Speaker Spotlight: Interview with Sander van Donk, Vice President of Lubrizol
Monday, 19 August 2024
What opportunities and challenges does the energy transition and electrification of the automotive sector present to lubricant industry? This is a question we will be exploring this September in Düsseldorf at Lubricant Expo 2024. Ahead of the event, we interviewed one of our panellists in the conference opening plenary session: Value Creation in the Lubricants Sector, Sander van Donk, Vice President of Lubrizol to hear his take on creation value in the lubricant sector.
Read more below!
You have recently joined Lubrizol as Vice President Europe. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your priorities within your new role?
I joined Lubrizol as Vice President of Europe in January 2024, based in the UK. I bring more than 20 years of international experience starting my career in research & technology and moving via commercial and sales role into senior leadership positions. I have been working in both Technology companies like Honeywell and Sulzer, as well as refiners and chemicals producers like Neste and Total Energies. I have a Master’s degrees in Chemistry and a PhD in Industrial Catalysis, from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, in addition to an Executive MBA from HEC Lausanne in Switzerland. My priority is to set ourselves up for continued success in the European market by delighting our partners and customers with the right solutions, as Lubrizol has always been doing.
You are a panellist in the opening plenary leadership panel: Value Creation in the Lubricants Sector. What would you say are the top three challenges and trends driving this sector at present?
The industry has become much more global both from a people as well as an asset perspective, with quicker connections and ease of establishing fast communications. Evidently in Europe, the industry is becoming more and more regulated, and sustainability has become one of the key focuses for many of us. Therefore, I see the top 3 challenges and trends for Europe being:
- Staying competitive in an increasingly globalized industry, particularly with other regions that provide higher growth and more competitive positions regarding manufacturing and supply chain opportunities.
- Leveraging the shift towards sustainability in which Europe could take a leading role. Prerequisite would be clear regulation and creating an attractive environment for companies to continue to have an active footprint in the European market.
- Making sure that Europe continues to play an important role in new technological developments, particularly when it comes to future mobility.
How does Lubrizol anticipate these challenges, what technologies are you investing in / where do you see growth? i.e. What are the company’s priorities for the years ahead?
Lubrizol is constantly striving for better and more efficient performance of our products in the markets we serve. We are being driven by continuous change in this industry, for example, currently we are developing sustainable solutions and environmentally friendly lubricants for the future. I am proud to work for a company that is always at the forefront of enabling this change by delivering innovative products, whether it is for lowering emissions of internal combustion engine driven vehicles, e-mobility, or cooling of data-centre’s…
What are you most looking forward to at Lubricant Expo Europe?
The lubricants industry is a relatively small industry in which technical differentiation is key to be successful. It’s always good to meet the different stakeholders and see what is driving their agendas for advancing technology and making their business successful. Occasions like this are ideal to connect with old and new friends, meeting up with customers and partners, and identifying how we can be successful together. This is what motivates me day in day out!
Sander van Donk will be speaking in the opening session Leadership Panel: Value Creation in the Lubricants Sector on Day 1. Find the full agenda here.
To join us this September and be part of the world’s largest Lubricant Conference & Expo, register here for free!