Despite working across several continents, Dr Dieter Seng’s career has been fairly linear and direct. He began at a German chemical company, Wacker Chemie; then after 3 years joined a consulting business where he stayed for the next 5. Following that, he moved to Süd-Chemie, which was acquired by Clariant in 2011.
In his 5 years at Süd-Chemie prior to the acquisition, Dieter was the head of Food and Feed Additives in Munich, leading a team of sales and technical professionals. Post 2011, he relocated to Singapore and became the head of Business Line Adsorbents for the South East Asia and Pacific region (SEAP), where he managed an operations and sales team of more than 300 employees across 3 plants in Indonesia.
Dr Dieter Seng has a fascination for chemistry
It proved invaluable experience. In 2016, he took on the role of Clariant’s regional head for SEAP, taking care of 8 countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Indonesia. Like many successful people, Dieter works in an area that he loves. “I’ve always been fascinated by chemical experiments. Organic chemistry fascinates me in particular, because of the huge variety of reactions that nature provides. I love to find ways to use these reactions in the laboratory to simulate nature.”
Organic chemistry fascinates me in particular, because of the huge variety of reactions that nature provides.
Across 2 decades, he has created those chemical reactions in many different places, from Germany to the US to Singapore – all countries with varying work cultures, as Dieter explains. “Each region has its attractive aspects; it’s hard to choose a favourite among the places I’ve worked. In Germany, I enjoyed the high levels of efficiency at work. In America, I was attracted by the casual and less formal working style. In Asia, you meet many different nationalities, so you have an exciting mix, and the consumers are very willing to try new things.”
Now firmly into his stride, Dieter has identified some key opportunities for growth and change within the company. This is particularly true of the ASEAN region, which represents a significant portion of the global economy. It’s ripe for expansion because of its abundance of natural resources and a growing middle-class income, which is driving demand for consumer products.
Huge opportunities in Vietnam & the Philippines
According to Dieter, Clariant is addressing these trends. “Our surfactant business is responding to a growing demand for innovative personal care and home-care products focused on consumer convenience. The household chemical market in particular is a maturing key driver for us. A current focus across all businesses of Clariant is the development of Vietnam and the Philippines.
“Both countries are undergoing strong development, which offers huge opportunities. We also see growth opportunities in Indonesia, and have recently opened a new site in Surabaya, East Java, with the potential for more expansion there.” Like a volatile chemical reaction, the industry has evolved quickly and changed its form. It’s something that Dieter loves about working in this sector.
“This industry is so exciting due to the countless areas of technical applications that we serve, ranging from plastics to pharmaceuticals. Over the last 2 decades, I’ve seen the industry shift its focus more towards Asia, which makes things even more exciting for me right now. I’ve also noticed an increase in the number of industry players, but that competitive pressure supports innovation across the industry, which is a good thing.”
Clariant is a multifaceted company
Clariant is a very multifaceted company that specialises in several different fields and products, and Dieter finds it hard to focus on just one favourite. “The catalyst business is fascinating, because of its advanced product technology. The surfactant business is also interesting, as it aligns very closely with consumer trends. What all Clariant’s businesses share is the high impact that our products have on our customers, as well as our sustainability commitment.”
Strategic plans and growth initiatives for South East Asia and the Pacific are next on the agenda. “We’ve just finished several investments in the region,” says Dieter. “Now our task is to market the products that result from these investments. We’ll also continue to concentrate on our portfolio, customers, growth and innovation, and strive to make the various ‘Excellence’ programs – Operational, Innovation, Commercial and People – truly part of our DNA.”
Win-win partnerships
Intrinsic to Clariant’s success is its collaboration with key partners, or, as Dieter calls them, “win–win partnerships.” “We’re always open to partnerships where our capabilities and those of our partners add up perfectly,” he says. “These capabilities can be in innovation, marketing or production, but trust is the key factor for success.” Innovation is another core element of Clariant’s strategy.
In 2015, it launched the Consumer Care Competence Center under its Personal and Home Care business segment in Singapore. This new application laboratory is connected to a worldwide network of marketing, application and technology experts to provide unique ideas and solutions that solve customers’ unmet needs in the region.
“It’s another big step forward in building closer collaboration with our customers in the region, and demonstrates our full commitment to pursuing innovation excellence through local capability,” Dieter concludes.