Zachary Sia: My journey with chemistry (featuring BASF)
Zachary (Zach) Sia’s journey with BASF began working in market research in BASF Malaysia. Five years, and almost 5,000 km down the track, Zach’s path with BASF crossed again when he took on a role as a Technical Service Chemist with BASF Australia. Read more about Zach’s journey below.
Zach Sia's journey so far is one of remarkable growth and development. From his early days as a curious young athlete with a passion for optimising his diet, Zach's love for science and innovation led him to pursue a degree in Food Science and Nutrition at Taylor's University in Malaysia. He later then honed his skills and knowledge in market research and hi-tech scientific instrumental chemistry when he took an internship at BASF Malaysia. “There’s more to instrumental chemistry than what meets the eye, hence, I sought to sell solutions to our customers instead of just selling instruments,” Zach explains.
Despite his rigorous work schedule, Zach has never lost sight of his personal and professional goals and he continuously pursued opportunities to develop his skills and knowledge. When Zach took a career break to relocate to Australia in 2022, he found a new place to expand his science skills in; the kitchen.
I thoroughly enjoyed the role of home making and cooking in particular. I’m a food scientist, there’s no point in being a food scientist if you can’t make food taste good!”
Zach's persistence and tenacity paid off when he was able to secure a role as a Technical Service Chemist with BASF Australia. “It still feels so surreal to have come full circle with BASF, and I’m just beyond grateful.”
Zach now supports the development of polymer dispersions and evaluation of paints under the Surface Coatings business, providing value-added propositions for customers' products. He has also taken on responsibilities in total quality management, including logistics management on inventory and improving processes to ensure product quality consistency.
“Although it has only been a little over four months, it feels as though Australia is my home now. A melting pot where diversity and inclusion could not be more profound. Colleagues at BASF feel like family. I’ve been learning so much and with much more to learn, the willingness of any colleagues to share, teach and guide is something that I truly appreciate.”
Outside of work, Zach has continued to pursue his hobbies, such as training for the BASF corporate triathlon and playing the guitar at bar gigs and weddings. He is also a skilled leatherworker and enjoys crafting custom leather goods.
In a world where resilience and adaptability are more critical than ever, Zach's story is an inspiration to us all. We are proud to have Zach on our team, and we can't wait to see where his journey takes him next!