Originally from Australia, Lydia Swan began her plastics industry career there but was recruited by DSM Engineering Materials to lead a predominantly male business development and application development team for the nonautomotive engineering materials business in the United States. DSM is a unit of plastics and chemicals maker Royal DSM of Geleen, Netherlands.
"Those who have worked in the plastics industry for any period of time know that most senior managers want you to succeed and are willing to help if you ask for it. So, I learned a great deal from my managers during my time working at GE Plastics, Sekisui and Mulford Plastics," Swan said in her Women Breaking the Mold survey. "At DSM, it's been exciting taking on the challenge of working with our team and distribution partners to help our customers find the right advanced material solution for their design challenges."
Swan studied accounting before changing to marketing, "but strangely enough I really enjoyed the cost accounting classes," said the sales director of specialty industries at DSM.
"I accepted an opportunity ... to work at a small plastic manufacturing company doing bookkeeping and enjoyed having the ability to work while completing my classes," Swan said.
She has been involved with the Society of Plastics Engineers as well as The Hoboken Shelter in New Jersey. She was previously involved with Life Changing Experiences Foundation Ltd. in Australia.
"I think a good manager is their team's greatest advocate, empowering them and eliminating ... obstacles to their success," Swan said. "Most recently, I was honored to serve as a member of DSM's Frontrunner program, which was created to promote management and business best practices. I am also honored to help lead the diversity and inclusion program in our region for the engineering materials business group."
Swan was nominated by Tom Rippinger, marketing communications manager, Americas, for DSM Engineering Materials.
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Q: What is your greatest achievement?
Swan: I always want to be the best leader I can and ensure I take care of [my] team to help them be successful, so while I feel I have many personal sales achievement stories to share that got me here, I am the most proud when my team succeeds. That's why I was the most proud when they recently honored me with a very positive score in our 360-degree manager evaluations. When they feel they have the tools they need for success, that's when I feel like I've achieved my job as a manager.
Q: What is your current challenge at work?
Swan: The world we work in has changed so much due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those of us that chose business development are typically extraverted and in-person engagement with the customer is one of the most rewarding parts of our job, so I think this has been particularly difficult for us. In the last few months, we've had to reinvent the way we stay motivated, connected and continuously supportive for our customers who are also struggling with the situation.
Q: What advice would you give to a person considering a career in the plastics industry?
Swan: This industry is not for you if you like complacency or status quo. But if you love science, understanding process improvements, solution selling, never want to sit still and want the opportunity to learn something new every day, then this industry will give you that challenge.
Q: What is your personal "mold" that you are breaking?
Swan: I have to continually reinvent myself to remain successful. I started in a very small and male-dominated Australian mining town working for a small plastics company run by a woman. To be successful, we embraced reality and put in the hard work to earn the respect of our customers, both male and female.
I also overcame this challenge without a background in chemistry or polymers, but with a willingness to learn women can be successful in this complex business.
It would have been easier to also pick one plastic or process and stuck with it, but I think as women we have a unique gift of being able to multitask, embrace the complexity and make it simple so the customer can understand the value we're offering. I accepted the challenges as they came working in extrusion, injection molding and vacuum-pressure forming. I learned the customer challenges in aviation, colorants, medical, mining, mass transit and signage so we could deliver solutions.
If nothing else, I hope my story will help women without a technical background to consider careers in our industry.
Q: Who is your mentor or someone you look up to?
Swan: I'm inspired by the growing list of female CEOs at multinational companies such as Mary Barra, first female CEO at General Motors, or Ginni Rommety, who was recently the first female CEO of IBM. At DSM, women in our senior leadership such as Helen Mets, vice president of our materials cluster, and Geraldine Matchett, our co-CEO, are also great examples of female leaders. They don't apologize for being strong and tech-savvy women, and I think they are paving the way for today's young women to become increasingly active in management.