of these technologies at scale. 00:22:10.895 --> 00:22:11.735 So we know they work. 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:12.800 Yeah. 00:22:13.040 --> 00:22:14.540 And it's a matter of deploying them. 00:22:15.300 --> 00:22:15.790 Exactly. 00:22:17.370 --> 00:22:20.140 Are customers and consumers ready for this? 00:22:20.170 --> 00:22:24.860 I mean, it strikes me that we've got some ambitious goals as a country. 00:22:24.930 --> 00:22:26.750 Air Liquide has its ambitious goals. 00:22:27.600 --> 00:22:31.599 And when you look across the value chain, it kind of all has to be in 00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:36.250 sync for it to really come to fruition. 00:22:38.250 --> 00:22:42.540 I guess the question is, how do, how do we get the value chain in sync so that 00:22:42.540 --> 00:22:46.430 we can, so that we can realize it so that Air Liquide can realize its ambitions? 00:22:50.410 --> 00:22:53.410 There's no magic bullet here, but let's think a little about some 00:22:53.410 --> 00:22:54.660 of the things that have to happen. 00:22:54.900 --> 00:23:00.695 Um, I think first of all, you've got to have like minded companies, 00:23:00.705 --> 00:23:03.765 like minded industries working together, as I mentioned before, 00:23:04.245 --> 00:23:08.105 uh, to bring technologies to bring capabilities to the table. 00:23:08.535 --> 00:23:13.715 Uh, it's not just how do you produce, uh, your needs from a fueling standpoint like 00:23:13.715 --> 00:23:17.565 hydrogen, but what are the applications to use that and how do you deliver 00:23:17.645 --> 00:23:19.645 those at scale to make those successful? 00:23:20.155 --> 00:23:23.855 So I think it takes a lot of Uh, like minded companies. 00:23:23.865 --> 00:23:28.555 For example, we started the Hydrogen Council some six years ago joint with 00:23:28.555 --> 00:23:32.815 Toyota because we both shared a view of what hydrogen could mean in the future. 00:23:33.045 --> 00:23:37.105 And now I think we have over 120 companies jointly working within this Hydrogen 00:23:37.105 --> 00:23:39.064 Council on how you develop things. 00:23:39.615 --> 00:23:43.105 I think another key thing, though, is the recognition 00:23:43.105 --> 00:23:45.395 that in order to make a change. 00:23:46.075 --> 00:23:49.975 In order to make this happen, in order to deliver it, it requires 00:23:49.975 --> 00:23:53.235 new infrastructure, it requires new capabilities, it requires 00:23:53.235 --> 00:23:54.735 investment in these facilities. 00:23:55.355 --> 00:23:58.745 And in order to achieve that, we need to have the incentives to 00:23:58.745 --> 00:24:02.245 make that work, and we need to have the policies to make that work. 00:24:02.875 --> 00:24:06.564 So, in my mind, it's going to take, you know, smart climate 00:24:06.564 --> 00:24:08.564 policy, like we see with the IRA. 00:24:10.320 --> 00:24:14.010 Or we've seen, we've seen with some elements of the bipartisan 00:24:14.010 --> 00:24:18.270 infrastructure bill to go ahead and help drive some of those incentives. 00:24:18.270 --> 00:24:20.960 And you see something very similar in Europe, you see some of that 00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:26.309 evolving in countries like, uh, in, in Japan or in Korea, where, where 00:24:26.309 --> 00:24:27.910 these kinds of things are evolving. 00:24:28.250 --> 00:24:32.619 And then it really takes to promote the technologies to continue the innovation 00:24:32.619 --> 00:24:36.950 public private partnerships, where it's not just companies and the government 00:24:36.950 --> 00:24:38.789 but universities and other think tanks. 00:24:39.275 --> 00:24:42.575 That are all collaborating, and I think what we see right now are 00:24:42.625 --> 00:24:48.245 ecosystems being built both around knowledge and around innovation. 00:24:48.595 --> 00:24:54.055 But then geographic ecosystems that recognize the, the basic inherent 00:24:54.515 --> 00:24:59.264 resources in needs within a given geography, and then determining the 00:24:59.265 --> 00:25:04.474 solutions that will allow you to best meet those goals of, of, you know, 00:25:04.795 --> 00:25:09.945 Uh, net zero for those communities for those regions in a very positive way. 00:25:12.005 --> 00:25:16.745 Yeah, it's a, it's a challenge that takes a lot of people, as you say. 00:25:16.775 --> 00:25:21.955 So getting these coalitions and these entities aligned, um, is 00:25:22.515 --> 00:25:23.665 going to be part of the process. 00:25:24.874 --> 00:25:26.425 Well, exactly right. 00:25:27.015 --> 00:25:28.195 And it takes commitments. 00:25:28.445 --> 00:25:31.124 I mean, I mean, we've, you know, we've been in the hydrogen 00:25:31.124 --> 00:25:32.515 business for over 60 years. 00:25:33.145 --> 00:25:38.845 Um, and, and we have been very driven, uh, as, as part of all 00:25:38.845 --> 00:25:40.915 this to leverage that experience. 00:25:41.400 --> 00:25:44.610 And, and you know, we've already made commitments, you know, for over $10 00:25:44.610 --> 00:25:49.800 billion that we'll invest, uh, to continue to grow hydrogen, uh, in the coming years. 00:25:49.800 --> 00:25:51.570 And those numbers only continue to grow. 00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:55.400 And, and I think everybody is looking at that saying, what can we do? 00:25:55.780 --> 00:25:57.010 How can we make this work? 00:25:57.450 --> 00:26:01.770 Um, but I, I think the other point that you were driving at is for 00:26:01.770 --> 00:26:03.690 the consumer, for their needs. 00:26:04.210 --> 00:26:09.240 You know, at the end of the day, right, energy needs to need to 00:26:09.250 --> 00:26:10.600 be met for the world around us. 00:26:10.600 --> 00:26:12.870 Our energy needs only continue to grow. 00:26:13.280 --> 00:26:14.960 Yes, we're more efficient and things. 00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:20.090 So for a specific, uh, plant or for a specific need. 00:26:20.090 --> 00:26:21.630 Yes, you can make that more efficient. 00:26:22.255 --> 00:26:26.415 But in the aggregate, the world's energy needs, as we think about everything in 00:26:26.415 --> 00:26:30.845 the world that evolves around energy, even the digital world requires enormous 00:26:30.845 --> 00:26:34.434 amounts of energy in order to go ahead and function that only continues to grow. 00:26:35.115 --> 00:26:38.624 And so at first, all of these energy sources are additive. 00:26:39.724 --> 00:26:44.335 And then as you build to scale and you create more structure, then 00:26:44.485 --> 00:26:49.395 certain new opportunities will become ever more prominent in that mix. 00:26:50.345 --> 00:26:52.644 At the end of the day, people want energy. 00:26:53.425 --> 00:26:56.655 They want it to be available when they need it. 00:26:56.835 --> 00:27:01.625 It's got to be affordable and they want it to be cleaner and it's got 00:27:01.625 --> 00:27:05.125 to meet the needs of everybody, every community out there. 00:27:05.544 --> 00:27:10.175 And I think those are the kind of goals we have is to get ourselves to that place. 00:27:11.855 --> 00:27:12.205 Yeah. 00:27:12.405 --> 00:27:12.925 Awesome. 00:27:13.365 --> 00:27:16.275 So, um, I'm going to circle in a little bit on the customers. 00:27:16.335 --> 00:27:21.105 So you, you talked earlier about how, um, what are the differences, 00:27:21.135 --> 00:27:23.735 you know, in the industry today is just kind of this alignment to the 00:27:23.735 --> 00:27:26.455 customers and, and their needs, etc. 00:27:27.955 --> 00:27:29.945 We talked a lot about the customer experience. 00:27:31.180 --> 00:27:35.760 What's critical to Air Liquide and its customers when you think about 00:27:35.760 --> 00:27:39.190 the experience and why companies do business with you, why your 00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:43.050 customers want to keep doing business with Air Liquide and partnering. 00:27:44.940 --> 00:27:47.150 So I think it's multifold. 00:27:48.020 --> 00:27:50.530 You probably ought to talk to our customers to get the real answer. 00:27:50.530 --> 00:27:55.930 But, but I, I think, I think that the, the reality is this, um, first of all, 00:27:56.640 --> 00:28:04.060 our customers look to us to meet their needs in a safe way, in a reliable way. 00:28:04.995 --> 00:28:06.445 And in a high quality way. 00:28:07.765 --> 00:28:12.035 And, and that is very clear as things have evolved. 00:28:12.235 --> 00:28:13.675 I would add a sustainable way. 00:28:15.265 --> 00:28:19.305 So you've got those four basic components that our customers really look for. 00:28:19.830 --> 00:28:22.940 As, as we look to meet their needs or our patients for that matter. 00:28:23.930 --> 00:28:29.420 I think the next thing is to bring innovative solutions to bear, to help 00:28:29.420 --> 00:28:36.170 them because in this world, as things have evolved, whether, whether that's, 00:28:36.190 --> 00:28:39.920 is we, some of the things we just talked about with climate change, if someone 00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:43.980 is looking to understand how they decarbonize their industry or their site. 00:28:44.230 --> 00:28:46.960 To the point I made earlier, we bring those solutions. 00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:48.880 It's not just we bring a product. 00:28:49.530 --> 00:28:51.240 So we've got to bring the innovation. 00:28:51.250 --> 00:28:53.380 We've got to bring those solutions and our customers and our 00:28:53.380 --> 00:28:55.310 patients look for us to do that. 00:28:56.410 --> 00:29:04.220 Similarly, our customers are very, very interested in securitizing because 00:29:04.220 --> 00:29:07.534 we have a lot of global customers supply chains around the world. 00:29:07.805 --> 00:29:12.085 So coming back to their reliability piece, it's, it's not just, I meet your needs 00:29:12.085 --> 00:29:15.955 from this plane to this plane every day, but if they are going to be successful 00:29:15.955 --> 00:29:19.605 in the future and they are going to deploy their capabilities and their 00:29:19.605 --> 00:29:23.705 technologies globally, then they want to make sure those supply chains are secure. 00:29:24.045 --> 00:29:27.734 They want to make sure that they can rely on you each and every day. 00:29:28.015 --> 00:29:31.035 So I think there's a variety of things that our customers look for. 00:29:31.490 --> 00:29:35.570 And, and in the, in the end as well, I think the digital connectivity 00:29:35.570 --> 00:29:39.890 between all of us opens doors for even better ways to connect, for 00:29:39.890 --> 00:29:41.510 even better ways to do things. 00:29:41.720 --> 00:29:43.380 And we certainly leverage that as well. 00:29:44.420 --> 00:29:44.680 Yeah. 00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:48.080 And digital is certainly driving that in a, in a lot of different places. 00:29:50.175 --> 00:29:54.245 So when we, we look at what's going on kind of in the world today, you know, 00:29:54.245 --> 00:30:00.055 I mean, as we're recording this, uh, there's a lot of banking uncertainty with 00:30:00.095 --> 00:30:03.255 SVB and, uh, Credit Suisse, et cetera. 00:30:04.015 --> 00:30:08.175 Industries and companies continue to be concerned about inflation. 00:30:08.185 --> 00:30:09.505 There's a lot of things going on. 00:30:10.025 --> 00:30:12.195 You've led businesses through several cycles. 00:30:12.335 --> 00:30:18.085 Um, what do you find critical to navigating these ups and downs? 00:30:18.085 --> 00:30:18.374 Right. 00:30:18.374 --> 00:30:18.815 So you. 00:30:19.460 --> 00:30:23.520 I know that you're looking at these and as you lead Air Liquide, you're looking 00:30:23.520 --> 00:30:25.190 at how do you lead through these cycles? 00:30:25.290 --> 00:30:26.210 What's critical to you? 00:30:27.660 --> 00:30:31.800 So, clearly the, the external world. 00:30:32.430 --> 00:30:41.520 Is ever evolving and you have to have a very open mind and a close eye on 00:30:41.530 --> 00:30:43.330 what's evolving in the world around us. 00:30:43.650 --> 00:30:47.050 And, and we've got to really understand our customers needs. 00:30:47.070 --> 00:30:48.800 We've got to understand where markets are going. 00:30:48.809 --> 00:30:51.450 We've got to understand we're, we're in, you know, we're, we're 00:30:51.450 --> 00:30:52.870 in 75 countries around the world. 00:30:53.139 --> 00:30:55.710 And so we've got to understand what's happening within each of 00:30:55.710 --> 00:31:00.290 those countries, uh, the political environment, uh, the inherent 00:31:00.300 --> 00:31:01.540 risk involved in different places. 00:31:01.580 --> 00:31:04.530 We're always trying to understand what's going on in the world around us. 00:31:06.745 --> 00:31:12.645 In the end, you leverage your innovations and your capabilities, as I mentioned 00:31:12.655 --> 00:31:14.165 before, to meet the world's needs. 00:31:14.765 --> 00:31:18.335 And you've got to pick and choose how you deploy those, how you 00:31:18.335 --> 00:31:20.435 invest, and how you will manage that. 00:31:23.265 --> 00:31:28.695 But in the end, for a company like Aralic Key to be around for over 120 years, 00:31:30.795 --> 00:31:36.935 and go through as many cycles and wars and depressions and recessions as we 00:31:36.935 --> 00:31:41.715 have, You know, you first of all have to make sure you control your cost base. 00:31:43.795 --> 00:31:47.455 You have to recognize that you don't control the external environment. 00:31:47.755 --> 00:31:48.945 You don't control markets. 00:31:49.205 --> 00:31:52.505 You don't control the latest decision that's going to happen in a given 00:31:52.505 --> 00:31:54.285 country or whatever the case may be. 00:31:55.355 --> 00:31:58.885 You don't control the un, unthought of things, the black 00:31:58.885 --> 00:32:00.369 swans that are going to evolve. 00:32:00.369 --> 00:32:01.055 Yes, you plan. 00:32:01.055 --> 00:32:01.269 You plan. 00:32:01.610 --> 00:32:05.000 For what could be, but you do your best on those types of things. 00:32:05.450 --> 00:32:09.960 So in the end, you've got to control those things you can control. 00:32:10.990 --> 00:32:16.770 So it's cost, it's reliability, it's how you help your employees and develop your 00:32:16.770 --> 00:32:20.890 employees, and making sure you're always close to your customers and what their 00:32:20.890 --> 00:32:24.229 needs are, and you stay very integrated and ingrained with the community. 00:32:25.080 --> 00:32:30.400 So, You, you are in this unusual place today, where whether it's with the war 00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:35.270 in Ukraine and how that's changed the environment, uh, within Europe, looking 00:32:35.270 --> 00:32:40.300 at energy, looking at industry, looking at a variety of things, uh, whether it's, 00:32:40.360 --> 00:32:45.229 you know, SVB and, and other concerns about the banking sector, whether it's 00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:49.160 other concerns about what's happening in economies or political situations 00:32:49.160 --> 00:32:53.280 in the world around us, you know, at the end of the day, you, you have 00:32:53.280 --> 00:32:56.520 to be aware of all those things, but then you have to manage what you can. 00:32:57.245 --> 00:32:59.565 Control what you know, you know how to control. 00:33:00.135 --> 00:33:04.275 And then make sure you stay very close with your customers, that you understand 00:33:04.275 --> 00:33:07.555 their needs, that you're helping them with solutions, and you make sure your 00:33:07.555 --> 00:33:09.895 patients needs are met each and every day. 00:33:10.295 --> 00:33:14.185 And I think COVID was the perfect example of that, where suddenly health care was 00:33:14.185 --> 00:33:18.175 prominent on everyone's mind, and it's unusual maybe for an industrial company. 00:33:18.215 --> 00:33:22.415 20 percent of our revenue base is health care, and we're the world's 00:33:22.415 --> 00:33:24.345 largest medical oxygen provider. 00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:25.220 Wow. 00:33:25.710 --> 00:33:31.880 And suddenly, in COVID, with the focus on the need for medical oxygen, everywhere 00:33:31.880 --> 00:33:37.950 in the world, in order to help patients survive COVID, we were front and center. 00:33:38.520 --> 00:33:41.900 And we had to be very attuned with what was happening. 00:33:42.350 --> 00:33:47.530 We saw how it evolved around the world, and we continued to learn from that 00:33:47.620 --> 00:33:49.320 everywhere around the world as it evolved. 00:33:49.845 --> 00:33:54.535 So that we were ever more prepared, we were able to go ahead and significantly 00:33:54.565 --> 00:33:59.845 increase the production of medical oxygen and certainly do that in advance 00:33:59.845 --> 00:34:02.915 once we knew what was going to happen and leverage our logistics assets and 00:34:02.915 --> 00:34:08.175 our capabilities to the right places in order to make that, I would say, 00:34:08.365 --> 00:34:10.585 available to save patients lives. 00:34:10.805 --> 00:34:14.015 And so there's where you had to be in tune with everything happening in the world. 00:34:14.395 --> 00:34:17.065 You had to be in tune with your patients needs. 00:34:17.365 --> 00:34:21.265 And you had to figure out how to do things people, people never thought 00:34:21.265 --> 00:34:25.905 of before in order to meet those and we not only did that in, you know, the 00:34:25.905 --> 00:34:31.095 geographic centers in Western Europe and North America and in Asia, but 00:34:31.095 --> 00:34:32.725 we went into sort of world countries. 00:34:33.195 --> 00:34:37.425 We found ways to get the medical oxygen needs into the Amazonian. 00:34:37.675 --> 00:34:41.965 We found the ways to go ahead and work in the outskirts outreaches 00:34:42.005 --> 00:34:43.175 of the country of India. 00:34:43.440 --> 00:34:46.780 Joint with the State Department in order to go ahead and project that. 00:34:47.010 --> 00:34:50.670 So there's a lot of things that are happening in the world around us. 00:34:50.860 --> 00:34:51.590 We have to be quick. 00:34:51.620 --> 00:34:54.100 We have to be nimble, but we have to leverage our strengths 00:34:54.100 --> 00:34:54.960 in order to be successful. 00:34:55.605 --> 00:34:56.485 Yeah, absolutely. 00:34:56.485 --> 00:35:00.235 And that and the obvious you guys have obviously done that in your global 00:35:00.245 --> 00:35:01.805 reach and your global connectivity. 00:35:02.255 --> 00:35:03.265 One final question. 00:35:03.265 --> 00:35:07.755 I know we need to wrap it up and get you back into your the rest of your day. 00:35:08.155 --> 00:35:12.405 Um, when we circle back to your origin story, so you've stayed very 00:35:12.405 --> 00:35:14.175 connected to your alma mater I. 00:35:14.185 --> 00:35:14.315 I. 00:35:14.315 --> 00:35:14.745 T. 00:35:14.755 --> 00:35:18.875 Which you and I both share and you sit on the board of trustees. 00:35:18.875 --> 00:35:21.845 You've stayed connected to chemical engineering as a profession. 00:35:21.845 --> 00:35:26.520 I know you recently received the agile Um, award from the American 00:35:26.520 --> 00:35:27.940 Institute of Chemical Engineers. 00:35:29.280 --> 00:35:34.150 Why is staying connected to education to engineering important to you? 00:35:35.420 --> 00:35:39.170 So I think in general, it's critically important because I truly believe, 00:35:39.770 --> 00:35:44.910 probably not a surprise, given everything I just talked about at the benefits, uh, 00:35:44.930 --> 00:35:49.430 that engineering principles, engineering approaches to solving problems. 00:35:49.955 --> 00:35:54.745 Uh, and and the many things that that we have developed, whether that's 00:35:55.125 --> 00:35:58.035 from an engineering standpoint, from an industry standpoint, whatever the 00:35:58.035 --> 00:36:01.925 case may be, how they contribute to the world and how they contribute 00:36:01.925 --> 00:36:03.395 to meet the world's needs over time. 00:36:03.835 --> 00:36:09.305 So I think I think stem itself is critically important, and I 00:36:09.305 --> 00:36:10.615 believe in the world around us. 00:36:10.615 --> 00:36:13.465 You have to find a way to continue to encourage that in a 00:36:13.465 --> 00:36:14.915 way to enable that in general. 00:36:15.755 --> 00:36:17.605 The second thing I would say, Illinois Tech. 00:36:18.070 --> 00:36:23.540 Is, is, is now in a place where it continues its own heritage. 00:36:24.060 --> 00:36:30.990 Um, one of the, the basic founding principles of the school was to create 00:36:31.220 --> 00:36:35.020 an opportunity for those that never had an opportunity to go to college before 00:36:35.020 --> 00:36:37.370 to go to college to study in a year. 00:36:38.790 --> 00:36:42.090 I'm one of those, I mean I'm the first person in my family that ever went to 00:36:42.090 --> 00:36:43.470 college ever graduated from college. 00:36:43.525 --> 00:36:45.214 It's amazing. 00:36:45.395 --> 00:36:49.175 And so, I mean, I, I'm living proof that you can do it, right? 00:36:49.755 --> 00:36:51.885 And I benefited from Illinois Tech. 00:36:52.225 --> 00:36:56.575 I benefited from the Chicago ecosystem where, uh, I, I was able to get a good 00:36:56.575 --> 00:37:00.245 education, but at the same time I was able to work because I had to support 00:37:00.255 --> 00:37:04.285 things, uh, in, in terms of some of the things that were happening back then and 00:37:04.285 --> 00:37:08.065 are in my own life and, and, and pay my way through school and do those things. 00:37:08.555 --> 00:37:11.005 Um, but in the end you want to give back. 00:37:11.045 --> 00:37:13.175 You want to create that same opportunity. 00:37:14.055 --> 00:37:19.385 For someone else who is not in a place to be able to go to go to school to get them 00:37:19.385 --> 00:37:23.385 that opportunity because they just need the opportunity, they need the chance. 00:37:23.825 --> 00:37:28.825 And so it's it's promoting the capabilities the scientific developments 00:37:28.825 --> 00:37:31.345 the engineering developments in the world around us because we need them. 00:37:31.875 --> 00:37:34.585 It's about creating pathways of opportunity for the 00:37:34.585 --> 00:37:35.515 students of the future. 00:37:36.875 --> 00:37:38.985 And I would say I do the same thing with Purdue. 00:37:39.655 --> 00:37:41.955 Maybe in a different way, because that's where I went to graduate school, 00:37:42.185 --> 00:37:46.325 and I'm very involved there, uh, and curriculum needs and, and, and, and 00:37:46.325 --> 00:37:49.365 supporting some of the things they do, just like I do at Illinois tech. 00:37:51.915 --> 00:37:54.915 And I think you've got to give back in the community around you as well. 00:37:56.195 --> 00:37:58.695 We give back as a company in STEM all the time. 00:37:58.915 --> 00:38:00.155 I'm a firm believer in literacy. 00:38:00.155 --> 00:38:05.795 As a family, we're deeply, deeply engaged in literacy in the world around us. 00:38:06.175 --> 00:38:10.765 We're very involved with the Bush, Barbara Bush, when she was first lady 00:38:10.765 --> 00:38:15.825 started a literacy campaign, which is now prevalent across the country and 00:38:15.835 --> 00:38:17.785 very involved in supporting literacy. 00:38:18.235 --> 00:38:21.315 Uh, but but just creating opportunity. 00:38:21.845 --> 00:38:27.985 At the university structure, and even as a company, there are those who they 00:38:27.985 --> 00:38:32.675 may not want to study university, they may not want to get a college degree, 00:38:33.015 --> 00:38:36.465 but how do you create opportunity for them and we even work there, you know 00:38:36.465 --> 00:38:41.925 we are now we've we've now helped to restart shop classes welding classes 00:38:42.095 --> 00:38:43.835 in 30 high schools across the country. 00:38:44.285 --> 00:38:44.835 That's awesome. 00:38:45.385 --> 00:38:48.955 We have, yeah, it's great because we have this in depth knowledge of 00:38:48.955 --> 00:38:52.155 welding given our history and all of these capabilities and we're 00:38:52.165 --> 00:38:53.895 able to go back into those schools. 00:38:53.895 --> 00:38:56.305 We're able to bring the educational capabilities. 00:38:56.615 --> 00:38:58.075 We're able to bring the know how. 00:38:58.255 --> 00:39:01.605 We're able to bring, you know, the materials they need to go ahead and, 00:39:01.605 --> 00:39:05.245 and, and, and learn with, with the gases and the, the, the welding rods 00:39:05.245 --> 00:39:06.965 and the machines and that sort of thing. 00:39:07.415 --> 00:39:11.065 And at the end of the day, you're, you are allowing others that want to 00:39:11.065 --> 00:39:12.685 pursue a different type of career. 00:39:13.015 --> 00:39:17.375 To have a value added creating opportunity for their own career 00:39:17.775 --> 00:39:22.095 and and create and the balance of things opportunity for everyone. 00:39:22.445 --> 00:39:24.755 And I think that's critically important in the world around us. 00:39:25.425 --> 00:39:26.325 Yeah, absolutely. 00:39:26.865 --> 00:39:27.695 Mike, thank you. 00:39:27.955 --> 00:39:30.565 It's been really great talking with you today. 00:39:30.565 --> 00:39:34.065 I appreciate you sharing your time and your points of view and your story 00:39:34.065 --> 00:39:35.085 here with us on the chemical show. 00:39:36.145 --> 00:39:36.425 Great. 00:39:36.545 --> 00:39:37.365 Thank you, Victoria. 00:39:37.375 --> 00:39:38.665 Thanks for everybody for listening. 00:39:39.255 --> 00:39:39.525 Thank you. 00:39:39.525 --> 00:39:40.785 And thanks everyone for listening. 00:39:40.785 --> 00:39:42.195 And we'll talk again soon.