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 we are profiling 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 Melissa Bainbridge , Olefines Cold End Team Leader, Qenos Botany.

Donning safety boots during the week to drive operational excellence within a major hazardous facility to managing footy boots and uniforms as a volunteer for the Moore Park Tigers Junior AFL football club, Melissa Davis is the Cold End Team Leader for Qenos Botany’s ethane cracker.

Melissa has worked at Qenos in both Victoria and New South Wales giving her a unique perspective of Qenos’ contribution to Australia’s chemical industry.

As an operations lead, Melissa is committed to growing the skills of her team and peers to bring enthusiasm and tenacity to be able to meet key operational metrics of SHE performance, production efficiency and continuous improvement.

What are you most passionate about in your working life?

It is highly rewarding to walk the management and technical divide in the unpredictable realm of operations.

I am motivated to build and maintain an extensive network of relationships to influence and empower others to act in a direction that achieves alignment of Cold End initiatives to organisational performance.

My vision is to implement incremental cultural change with regards to both behaviours and processes that underpin safe and reliable operation.

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

I am passionate about the longevity of established manufacturing in Australia. The tension that exists between demand for plastic and initiatives to limit its environmental footprint is ongoing. Much of my daily motivation stems from an urgency and dedication to sustaining existing Australian assets such that they can be eventually adapted to manufacture cleaner precursors and products.

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

The pace of change in our external context is unrivalled. I think the two most important qualities of an emerging leader are critical thinking and consistency.

Leaders who can build an environment in which creativity, problem solving and sound decision making processes thrive, will be best placed to align resources to strategic goals.

This requires integrity and consistency of purpose in order to motivate and develop the same skill set of critical thinking in others.

What do you want to be known for??

When I have worn out my safety boots from life as an operations lead, I’d like to be remembered for having consistently acted in a manner that was true to my values, to world class practice and with an influence that instilled a site culture that connected and took pride with its external purpose.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I am your classic parent of two young children working tirelessly to balance all the activities that foster their high spirited and fast paced trajectory of growth with those of my own being the final stages of an MBA with the Australian Graduate School of Management and committee membership of the local AFL football club.