Lisa’s north star is helping people, it’s always been a passion of hers. A career in HR at Infineum has enabled Lisa to do this, whilst also growing personally and professionally herself.

Tell us about your career journey at Infineum so far

“I joined Infineum as a Recruiting Specialist and since then, I’ve been exposed to a variety of roles, from Compensation and Benefits Advisor, to HR Business Partner, then US HR Manager, and my current role as Business HR Manager. My leaders have always been very clear about prioritising my development objectives and goals, and aligning these with the business needs which are always evolving.

I believe a company’s greatest asset is the people who work there – and this absolutely applies to Infineum. It’s why I chose to work in HR and it’s why I chose Infineum. We have a ‘One Infineum’ mindset, and I really feel this in my role. It’s inspiring to work with and support such talented individuals across the business, all with different ideas and perspectives. 

I’ve had a fulfilling career to date with exposure to interesting and challenging Infineum projects. It feels rewarding to see the global impact my work has had and will continue to have.”

What do you like most about working at Infineum?

“For me, collaboration is at the heart of what we do at Infineum. We all have a shared purpose to be successful and grow, and it feels like my colleagues really care about their work. It’s something I really appreciate, solving a problem as part of a team rather than individually.”

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying for a role at Infineum?

“Think about what motivates you and use that to guide you. Whilst studying for my Masters in Business Administration, with a focus on HR, I realised I had this passion for supporting others and it helped to shape my future career decisions.

I’d advise anyone to take opportunities which align with what they believe in. A career at Infineum has given me those opportunities, and I am still learning fourteen years on since joining.”

Transferable skills have played a major role in Doug’s career progression at Infineum. Since joining, he’s has had the opportunity to utilise his skill base and overcome challenges in three different functions: Supply, Sales, and Marketing Technology – undertaking nine different job roles!

Tell us about your career journey at Infineum so far

“It’s safe to say I’ve had a varied set of roles since joining Infineum straight out of university. From starting out as a Chemical Engineer, to working in Supply, prioritising customer needs in Sales and supporting the formation of our Sustainability team – my career to date has been filled with learnings, challenges and opportunities. 

My transferable skills have ensured success in each of my strikingly different roles. I’ve used my skills gained in previous work scenarios and applied them to completely new or different work situations.

Support from my leaders and mentors within Infineum has been vital in making a difference in my career and making it what it is today – one that I am proud of and I thoroughly enjoy.”

What do you like most about working at Infineum?

“Firstly, the people at Infineum – we genuinely care about each other, and I enjoy working and collaborating with my colleagues to drive business performance, come up with new innovative ideas and serve our customers. 

Secondly, Infineum really supports you in shaping your career and helps you choose what to make of it. I’ve been given the opportunities to add skills to my toolkit along the way in so many different areas, I could end up working in even more different functions, Technology, Marketing, IT – you name it! Infineum will support you in making your ambitions a reality!”

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying for a role at Infineum?

“Say ‘yes’ to opportunities that come your way, even if they appear to be challenging. I think some of the toughest challenges I have faced were the most rewarding. Learn how to reapply your skills in different areas to support this, it will help navigate and accelerate your career.”

Justin believes Infineum is a company that deeply cares about career development, people, and the customer. The stars aligned when Justin joined Infineum as he was able to fulfil one of his career ambitions of building a manufacturing plant from scratch, which he is now Plant Manager of!

Tell us about your career journey at Infineum so far

“I joined Infineum at the perfect time from a personal career development perspective, as I’d always wanted to build a plant from scratch. Fortunately for me, I had the opportunity to be part of a team as the Operations Manager, to build, start-up and operationalise our Zhangjiagang plant, which was previously a rice paddy field! And now, after much hard work and dedication, it’s part of the Infineum global manufacturing network.

In 2019, I was promoted to my current role of Plant Manager. Every day, I lead colleagues to operate the plant in a safe manner and aim to be customer-centric in every decision I make. I see my colleagues as my internal customers, helping them grow in their competencies, and most of all, ensure they get home to their families safely.

I enjoy having a strong sense of achievement when we’re able to meet customer needs safely and continually be their supplier of choice. We can only achieve all this success through cross-functional collaboration and hard work.

Prior to Infineum, I completed my master’s in applied chemistry and then worked at a chemical company for almost seven years. I started my career as an Engineer, followed by a role in the Laboratory as a Quality Coordinator. Then I completed a short stint in the Supply Chain function and finally returned to the manufacturing plant as the Team Leader of a product line.”

What do you like most about working at Infineum?

“Infineum truly cares – I see this embedded in our culture of looking after one another, demonstrated between colleagues; leaders and their direct reports; and even in our global standards, such as maternity and paternity leave policies. It’s embedded in how we do business, and not just talked about with no action.”

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying for a role at Infineum?

“Here at Infineum, your personal development is fully in your own hands. Firstly, be brave to try new or perhaps slightly different or challenging roles. I encourage you to have open and honest conversations from the outset with your leader about your development interests. Secondly, be adaptable and always strive to keep learning. Thirdly, grow yourself by building your network with others.”

Everything Adeline learnt at university was brought to life upon joining Infineum and since then, she’s been able to build a fulfilling career as a result.

Tell us about your career journey at Infineum so far 

“I joined Infineum as an intern around eight years ago, after hearing about the program through my university. As a placement student, I was given the right opportunities with the right level of support and ownership – I believe it really helped set the foundations of my career. It’s where my studies and the textbook were brought to life in a real-world plant setting. Working closely with several different functions also helped me unpick what I wanted my future career to look like as I was exposed to so many different areas of the business. 

I’m so pleased I applied for the internship as it has paved the way for my career. I joined as a Process Engineer; then moved into a Manufacturing Planner role, working closely with Supply, Sales, Procurement and third parties; and I’m just about to embark on a new role as Supply Chain Advisor – which I’m excited to learn more about and be exposed to the commercial side of the business.”

What do you like most about working at Infineum?

“Safety is definitely a number one priority at Infineum, it’s truly engrained in all parts of the business. This makes me feel appreciated and valued. All our colleagues are considerate of keeping each individual person safe – helping ensure that nobody gets hurt working at Infineum.”

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying for a role at Infineum? 

“As I’ve grown throughout my career, I’ve gone from being worried about asking the wrong question, to genuinely believing no question is a silly question. That’s the piece of advice I would give to students especially. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, any questions at all, because diverse thinking and individual perspectives are encouraged here at Infineum. One ‘silly’ question could lead to a wonderful, transformative innovation!”

How long have you worked for Infineum, including your internship period?

“More than ten years!”

How did you manage to get your internship?

“Walking along the UFF corridors, I saw an advert for a trainee in IT for an organisation with a weird name. As I had already worked in IT, I decided to send a CV only to see what was going to happen. I have been here ever since.”

Do you think your internship improved your career perspectives? If so, how?

“For sure. Working at Infineum has been important for my career and maturity as I was exposed to several different areas of corporate life. Furthermore, I could work with many high-level and skilled professionals.”

What were your first impressions from our organisation when you started your career?

“Concern with safety of the colleagues and the international aspect routed in the day-by-day of the operations.”

In your opinion, has the organisation changed throughout the years? If so, how?

“There was an evolution of the maturity of processes and in the ability to keeping competitive without affecting the quality of operations.”

What advice would you give to the current Infineum trainees?

“Search to work within several areas and with different colleagues. Thus, there is the possibility of knowing more about robust processes in a mature and global corporation.”

How long have you worked for Infineum, including your internship period?

“I joined Infineum on 1 April 2013 as a Sales intern. After one year in this role, I started to work for the Technology Deployment Team in the Chemist position for the Rio de Janeiro site.” 

How did you manage to get your internship?

“I knew about the internship opportunity when talking to one of my university classmates. He was a Sales intern and he knew I was looking for an opportunity. So after passing through the HR process, I started to work with the Sales team.”

Do you think your internship improved your career perspectives? If so, how?
“For sure! Before becoming a Sales trainee, I’ve never thought that I’d like to work in the commercial area, as during the Chemical Engineering graduation, I considered myself as a 100% technical profile. However, after one year working with the Sales Team, I figured out that the commercial area is very interesting and it opened my mind in terms of being potentially an area to come back to work in the future!”

What were your first impressions from our organisation when you started your career?

“Infineum is a company that takes care of you. Shortly after I’d joined, I could see that all interns were involved in key activities with a good level of responsibility, which helped me to quickly learn many things! Moreover, it was a great incentive knowing that the majority of colleagues also joined as interns, from people in junior positions, right through to senior management.”

In your opinion, has the organisation changed throughout the years? If so, how?

“Yes! I can see more and more the whole organisation having access to great learning opportunities, such as cross-functional and cross-regional projects. This is a good way to motivate young people about their careers and open the dialogue about inclusiveness and diversity. We may be remotely located, but we’re still involved in global projects.”

What advice would you give to the current Infineum trainees?

“I’d recommend that they embrace every opportunity that comes their way. Don’t think of the internship as something to be done to simply complete your university curriculum. If there is something to do, do it the best way you can. If there is nothing to do, find or create something that will be valuable to the organisation! I also think it’s important to ask for regular feedback from your supervisor, so you know if you’re following the right direction.

The biggest gift from the youngest generation is its perspective of the world and their fresh academic experience, so use this gift to bring new ideas into the corporate environment and the whole organisation will win!

Last but not least, I’d recommend taking every opportunity to learn as much as you can about the company’s core business, so you get a broader view of the wider organisation.”

Joerg’s career journey is one of diverse development in unexpected areas. Backed with a passion for success, he believes Infineum provides individuals with the opportunities and confidence to grow and thrive.

Tell us about your career journey at Infineum so far

“After just graduating, I joined Infineum as a Process Contact Engineer. This role involved operational troubleshooting and implementing improvements, as well as leading plant trials for new products.

After three years, I was promoted to Area Manager, responsible for the running of two production units. This forced me to develop my managerial, strategic and long-term thinking skills.

Then, an opportunity arose to move into the Fuels, Sales function – focusing on Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Eastern European markets specifically. Beside learning more about our Fuels product applications, the commercial element of the role, which included building customer relationships, was new to me and a big challenge, but challenge motivates and drives me.

In 2015, I moved into Technology as a Lubes Deployment Technologist. Through product development and creating tailored solutions for customers, I gained detailed insights into our technologies from a components level to the different product applications, including the associated benefits and challenges.

Five years on, I joined Infineum’s Sustainability team as Sustainability Implementation Lead. This role was the perfect fit for the summation of skills I’d developed over time. One of my key deliverables of this role was to integrate sustainability thinking and criteria into our business and technology processes.

I now work as an Account Manager and a Sustainability Advisor. Building on the knowledge gained within the sustainability team I can now make sustainability real for our customers and support them on their individual sustainability journeys.”

What do you like most about working at Infineum?

“Being given the authority to make decisions at the right level is a great element of working at Infineum. I have the autonomy to choose the right course of action which I see fit, but also the support to match that if I need it.

To be honest, there are high expectations at Infineum and I like that about working here. You will be recognised and rewarded for working hard and performing well. The culture is transparent, open and honest. There is no problem with making some mistakes as long as you take the learnings.

Last but not least, the people. Every team I’ve been part of so far has had a lot of great people – it makes me feel a great sense of pride.”

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying for a role at Infineum?

“Infineum is a place for personal growth and development. Be willing to drive your development and be open to unexpected opportunities. From time to time think about the skills you want to gain in the next five to ten years. It’s important to take stock and think about these things.

Also, I’d advise being willing to take on new challenges, within or outside your department. Flexibility and willingness to explore new areas have been a big part of my career journey at Infineum – for example, when I joined, I never thought I’d work in sales, not to mention sustainability – but it really has been a great experience, challenge and career so far!”

Siew Wen believes Infineum is built up of great people – it’s something she loves about working here. Since joining Infineum, she’s moved through the sales organisation and had exposure to lots of areas of the business, meeting lots of supportive colleagues along the way!

Tell us about your career journey at Infineum so far

“In 2019, I joined Infineum as a Key Sales Account Manager. I then moved to a new position as Regional Marketing Manager. My role here was to implement the different sales and transformation strategies – which I really enjoyed as I got to work across many different global functions. I then moved into a newly created Product Manager role, looking after two of Infineum’s product segments, with a focus on end-to-end product life cycle management and streamlining our product portfolio. More recently, I was promoted to the Strategic Marketing Manager role with responsibility for the longer-term strategic needs of our customers.”

What do you like most about working at Infineum?

“My favourite thing about Infineum is the people I work with – I really enjoy collaborating with them on a daily basis. They are very knowledgeable and bring strong insights to the work we do. I love how we work together as a team towards a common goal, it’s a collaborative and success-orientated atmosphere.”

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying for a role at Infineum?

“Seize the opportunity, focus on what matters most and enjoy it – would be my three pieces of advice to someone considering joining Infineum. Change can be energizing; it can develop and grow you in so many ways. Don’t be afraid of stepping up to the challenge and working to move the dial for the company for the better. If you can do all that whilst enjoying the relationship with your colleagues – it’s a recipe for success!”

Peter’s always been fascinated by science, ever since a child, his genuine curiosity led him always wanting to solve real-world problems. A career at Infineum has facilitated his passion for problem solving and cutting-edge science, which he shares with the next generation of scientists through our graduate programmes and much more!

Tell us about your career journey at Infineum so far

“I joined Infineum in 2001 in the Lubricant Component team. Seven years later I moved to our New Business Ventures team where I ran the surfactants platform, identifying new applications for our surfactants and dispersants. In 2016 I was promoted to Principal Scientist and in this current role I run the external academic portfolio, act as a consultant for all technical groups and bring new science and technology into the company. I also represent Infineum on technical, scientific and government committees, and am an Honorary Professor for the University of Leeds, Bristol and Edinburgh!

Throughout my career at Infineum, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed supporting and developing people. I ran our undergraduate internship programme for 10 years and have had 18 students work for me. Of these, ~75% went on to do PhDs in a related area. I received the 2016 Royal Society Medal for Inspiration in Industry as recognition for my efforts – which was a great honour.

Prior to joining Infineum, I completed my PhD in siloxane-based microemulsions, which was funded by Unilever, I then moved into synthetic latex product development for a year and my final position before moving to Infineum involved working at the University of Bristol on the EU-Framework IV Programme with Pharmacia Biotech and then on a Syngenta funded project.”

What do you like most about working at Infineum?

“I’m able to apply my skills and knowledge into product development, and see these products become a reality. I find it exciting working together with colleagues from very different backgrounds to devise solutions, especially in new areas where we can use innovative science to solve our customers’ challenges.”

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying for a role at Infineum?

“Think about what keeps you motivated and happy and stick to it! For me, applying science into solving real-world problems is what keeps me motivated.

If you want to join Infineum, you’ll cover way more than just science – you’ll work with and perhaps manage people and projects, you’ll interact cross-functionally, and you’ll learn new things which aren’t even directly related to science! It’s a great place to develop scientific skills, but also to grow more holistically in other areas.”

Pivoting between manufacturing and commercial has provided Seok Chen with a sound understanding of Infineum business needs and consolidated a mindset which drives improvements – with people at the heart. It’s also created a diverse toolkit of skills which can be transferred into different functions.

Tell us about your career journey at Infineum so far

“I began my career journey at Infineum as a Senior Process Engineer in 1999 when Infineum was formed! I’ve been exposed to several roles since, from Plant Technical Leader and Technical Manager to a move over to the Sales function in my roles as a Sales Business Analyst, Crankcase Regional Market Manager and Southern Asia Sales Manager. I then applied my skills into my first global role as Global Investment and Asset Manager. Here, I collaborated cross functionally to determine the best investment outcomes for Infineum and ensured that we were able to collate capital requirements in line with our plans.

Then, I went full circle and returned to Manufacturing as the Singapore Manufacturing Plant Manager. This role was really enriching experience, and the compilation of my acquired skills drove process improvements to facilities, systems and processes. It was a challenge, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent supply disruptions which strengthened my leadership and management skills. However, during that time, I felt a great sense of respect for my team who demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity and uncertainty.

I then returned to Commercial working as the Key Account Executive Sales Manager for Asia Pacific.

More recently, I took on a new challenge as Controls and Risk Manager in our Finance function. I’m excited and ready to embrace this new opportunity and use my accumulated skills to drive value and commercial success!

Overall, I feel proud to work with such great people who aim to keep each other safe every day and for a company which prioritises development and puts people at the heart of everything they do.”

What do you like most about working at Infineum?

“The people – they are the driving force of Infineum – I work with so many colleagues on a daily basis and they truly care about what they do. I admire the diligence and hard work which the colleagues I work with demonstrate – they work assiduously, and I enjoy collaborating with them to improve their livelihoods, as well as driving business needs.

Our safety culture is a real priority, and my fellow peers do their very best to keep each other safe.”

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying for a role at Infineum?

“You can do it – trust yourself, your own knowledge and your skill set. My Singapore Plant Manager role felt daunting at the start, but once I was fully up to speed, I was fired up by the potential positive change I could bring and what I could accomplish with the resources available to me and my team.

Transferable skills are critical as you move throughout your career. Keep adding different skills to your toolkit and they will come in useful at some stage in your career! I absolutely intend to leverage my experience in Sales and Manufacturing in my new role – even though they seem unrelated on the surface. I’ll be able to apply the customer voice and the plant priorities into finance conversations to drive improvements for the wider business.”

Massimo believes collaboration is at the beating heart of Infineum, and is key to supporting the main priority of nobody gets hurt. His career to date is a great example of how team work and ambition are the driving forces to a successful career working at Infineum.

Tell us about your career journey at Infineum so far

“I came to Infineum for a training course for Plant Operators and never left! A local agency hired me on behalf of Infineum and then I joined as a full-time colleague, working as a Plant Operator. I’ve always been ambitious, and had a growth mindset, and because of this, I studied hard to obtain all the necessary qualifications to drive my progression – which Infineum supported me with.

I moved from Control Room Operator to Utilities Operator to SV Blender and then a Plant Process Support position. Now, I am a Shift Team Leader and responsible for a team of colleagues who I spend a lot of my time with – our working atmosphere is really positive.

I have learnt a lot from every role I’ve had, and it’s enabled me to become more confident in my own abilities. This is when you really grow, and in my case, become more aware about how my job and inputs impacts the Company I work for.”

What do you like most about working at Infineum?

“Safety is paramount here at Infineum – it’s our number one priority.

I feel a part of a team, all working toward the same objective of nobody gets hurt. At Infineum, you can have your own ideas, be unique and you are encouraged to bring your own solutions to the table – but you are also invited to listen to each other and work collaboratively to develop solutions and achieve the common objective of keeping safe.

All in all, the collaborative and respectful approach makes for a positive working environment and culture.”

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying for a role at Infineum?

“Work hard, be reliable, adaptable and challenge yourself. If you show these skills, you will be able to grow both personally and professionally at Infineum. There are plenty of opportunities, take advantage of them!”