As the traditionally male-dominated chemical industry becomes ever more inclusive, women in leadership roles are joining forces to create camaraderie,
mentorship and opportunities for professional and personal growth.
For Renee Havrilla, the chemical industry is home.
A chemist by training, Havrilla has spent over 30 years in the industry and
today runs a global division for Westlake Chemical
Corporation as VP of Compounds. Westlake produces
rigid and flexible vinyl compounds for the automotive, healthcare, consumer, and
the building and
construction
industries. However, when she first joined the industry in the early 1990s,
there were few women to count in the executive
ranks.
As she made her way up the ladder over the next couple of decades, she realized
one thing quickly: Women could be more successful if they supported each other.
At Westlake, one of the first things she noticed was that there wasn’t a forum
for women to interact with each other. So, in the fall of 2018, she decided to
invite all of the women in
leadership
at the Houston, Texas campus to join her for an informal meet and greet.
Women of Westlake (WoW) soon morphed into peer-to-peer coaching,
informal mentorships, and the mission to create opportunities for the women of
Westlake to strengthen business relationships, grow professionally and
personally, and build successful careers at Westlake.
“The WoW affinity group allows us to come together, learn from each other, and
create space within the industry,” Havrilla says.
Driving Internal Organizational Alignment and Better Cross-Functional Collaboration
Join us as leaders from Daggerwing Group, General Mills, J. Lohr Vineyards, Sylvain and Caribou Coffee explore aspects of evolving internal company governance, culture and collaboration that enable stronger connections with consumers across generations and with evolving mindsets — Wed, May 8, at Brand-Led Culture Change.
Today, the group has roughly 50 members and conducts monthly meetings — with a
pre-decided agenda, a mix of TED talks or guest speakers, and always some time
for open floor. Despite the virtual component, the group maintains its intimacy
with many of the women reaching out to each other for advice and camaraderie on
a regular basis.
Havrilla’s colleague, Julie Hildebrand — a chemical engineer with over 20
years’ experience in the industry and a business manager at the Houston office —
agrees: “Westlake has done a great job of recognizing that they could do more to
build upon diversity as an asset. WoW has elevated the platform to support
professional growth for women in the organization,” she says.
So much so, that there are now a growing number of women-led groups in process
across Westlake. And that’s invaluable.
Published Jan 28, 2022 7am EST / 4am PST / 12pm GMT / 1pm CET
Sponsored Content
/ This article is sponsored by
Vinyl Sustainability Council.
This article, produced in cooperation with the Sustainable Brands editorial team, has been paid for by one of our sponsors.