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Welcome to The Chemical Show™, where chemicals mean business. If you're looking for insights from business leaders of mid-market to Fortune 50, this is the place to be.
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Speaker: Hi, this is Victoria.
This episode is the third in the
series I recorded at ACC's Responsible
Care and Sustainability Conference.
This was my first time meeting
Bonnie Tully, president of
Evonik in North America.
And wow, she's amazing.
You are in for a real treat.
Personally, I gained so
many nuggets of wisdom.
She is really inspirational
and an amazing leader.
One of the big things that I took away
from Bonnie, we talked about the role of
careers and how to create career success.
And she talked about the
importance of saying yes to new
opportunities, big and small,
because they can make the biggest
impact on your life and your career.
And one of the things I've always said is
when opportunity knocks, Open the door.
And I think Bonnie would agree.
So Bonnie shares her career experience,
the foundation that responsible care
has created in her business experience.
And that's an interesting one.
Um, and the role that sustainability
plays at Evonik, both in introducing
new and novel technologies, as well
as an identifying opportunities for
improvement, both small and large.
So I think you're really going to
gain a lot out of this episode.
Enjoy.
Speaker 2: A key component of the
modern world economy, the chemical
industry delivers products and
innovations to enhance everyday life.
It is also an industry in transformation
where chemical executives and
workers are delivering growth and
industry changing advancements while
responding to pressures from investors,
regulators, and public opinion.
Discover how leading companies
are approaching these challenges
here on the chemical show.
Join Victoria Meyer, president
of Progressio Global and
host of the chemical show.
As she speaks with executives across the
industry and learns how they are leading
their companies to grow, transform, and
push industry boundaries on all frontiers.
Here's your host, Victoria Meyer.
Victoria: This is Victoria Meyer.
Welcome back to The Chemical Show.
Today, I am speaking with
Bonnie Tully, who is the North
American president of EVONIC.
We are at ACC's Responsible Care
and Sustainability Conference,
where Bonnie has been a panelist
and a participant, and we're going
to be talking about sustainability,
responsible care, and more.
Bonnie, thanks for joining me today.
Bonnie Tully - Take 2:
Thanks for having me.
Victoria: Absolutely.
So let's just start with your career
and your interest in chemicals How did
you get into the chemical industry?
And what led you to where you are today?
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Yeah, so I
grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas and
in As you know, the that area has a
lot of industrial companies there.
So chemical petrochemical companies.
And when I was growing up there, a
lot of my friends, their families,
their mothers, their fathers
worked in the chemical industry.
And so it seemed very
normal that you could.
That would be an industry to go into.
I went to Texas A& M, graduated mechanical
engineering degree, and thought I was
going into the oil and gas industry.
But I graduated during a time when there
was an economic downturn, and so that made
me really look at the chemical industry.
And went in, I've been in the
industry over 30 years, and have
really found it very fulfilling.
Career, you have a lot of
opportunities within the industry.
And if you, particularly if you go with
larger companies you can have a lot of
opportunities within that, in that company
alone to really develop your career.
I started my career with Roman
Haas and that the business that
I was in ultimately got acquired.
By Evonik, and that's how I went over
to working for a German multinational
was through an acquisition.
And that also opens a lot of
opportunities when you move from a U
S based company to a multinational.
Victoria: And so you've, and you
spent a big part of your career in.
Manufacturing, am I right?
And then now into leading the company.
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Yeah, correct.
So, I spent many years in the
manufacturing part of the business.
Started out as a project engineer,
moved my way through production,
maintenance technical manager.
Then the company asked if
I would go to Singapore.
So I was there to build a plant and
then I was the plant manager there.
And.
And then on to managing some
of our larger facilities.
I managed our facility in Mobile,
Alabama, which is the largest
Evonik facility in North America.
And I can just say when you're managing
large sites it really prepares you
to run a company or run a region.
You have P& L responsibilities you
are dealing with lots of different
functions lots of different HR topics.
And It was actually kind of a smooth
transition to running a business
after you've run a very large site.
Victoria: I bet.
Yeah I mean as you say in most of
For the chemical industry most of
the employees are in manufacturing.
And so when you're running a
large site, you've got everything
You've got people you've got HR.
You've got policies.
You've got systems and then you move
into You know leadership of the region
and you have all of that and more.
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Exactly
Victoria: Yeah, so we're here
talking about responsible care
You What is responsible care mean
to Evonik and how does it look at
Evonik when you think about that?
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Yeah.
So while I've been here at this conference
one of the things I learned yesterday
was responsible care started in 1988.
So it started just a little bit
before I entered the industry.
So for me, responsible care has always
been around and but hearing that this
conference made me realize that was
a step change that happened right at
the very beginning of my career, but
I've always known it to be there.
But we like responsible care in EVONIC
because it gives us some foundational
principles that we can speak about
that we all agree to whether we're
talking about in our production
facilities or with management.
So, whether it's How important we take
process hazard analysis or that we will
participate in our community action
panels or that we will stay on top
of our mechanical integrity programs.
It really becomes like
a value proposition.
What are our foundational principles?
And responsible care gives you
like I said, it gives you that
good foundation that you can speak
one language within the company.
Victoria: Right.
And I think for me, also, the other thing
is because responsible care exists across
the industry, it's a common platform
and a common set of expectations across
all the member companies and how they
operate, interact and, you know, Execute.
Right.
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And you know, as a manufacturer,
we know we're just one part
of the whole supply chain.
You've got the logistics providers,
you've got the transporters, you've
got the warehouses et cetera.
And like you said, that we all kind
of have a common platform that we all
agree that we're going to be responsible
care providers is very important.
Victoria: Right.
So the other part of this conference
obviously is sustainability.
And sustainability is such a
critical topic in the industry.
It probably always has been.
It's certainly come to light
much more and much more sharply
in focus in the last five years.
Can you talk about what
sustainability means to Evonik?
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Yeah, so we
know that the topic sustainability
can be very complicated.
That word carries so much with it, right?
And within Evonik, we
realized we needed to.
Take that topic and make it more
understandable for our employees.
So basically we have broken
sustainability down to three pillars.
We call it next generation solutions,
next generation technology,
and next generation culture.
Next generation solutions are the
products that we are manufacturing
that help Our customers make more
sustainable products and we have
a goal that we want over by 2030.
We want over 50 percent of our portfolio
of products to be sustainable solutions
and we're moving in that direction.
Next generation technologies as the
things that we do as a company to
reduce our footprint So, less CO2
emissions better use of energy of
water, of land and, you know, trying
to make, we say, make as small of a
footprint as possible on this earth.
Our next generation solutions, we call
that our handprint, and we want to
make that the we want that to be the
biggest handprint we can, be a helping
hand to, To our customers and then
next generation technologies focuses
on that smallest footprint as possible.
And then the third pillar of that
is next generation culture because
to get a whole organization to
move forward on sustainability,
that has to become cultural.
Victoria: Makes sense.
So, and when you think about the
solutions, obviously, you know, I think
probably a lot of the products that
are already in, have traditionally
been in place fall into that category
of really supporting sustainability
profiles for your customers.
Is this something your customers are
actively asking for and looking for
is sustainable solutions from Evonik?
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Yes, absolutely.
And we see that we see that globally.
We are a German headquartered
company, so it definitely in the EU.
There's a very big push that they want
to start seeing sustainable solutions.
And, but we also have it here in the U.
S.
as well, in North America as well.
But yes, there is a request for it.
And you're, You hit on a very interesting
point that it, it's not only like kind
of the new shiny solutions that companies
can provide, but also going and using
existing technology in sustainable ways.
So, for example we have silica.
Which is a product that's been around
for quite a while, but they now are
using that in tires because they make
them, we call them green tires, they
reduce the rolling resistance for better
better fuel efficiency, as well as they
allow longer life of those tires, so
you don't have to replace them as much.
Companies are also working
on those new technologies.
So, for example, we have membrane
technology to separate biogas
to get methane from the biogas.
And it doesn't have to be
on a very big scale anymore.
It's something that farmers can use.
Where you have any kind of waste manure or
food waste, you can start capturing that
using technology like these membranes,
separate it, and then you have methane.
And then we have some that
are kind of really spectacular
like our biosurfactants.
So these are biorenewable, biodegradable,
biobased and these are really kind
of next generational solutions.
Victoria: That's really cool.
Requires a lot of innovation.
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Absolutely.
Victoria: So when you know, the other
pillar that you talk about is culture.
Right.
And certainly I think the sustainability
mindset has been a cultural shift
for probably every company, certainly
from, you know, our time starting
in the industry, sustainability
was not a conversation to today,
it's really the conversation.
Can you talk about what that
culture looks like and what
those expectations are around
sustainability and culture for Evonik?
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Yeah.
So, I've been in the industry over
30 years, and I think if you look
at the very beginning when I entered
this, you even had, like, I'll
say climate change deniers, right?
You, there was really a pushback
against, no, this is, we're not
going to spend resources on this.
And there has just been a monumental
shift to now, where the chemical industry
sees that this is real and that we're
now part of the solution, that we're
solution providers and that we're going
to be, we're going to be part of the
discussion now and part of the solution.
So that has been a major change.
But to be able to take a, an
organization with you, you have
to have a cultural part of that.
And for us our next generation culture
is that we see that sustainability
is part of our business case
as part of our business model.
We as managers want to see sustainable
solutions coming out and we want
our employees to feel that they can
bring opportunities forward as well.
So it's really the employees seeing
sustainable opportunities and bringing
them forward and also knowing that
management will support that and then
management saying, hey, we see a business
case here and pushing the organization
to work towards sustainability, like I
said, either in our plants or solutions.
And you have to have both, you have to
have the employees as well as management
all saying like, yeah, this is the
direction we're going and that's culture.
Victoria: And have employees
really embrace that shift.
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Oh, absolutely.
Absolutely.
They like at the shop floor level.
They really appreciate the opportunity
to bring forward ideas that they have.
Maybe they've seen them for a long time
and to say like, I think if we do this,
we can reduce this waste or could we
put in led light bulbs in the plant.
And when we say, yeah, that's a good idea.
You know, it's just positive
reinforcement, but they are ready.
Victoria: That's exciting.
And when you think about your future
employees, do you find that having A
strong sustainability profile is important
to new employees coming into the industry.
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Absolutely.
Absolutely.
I think every industry the new
generations coming in have a
newfound respect for the planet.
And they realize that if they're going
to have a planet that they want to live
on in two or three generations, maybe
even as, Early as these generations
drastic changes have to happen.
And I think they want to bring
that into their workforce into
their work life into the workforce.
And they're really passionate about it.
Victoria: That's cool.
And well, and then you talk
about big changes, but I think
the other piece that struck me
today when you were on the panel.
You talked about really the importance
of incremental improvements and the
opportunity for incremental improvements
that all companies can embrace.
Can you talk about that a little bit?
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Yeah.
We all are limited on resources
and I don't care if you're a small
organization or a large organization.
I think maybe small organizations look at
large organizations and say, Hey, you've
got 10 people working on sustainability.
I can tell you large organizations wish
they had a hundred people working on it.
You just, you never have
enough resources in this area.
No matter the size of your organization.
So every organization just needs to
start with incremental improvements.
And we have found some really
great improvements on things like
adding spray balls in our reactors
to clean our reactors instead
of recycling solvents around.
Putting timers on HVAC systems,
putting in LED light bulbs monitoring
flow through heat exchangers so
that they will be more efficient.
And these incremental wins
really start to add up.
And none of these are big money.
and none of them have to wait for the
Big Bang Sustainability program and we
are really seeing that this is moving
the company forward incrementally
but sustainably and successfully.
Victoria: Yeah, and what strikes
me with that is, is one, you
mentioned that it's not just the
domain of big companies, right?
There are things that people can
do, but it also seems like it
those are ideas that tie back to
getting individuals involved, right?
So it's not just the domain of a strategy
group or an innovation group to figure
out what the next sustainability story is.
It's something that people can do in
their everyday day roles anybody can
identify incremental improvements.
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Exactly.
And be part of the solution, right?
And everybody feels
good about that, right?
When you can be part of the solution.
Victoria: Yeah, absolutely.
So let's talk a little bit
about career and leadership.
You've obviously seen great
success through your career.
What leadership lessons and career
lessons have you learned along the way?
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: So.
When I think about leadership in general
as you move up the organization things
just get more and more complicated.
Things just get more and
more difficult to manage.
And that's just That's
the way of the world.
And what I found when I do see that, when
it seems like things are getting quite
complicated or too many topics, I just try
to go back to kind of fundamental values.
And one of those for me is
the golden rule, treat others
like you want to be treated.
And whether I'm taking that into an
HR issue, treat that employee like I
want to be treated, or I'm taking it
into a community topic, like treat.
Our communities, like we
want our communities treated.
It's just a nice fundamental
that you can go back to and
has so many applicable cases.
So, and anybody as you move up the
organizational ladder, you know, it gets
more and more complicated as you go up.
So need some fundamental
ideas to go back to.
And then the other one
being a woman leader.
That I'd like to comment on is that
sometimes I find women as they move
into leadership roles, they are
hesitant to put their ideas on the
table, particularly if you're in
a conference or a conference room.
And I wish somebody had told me
earlier in my career to not be
hesitant, to get those ideas out there.
There's a reason why I'm in the room.
There's a reason why I'm at the table,
and that is to share my opinions as well
and bring those into the discussion.
I know I was personally hesitant
sometimes to bring those ideas forward.
And I was lucky enough to have a very
good leader who took me aside after
a meeting where I had not spoken out.
And he said Why didn't you say anything?
I was like, well, I just, I don't
know if my idea was perfect.
I was, you know, I had
to think about my words.
I was choosing.
And he said, you were in that
room and you were at that table
because we needed your opinion.
Never hesitate.
Never hold yourself back.
Bring your opinion forward.
We need it.
We want it.
There's a reason why
you were in that room.
And he really encouraged
me and supported me.
The, to do that going forward.
Victoria: I think that's great.
And I think that's a lesson that a
lot of women have to learn, right?
Cause we're often coached to be perfect.
We're often coached to be you
know, to let others speak first.
And yet the reality is in order to
get your idea forward, in order to
take the next step, you have to be
willing to speak up and you have to be
willing to take that seat at the table.
And when you've got the seat, use it..
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: Absolutely.
Victoria: Awesome.
So what advice would you give to people
that are early in their career that are
really looking to have a career success
and a career trajectory similar to yours?
Bonnie Tully - Take 2: I think the best
advice I can give is to take advantage
of opportunities when they are offered.
You never know what those
opportunities are going to lead to.
And sometimes these can be
very small opportunities.
You know, join that activities
committee join that safety committee
be on the community awareness
committee And then because you never
know who you're going to be working
with on those type of committees.
We were talking earlier about we at our
activities committee at our site this
allows people to work with me directly.
And you would say, the activities
committee, but you know, you're just
deciding you're going to do, you know,
you know, ice cream social Friday, right?
You don't know.
Cool.
Who else is going to be in
that room when you're deciding
on ice cream social Friday?
You're maybe working with some very high
level managers and then they get to know
you and you get to know them on a more
personal level and boy, you just can start
increasing your network by doing that.
And then.
On a bigger scale, if you get
asked to take on opportunities like
assignments you know, would you
consider being the maintenance manager?
Would you consider being
the technical manager?
Would you consider going
running a plant in Singapore?
More than likely, it's better
if you say yes to those.
It will really open up a wide variety
of opportunities going forward for you.
Victoria: Yeah.
Love it.
And you obviously said yes.
I did.
More than you said no.
Correct.
Yeah.
Which is one of the keys to success.
Correct.
Yeah, absolutely.
Well, Bonnie, thank you so
much for joining me twice.
So here's the secret people.
We had to record this twice because of a
snafu but I appreciate you taking the time
today and sharing your insights with us.
Bonnie Tully - Take 2:
Thank you for having me.
Victoria: Awesome.
Thank you.
Speaker: Thank you for joining us on
today's episode of The Chemical Show.
Keep listening, keep following,
keep sharing, and we'll
talk with you again soon.