As a leader, engineer and the BPA unit manager for Sabic in Mount Vernon, Ind., Chris Stemple is always looking for ways to continuously improve the manner in which the plant operates, whether that is through improvements with safety performance, cost position, yield or quality of products, or making day-to-day roles more efficient.
"Balancing all of these needs while also managing assets, which, in specific applications, are beginning to show their age when it comes to reliable performance, is a daily challenge," he added.
This is Stemple's first role in the plastics industry; he manages a "high-demand unit with mature technology with plenty of opportunities to improve and grow our performance as a unit."
Before joining Sabic, Stemple was a production leader at Corteva Agriscience in Midland, Mich. He has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind., and an MBA from Arkansas State University.
"I was privileged to be part — both as an engineer and a leader — of a team that had to grow together in building foundational process and EH&S [environmental health and safety] performance of a team that had very little experience with a process and technology. Over the course of several years, including both successes and failures, we were able to restore confidence in the unit from our upper-level leadership, resulting in a significant capital investment and successful startup of a critical technology for the company," Stemple said of his greatest professional achievement.
He's interested in "the use of integrated, connected and smart tools to provide operations and support personnel with the most up-to-date information regarding the current and predictive performance of a unit."
Stemple prides himself on focusing on performing within his current role, "which generally has led to new and/or expanded opportunities to advance and learn," and attempts to be "one of the first people to raise their hand when someone is needed to take part in a special team or initiative."
"At one point in my career, I was presented with an opportunity to accept a new role that was very much outside of my 'comfort zone.' A mentor of mine told me that if I was entirely comfortable with a new role upon accepting it, it's not the right one; pushing ourselves outside of our current boundaries is the most effective way to grow," Stemple said of the best advice he's received.
"My parents have always been the key mentors in my life and will continue to be. My father is also a chemical engineer and worked in the industry; I have been able to utilize him as a sounding board for my career and working style," said Stemple, who added that he hopes to "continue to be able to make a difference in the daily lives of the people with whom I work while also helping our company succeed."