Q: What drew you to pursue a career at Kraton? 

My aim has always been to contribute to applied research in the industry. Kraton’s products (elastic, soft, flexible polymers) were very similar to the prior materials I had worked with. The skills and training I acquired through my academic background and doctoral work aligned very well with the technical skills needed to be a researcher at Kraton and hit the ground running. Moreover, my impression from the site visit at Kraton was that though mid-size, Kraton has high-quality R&D capabilities that position it well for technical work. Through discussions with the R&D team, I sensed people would be welcoming, collaborative, friendly, and have good camaraderie.

Q: Can you explain your role and what you do?  

I am a Sr. Staff Scientist in the NA Product R&D group. On the front end, I deal with customers for application development or troubleshooting, identifying potential application opportunities, and presenting Kraton’s innovation at technical conferences to the broader community of industry peers and academics. I also contribute to Kraton’s innovation portfolio through creative technical work and effective project management.

In my role, I interface with people external to Kraton, such as customers, industry-focused technical organizations, universities, and technical groups in the polymer community. Internally, I work with commercial teams, providing inputs on technical feasibility and planning technical evaluations for new products or assessing a technical solution’s market relevance. I work closely with process R&D teams to ensure alignment between new product development and the feasibility of manufacturing it in our plants. Being a product steward, I am involved in product test runs that require close communication with manufacturing and operations teams. I also actively mentor and on-board newer scientists for continuance and proactive knowledge management.

Q: How has Kraton contributed to your professional or personal growth and development? 

Kraton has continued to challenge me and give me more opportunities for growth over my 11 years here. I started in Cariflex product group, then transitioned to Specialty Polymers, working on HSBC products. I was then provided with the opportunity to work with USBC products. I have been fortunate to have worked on multiple application spaces, such as healthcare, personal hygiene, consumer goods, and compounds, in various processes and customer teams. Altogether, this has enriched my experience, and I have broadened my horizons to effectively contribute to future technical development and make decisions to keep our innovation pipeline moving.

Kraton is very supportive of endeavors that I have wanted to pursue to influence the organization positively, and it has helped me grow in my professional career. Some examples are presenting at conferences, collaborating with external organizations, and training on multiple fronts (customer intimacy, leadership, project management, etc.). Kraton has helped me boost my confidence by working in a supportive environment where teams are collaborative rather than competitive.

Q: What aspects of Kraton’s company culture do you find particularly inspiring or motivating? 

Kraton’s culture allows for open communication across all levels, irrespective of a person’s title or position. I find people are very approachable, and in most cases, they openly seek input as feedback. Another aspect of the Kraton culture is in the execution of work. Projects are run objectively, and personal/emotional factors are put aside during decision-making. We are encouraged to make decisions at whatever level we may be, and there is support from leadership if its justification is clearly communicated.

Q: What would you tell someone considering a career at Kraton about why they should choose to work here?   

My three biggest reasons are:

• Innovation: The company is truly focused on innovation (we do walk the talk). Our innovation pipeline and the way projects are selected and progressed are a testament to this.
• The people: I’ve met the best group of people at Kraton. People here value relationships, respect one another, are helpful, and wish for teams to succeed. Through my interactions with cross-regional, cross-functional teams at Kraton, I have realized that if you are facing any issues (at work or personal), you only need to reach out, and you will find people to hear you out and help.
• Work-life balance: I think Kraton does a good job at helping you get as close to the work-life balance as possible. It is not just a conversation at Kraton but can be implemented by you.

Q: What’s your favorite Kraton value and why?  

All Kraton values have been carefully thought out, selected, and relevant for the workplace and Kraton business today. However, the value that I think is irreplaceable and resonates most with me is “Ownership”. By owning what we do, we can take pride, feel accomplished, accelerate projects, and grow our professional lives. Owning the decisions we make makes us good leaders. Owning the team that we lead helps foster teamwork. Other values will fall in place if we take greater ownership of activities, decisions, and actions.