Melissa C.
About me
| Melissa C. | |
| Mathematics | |
| Mathematics and Physics | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Langwith | |
| 2004 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Global Purchasing Manager (Chemicals) | |
| Solenis | |
| Switzerland | |
| Engineering and manufacturing | |
| Large business (250+ employees) | |
| 2015 |
Like this profile?
Add this profile to your favourites so you can return to it later from your account.
A day in the life of a Global Purchasing Manager (Chemicals) in Switzerland
Working abroad in senior role within chemical industry
My career goals when I graduated
Earn good money - but not in banking. I genuinely had not much idea. I took a temporary but fun job working in politics after graudating, and the network I built up helped me get a job at P&G in 2005.
My career history
2004-5 - worked for a small political organisation
2005-2008 - worked for Procter & Gamble in the UK for their oleochemicals business (Operations and supply chain)
2008-2015 - worked for P&G in Geneva, Switzerland in oleochemicals (Commercial and purchasing roles)
2015-present - moved to Zurich, joined Solenis as a Purchasing Manager.
What has helped my career to progress
People, openness, willingness to learn and work hard. Being married helps too - my husband and I can support each other if things are tough.
Courses taken since graduation
None. I now speak French to a good standard, and am learning German.
What surprised me about my career so far
The ease of being a woman in the industry, and the opportunities available.
Where I hope to be in 5 years
A chief purchasing officer role, or similar.
My advice to students considering work
Be open and flexible with what you want to do - you will learn something from any job, even if it is not ideal. Also often, the job is very different from the job description!
My advice about working in my industry
The chemical industry needs more young people joining it - so there are lots of opportunities for advancement as older workers retire.
Other advice
Don't get into debt (apart from a student loan). Whilst its tempting to put things on your.credit card when you start earning
Contacting me
Happy to answer questions on chemical companies, types of roles, salaries, living and working abroad in Switzerland.
What I do
I buy both speciality and commodity chemicals for Solenis, a chemical company supplying to the water treatment and the paper industry. I am based in Switzerland, but the industry and company language is English. I moved to Switzerland in 2008 with Procter & Gamble, and moved to Solenis after 10 years.
Skills I use and how I developed them
My role requires a mixture of analytical skills, commercial acumen, and relationship development. The analytical skills come fairly naturally from my background in mathematics and physics - you need a keen eye for detail, a willingness to learn and ask questions, and good spreadsheet skills! Commercial acumen I developed over time at P&G - I had good mentors and good management examples. Relationship development is more esoteric - be someone your suppliers will call first if there is a problem. Network and get connected with people in the industry. Be honest - if you are straight with your suppliers, they will respect you. Don't be afraid of your own shadow - sometimes you need to be very firm! I don't have a problem as a woman in the chemical industry, I find I am respected and everyone is very professional.
What I like most
Setting my own priorities and agenda. Work needs to get done, but I really get to "own" my business area.
What I like least
Occasional supply crisises that mean you quickly have to change your priorities for the day. In a well run business it should not happen too often
Next steps...
If you like the look of Melissa’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Melissa a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Melissa to be your mentor.