Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • K Show
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • Notable Leaders in Sustainability
    • Processor of the Year
    • Best Places to Work
    • Women Breaking the Mold
    • Rising Stars
    • Diversity
    • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • Pellets and Politics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics Caps + Closures: A Global Online Event
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Bioplastics Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • PFAS Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Resin Prices
    • Resin Prices Overview
    • Commodity Thermoplastics
    • High Temperature Thermoplastics
    • Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Thermosets
    • Europe - Virgin
    • Europe - Recycled
    • Europe - Feedstock
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
February 11, 2021 09:00 AM

2021 Rising Stars: Jillian Richardson

Jordan Vitick
Special Projects Editor
Plastics News Staff
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    Jillian Richardson

    Jillian Richardson, 30

    Marketing and Communication Manager, Engineered Materials, Celanese Corp.

    Jillian Richardson previously worked as the fundraising development manager for the education nonprofit City Year, where Celanese Corp. was a key donor bringing the organization to Dallas. The more the two groups partnered to help the community, Richardson said, the more she learned about the materials firm and found deeper interest in the plastics industry.

    "When the opportunity to join the philanthropy team at Celanese presented itself, I knew it was the right move for me to learn from the inside as the Celanese Foundation communication specialist," Richardson said. "After years of collaboration in the philanthropic space, I made the move to the commercial sales team for an unbelievable, firsthand experience in Plastics 101, which enhanced my competencies to transition into my current role as marketing and communications manager for North America."

    Richardson has a bachelor's and master's degree in communications. She is a member of the Dallas Regional Chamber Young Professionals organization, National Sales Network and Leadership ISD – Dallas County Civic Voices.

    "I currently virtually tutor for Girls Inc. and [am] a Leadership ISD 2021 fellow advocating for students and advancing racial equity and academic excellence through advocacy and policy," she said.

    Richardson said volunteering has always been a priority in her life.

    "A few months before I started in my philanthropy role, our CEO made a grand announcement that our employees would log 100,000 volunteer hours over the course of the year. The highest to date was 30,000, and when I was hired in April we hadn't even made a dent. Kicking into gear, we launched a global campaign with volunteer champions in each region to boost support. These champions helped me identify local needs that I would use to pinpoint organizations and volunteer opportunities fitting employee schedules and centered on values they cared about," Richardson said of her greatest achievement. "Ending the year knowing our employees gave back to their communities through over 121,400 volunteer hours is something I will never forget."

    To relax and unwind, Richardson likes to get outdoors, meditate, practice yoga and play board games. She lives in Dallas with her fiancé and dog.

    Q: What is your current challenge at work?

    Richardson: The mechanisms we used prior to the pandemic cannot be applied to today's global economy. Functions like forecasting and in-person sales meetings have all needed to pivot to keep everything running smoothly. I am continuously thinking outside of the traditional route to maintain personable relationships with customers and find ways to maneuver difficult situations to address their needs.

    Q: What emerging technology or market most interests you?

    Richardson: I am fascinated [by] the emerging market of polymers in microneedles. More now than ever, we are seeing the international need for safe and effective routes to administer therapies like vaccines. The right polymer formulation in microneedles allows for localized, controlled-release deliveries. Additionally, microneedles decrease hazardous waste from the disposal of conventional needles and do not require expensive equipment or complicated training to administer, expanding their availability to underserved areas.

    Q: What is your philosophy related to plastics and sustainability? What steps have you taken to improve plastics' sustainability, either in work, your community or personal life?

    Richardson: My generation and the generations of the future must lead the way in sustaining a healthy environment, including finding renewable energy and resources. I believe the continued development in technology in the plastics industry, not the elimination of plastics, will play a critical part in success. One approach to improving plastics' sustainability in my personal life is having discussions about how our polymers go into applications that already improve the world. The benefits of lightweighting in vehicles or various medical devices that make things safer for us all. In my community, I recycle at home as well as participate in drives and pickups when available. Every conversation and action no matter how small can make an impact.

    Q: What should the plastics industry do to expand its efforts in diversity and inclusion?

    Richardson: Today's business environment requires bold leadership. The industry can expand its efforts in diversity and inclusion by encouraging organizations to publicly report diversity statistics such as minority representation in executive roles or data outlining how they are actively building and retaining a diverse talent pipeline. I believe this level of brave transparency will inspire active, intentional allies on the individual level and ensure diversity and inclusion is more than an add-on but an intrinsic value woven into the culture of the entire industry.

    Q: Who is your mentor or someone you look up to?

    Richardson: I am lucky to have three sisters who continuously model strength, resilience, humility and unconditional love. Their support is immeasurable, and I am so proud to be their sister and to have always looked up to them.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    M. Holland selling 3D business after Ravago deal
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    An 8,000-ton dream for Milacron, 20/20 Custom Molded Plastics
    2
    Sonoco closing California plant, laying off more than 300
    3
    Plastics industry ‘not running away from its own problems,' ACC's Eisenberg says
    4
    ExxonMobil completes $2B Texas expansion
    5
    ACC campaign targets Biden administration's ‘regulatory overreach'
    SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Find more newsletters at plasticsnews.com/newsletters.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Tire Business
    • Urethanes Technology
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • K Show
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • Notable Leaders in Sustainability
        • Processor of the Year
        • Best Places to Work
        • Women Breaking the Mold
        • Rising Stars
        • Diversity
        • Most Interesting Social Media Accounts in Plastics
      • Newsletters
      • Videos
      • Podcasts
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • Pellets and Politics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics Caps + Closures: A Global Online Event
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Bioplastics Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • PFAS Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • PN Live: Mergers and Acquisitions
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Resin Prices
      • Resin Prices Overview
      • Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temperature Thermoplastics
      • Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Recycled Plastics
      • Thermosets
      • Europe - Virgin
      • Europe - Recycled
      • Europe - Feedstock
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified