Meet our people

"Sustainability is the path that we take together and one that brings us closer together"

With more than three decades-worth of professional experience, I have a wealth of expertise to draw on. Nevertheless, I like to make a long story short: the proudest moment of my career is the presentation of the Synthomer Vision 2030 – a set of ten sustainability goals for 2030 with particular emphasis on climate action, diversity and inclusion, innovation, and sustainable procurement.

Having always been involved in the technical side of Synthomer's business, I built my experience with roles in marketing, sales, and as an executive director of a small company. Issues around sustainability have always been at the core of my thinking and ESG (environment, social and governance) is a crucial area that cuts across all divisions and functions of any business.

As Sustainability Director, my role is to set overall ESG goals for the group, and to follow up on development and progress against these goals; to present our sustainability strategy to Synthomer stakeholders, and to make our progress visible to the outside world.

"I don’t know where I’ll be in another ten years, but I do know that with Synthomer the choices are limitless" 

My journey has taken me from R&D to marketing, and from Malaysia to Germany. Since I joined Synthomer in 2005, I’ve seized every opportunity to learn, progress, meet new people and take on new challenges. It’s something that I relish – from my early days as a Technical Service Chemist for the coatings business, across disciplines and across continents.

Building on my technical expertise in unsaturated polyester resins, and my experience in the wider coatings and construction business, I have gone on to develop a track record of success in my marketing roles. I worked on the introduction of digital marketing content management systems to Synthomer, and my involvement in corporate acquisitions provided the opportunity to develop experience in business integration.  

Today, I am the Vice President Strategic & Commercial Excellence for our Health & Protection and Performance Materials division. My role enables me to lead and collaborate with cross-functional colleagues within Synthomer on strategic projects including mergers and acquisitions strategy, market and business deep dive research, communications and brand strategy. Furthermore, I am responsible for the Profit & Loss of our Speciality Vinyl Polymer and Inorganic businesses.

"This programme has provided me with opportunities beyond my expectations"

After graduating from the University of Sheffield with my Masters in Mechanical Engineering in 2017, I was determined to really push my learning curve. After a stint with another company, I pounced on the opportunity to join our Asia graduate programme. I certainly got what I was looking for, because after only two months I was tasked with realigning a whole reactor, as part of a rotation with the Reliability and Maintenance team.

As well as providing a great test of my engineering expertise, this brief gave me the chance to develop my project management skills. I liaised with departments like finance, procurement, and production, fast tracking my understanding of the ongoing issues. I even acted as one of the interview panel recruiting a new mechanical apprentice – a great way to see things from the other side.

Successive assignments across Vietnam and Thailand have enabled me to develop detailed knowledge of operations across the Synthomer business. Now I am part of the site leadership team at our Pasir Gudang site, and looking forward to taking on more responsibilities and future challenges.

"You’re stepping into a culture that fosters creativity and encourages ingenuity"

Our success as a business is only as great as the people who make it up. Which is why acquiring the ideal talent to take Synthomer forward is such a vital part of what we do. I bring a fresh perspective to our business as a relatively new member of the team, and my expertise in HR and as a people leader is at the heart of how our culture will continue to grow and develop.

As a talent acquisition professional, I value the emphasis we place on initiatives around diversity and inclusion, as well as the opportunity to develop our employer branding, and building global talent processes that will have a lasting impact, and shape the way Synthomer functions as a business for years to come.

In my role as Senior Regional Talent Acquisition Manager for the Americas, my core responsibility, along with the Regional HR Leader, is for hiring our organisation’s future leaders, and the prospective faces of the Synthomer brand. It’s a role which mixes creativity and collaboration with a pragmatic approach to coming up with real world solutions.

"Every day validates that I have made the right choice by joining Synthomer"

I’d describe Synthomer as innovative, inclusive and nurturing – a result of my two years with the business on rotations as a Commercial Graduate with our business development, marketing, logistics, and product management teams. It’s my ideal career scenario: working where chemistry and business meet.

Highlights of my time with Synthomer so far include working on the introduction of our materials into the 3D printing industry, and the launch of our latest HS-SBR latex sustainability brand, Lipolan™ TERRA. Coming from an international background, interacting with colleagues from all over the world is something that establishes a real sense of inclusion.

Having acquired a great deal of technical and commercial experience, I have now seized the opportunity to join the Strategy and M&A team, in order to contribute to the shaping of Synthomer’s short and long term strategies, and to explore suitable synergy opportunities with our current portfolio.

"The opportunity to be part of a multicultural environment in a fast-changing industry"

I have always wanted to use my knowledge to help with finding more sustainable solutions in different areas of polymer science. I hold a Masters and a PhD in chemistry and have a background in polymer and materials chemistry research, and Synthomer offered me an excellent opportunity to utilise this, while developing my skills in a chemical industry R&D department.

Since joining Synthomer two years ago, I have greatly benefited, both in terms of my professional and personal development. Synthomer’s growth, varied divisions, and wide portfolio of products mean I have been able to interact with people from all over the world and learn from their different ways of thinking and doing, becoming more agile and confident in solving everyday challenges.

My particular passion is the need for our industry to quickly evolve, to be aligned with the sustainable development goals that have been stablished internationally, and net-zero carbon emissions goal for 2050. Being part of a company engaged with the environment and society makes Synthomer a great place to continue my career and grow professionally.

"A business with honesty and integrity whose products touch millions of lives every day" 

Being fully immersed in real projects with experienced colleagues has enabled me to soak up years of experience and knowledge. Whether it’s purely technical, strategic and business driven, or observing how to deal with complex situations and seeing management skills in action; it’s the perfect position from which to learn because of the open and warm culture at Synthomer.

After graduating with an MSc in chemistry and undertaking a year of industrial experience in a lab-based role, I joined the Synthomer graduate programme and have since taken advantage of a wide range of opportunities. From technology scouting to materials characterisation, developing internal educational tools, and project and budget management, learning on the job with real responsibility - and the right support - is the foundation for real skills and expertise.

Transitioning from the graduate programme into my current role as Sustainability Portfolio Manager allows me to support innovation and business decisions with our Net Zero target in mind. It’s important to work for a company that is truly committed to delivering a broader purpose and with a genuine vision for diversity and sustainability that connects with all the decisions made in the business. Having the opportunity to work closely with this movement and fulfil my passion for sustainability reminds me that I made the right decision to join Synthomer.

"Continuous trust and confidence from others really fuel my motivation to strive for excellence" 

Having graduated from University College London with my MEng in Chemical Engineering in 2018, I joined the Synthomer Asia graduate programme and undertook successive rotations over two years. This gave me the chance to gain a wide variety of insights, working with the Operation Improvement and Process Design Engineering teams.

My biggest challenge came in my role as a project lead in my second rotation. With three projects in hand, each at a different stage and of a different size, with very tight schedules and deadlines to meet, there’s no substitute for this kind of experience to truly test your skillset and develop new learning. It’s this period that has been the most rewarding so far.

Now working as a Process Design Engineer with the Project Asia Team, I am committed to simply delivering the best. Our working culture is vital in shaping career development and continuity, and Synthomer excels at both; it’s truly an excellent place to gain experience and to grow.

"An epic blend between a corporate setting and small, connected community"

There’s no more honest appraisal of a company culture than that of former employees. So when I received a job offer from Synthomer in 2013, I had no hesitation in accepting – because for years I had heard nothing other than retired and former Synthomer people singing the praises of the business, and how people are put first as a matter of course.

Following an internship in finance, my first professional role was with Synthomer as a junior finance executive. Since then my journey has been an exciting and successful one, which has seen me develop a wide range of skills and hone my expertise as an accountant. I have worked on everything from investment and holding company accounts, to plantation companies and overseas companies, up to and including Synthomer Malaysia.

Having progressed into a senior role as Group Engineering Controller, I now use my broad knowledge to manage Global Capital Administration, Budgeting, Controlling & Reporting. The most satisfying aspect of all is the culture of interconnectedness so unique to Synthomer; everyone knows everyone, despite being all over the world.