Elkem Silicones (formerly Bluestar Silicones), is one of the four business segments that make up Elkem Corporation, headquartered in Oslo, Norway. Elkem Silicones is one of the 5 major, basic, global manufacturers of silicone fluids and elastomers. We have upstream and downstream plants positioned globally including the largest siloxane plant in the world. As a salesperson for Elkem Silicones, I have responsibility for managing, developing and growing new and existing accounts in a midwest geography. These business segments include: paper release coatings, textile coating, molding, sealing and bonding, prototyping, personal care, healthcare and electronics.

The Athletic Advisory Council consists of Athletic Directors and Athletic Department Staff, Team Coaches and past Purdue Athletes representing all sporting teams. Responsibilities include consulting and collaborating on the Intercollegiate Athletic Programs for overall quality and betterment of offering and status against other peer group athletic programs in the NCAA.

Walsh & Associates is a specialty chemical distributor specializing in the Personal Care, Soaps & Detergents, HI&I, Paints & Coatings, Chemical, Plastic, and Adhesives Industries while also touching on the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries in certain areas. As an Account Manager at Walsh & Associates, I am responsible for Developing, Growing and Managing new and existing accounts in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. I bring value to my customers by capitalizing on the long standing supplier relationships that Walsh has in place to bring economical solutions on both commonly used raw materials as well as specialty items which are more difficult to source. Utilizing Walsh's extensive supplier portfolio, I can often find alternate supply for products in which my customer is single sourced or has minimum order quantities which are hard to meet.I work very closely with my regional sales team to find and offer solutions to customer issues and to stay on top of current market conditions. Due to the wide variety of industries covered, I also work closely with the entire sales team to learn from the other member's areas of expertise and implement team based selling when it might benefit the customer or account.

Magrabar Chemical Corporation is a surfactant manufacturer specializing in Antifoams, Defoamers, Emulsifiers and Release Agents. Working closely with Production, R&D, Purchasing and Executive Level entities, I developed and grew business by determining actual customer needs and finding solutions to meet those needs. I focused on the Food & Beverage Industry, Personal Care, Detergent, HI&I, Waste water, Metalworking and other industrial areas and networked to identify and pursue new applications and opportunities. I called on multinational corporations such as Kraft, Pepsico, Coca-Cola, Campbell's Soup, Dean Foods and Ecolab while also covering smaller, independent manufacturers. I worked closely with distributors by going on joint sales calls, working through prospect identification and providing technical training. Some of the distributors I worked with include: Univar, Brenntag, Mays Chemical, Harris & Ford and Nelson Jameson.

As an Outside Mortgage Banker at Chicago Bancorp, I developed and maintained business referral sources though outlets such as real estate agents, financial planners, real estate developers and attorneys. I was also responsible for originating mortgage loans and managing the approval process. I was successful due to establishing myself as a trusted and knowledgeable resource for both my clients and my referral partners. My time management skills coupled with my attention to detail enabled me to successfully close a high percentage of loans which were mutually beneficial to both my clients and my company. This being a 100% commission based position, I learned to manage and leverage my business expenses which included, marketing, promotion and referral source/client development against my business income.I left Chicago Bancorp to return to the Chemical Industry.

The US Global Special Products Division was based out of Skokie, IL and reported to the Global Special Products Group in the UK. I was a member of the Global Business Development Team and was responsible for North America. Our team's main objective was to execute the strategy for expanding our offering of specialty oils and waxes globally and determine the path to market in each geographic region. I was responsible for agricultural and industrial applications previously unestablished in the US such as pesticides and rubber manufacturing. Utilizing multiple business relationships, I was able to provide cost estimates and outline the path to market which included EPA Registrations and Approvals, Lab testing, Field testing, supply chain, etc. I also led a R&D Development Project to evaluate and approve low cost and natural wax replacements for current product offerings. I performed lab testing to determine cost vs. performance and ideal application areas. Results were presented to the sales team with target account opportunities.BP closed this plant location and laid off all employees in June 2003.

I held two positions during my time with Rohm and Haas' Borohydride Chemistry Division. My responsibilities as a Business Development Specialist were to grow new application areas for color inhibiting technology in chemical manufacturing. I utilized my understanding of the surfactant industry to identify possible opportunities such as Betaine manufacturing. As an Account Manager, I was responsible for growing business of the newly patented ChromaClear bleaching technology within papermills utilizing recycled paper. I oversaw in-plant trials and negotiated long term plant trial and supply agreements. My territory was the western half of the US.This group had been acquired from Morton Intl in 2000 and endured severe downsizing throughout my time with them and after. Both of my positions were eliminated.

I worked for the bulk chemical side of Mallinckrodt whose product line consisted of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), Bulk Narcotics, APAP and Excipients. I managed and grew a $45MM, 5-state territory consisting of multi-national and local pharmaceutical manufacturers, food manufacturers and a network of local and national chemical distributors. As the first outside hire in the past 9 years, I exceeded all sales goals set for me. Mallinckrodt was purchased by Tyco International in late 2000 who then instituted across the board head count reduction. My position was eliminated.

I was hired as part of the sales training program at the Stepan Company. This consisted of formal sales training (sales skills, territory management and relationship management), leading and conducting sales & product training for distributor partners, traveling with outside account representatives and Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I also spent a significant amount of time in R&D and Product Development Labs working with surfactants in personal care, laundry and HI&I applications. I worked closely with the Business Management Teams - this included involvement in managing the acquisition of a new product line and it's marketing release to existing and new client base. During my time at Stepan, I also developed and taught "Basic Surfactant Training" for non-technical employees.