Generally speaking, people know me as a “materials” person. This is simply because during my whole career I have been developing & qualifying hygiene raw materials and various nonwoven, made by different processes, for different consumer applications.In 29 years - until my retirement from P&G in Feb. 24 - I led material development as global R&D project manager, both internally and externally, for many hygiene starting raw materials used in diapers, baby wipes, and feminine care.Effective and rewarding relationships with suppliers and a playful joy to innovate have been essential to deliver my business and multiple IP contributions that are present in the market today.I developed my exceptional problem solving, communication, and leadership skills over the past working with project teams around the world on material innovation, development, and - equally important - scale-up & commercialization.The key part of this journey took place during an 8 year project with a Japanese supplier, where I discovered that the chosen path towards the goal is as important as the goal itself.