Introducing Chemistry Australia’s emerging leaders

Last year, we established the Emerging Leaders Advisory Council (ELAC) to support the professional development of our industry’s #futureleaders and advise the Chemistry Australia Board on future strategic opportunities for the growth and sustainability of our industry.?

18 people were selected to be part of the first ELAC and, over the next few months, we’ll profile each of our emerging leaders and their professional experience to celebrate the wealth of talent within our industry.

This fortnight, we’re featuring ELAC member Grant Powles , National Account Manager, Dow Chemical:

A passion for chemistry and science as a kid has never left Grant Powles, now the National Account Manager at Dow Chemical.

Grant Powles has over a decade of experience in the Chemical Industry and looks after the Polyurethane portfolio here in Australia for Dow Chemical, supplying the latest and greatest technologies to the market.

He is a passionate advocate on behalf of the Australian chemical industry, with extensive commercial experience backed up with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

As part of his time in industry, Grant has been an active member of several industry councils helping to affect change on the key issues across the government and public sectors, in areas such as global competitiveness, communication, and regulation.

What are you most passionate about in your working life?

I have a continuous curiosity, finding out how everything we touch is connected through similar building blocks and how they can be brought together to create new and exciting materials. I get to experience being at the forefront of this firsthand working alongside my colleagues at Dow. It’s been a great choice for me. As part of the commercial team, I get to work in an industry to help progress local manufacturing and support its continued evolution, and that’s exciting to me.

What do you believe are the most important qualities of an emerging leader in your industry?

In my view there are three key character traits for emerging leaders; vision for a better future, willingness to learn with humility and the ability to pass on that knowledge to others.

What do you want to be known for??

The leader who lives by the motto, “Be the leader you would follow.”

What problem would you most like to find a solution to in your industry?

Bringing realistic eco-friendly and sustainable solutions to the forefront of industry. This is no easy task but something we at Dow are committed to.

What do you do when you’re not working?

Being a father is my first and foremost interest outside of work. Second to that, I can normally be found in some sort of motion that involves being attached to a board, either on a wave or hurtling down a mountain.?