Igniting the potential of female manufacturing talent with flame immersion session

The sixth cohort of flame (Female Leaders Advancing Manufacturing Excellence) Ignite Your Potential gathered at the Geismar, Louisiana site for a three-day Year 1 Immersion Session.

BASF’s flame (Female Leaders Advancing Manufacturing Excellence) Ignite Your Potential Program is a three-year development program that seeks to strengthen capabilities, build business acumen, and improve advancement opportunities for aspiring women in manufacturing roles. This includes increased self-awareness and focused development planning, addressing unique challenges of the manufacturing environment that women often face, and inspiration to “pay it forward” to the next generation of women in manufacturing. 

On June 20, the sixth cohort of flame Ignite Your Potential gathered at Geismar for a three-day Year 1 Immersion Session. Throughout the session, the cohort learned about Geismar’s verbund operations, which included a site tour and a demonstration of technology supporting improvements in safety, cost-effectiveness and production. Participants learned from fellow women in manufacturing and BASF leaders - Cara Madzy, Sr. Director EHS and Security, Kristie Pickering, Director, Utilities & Infrastructure, Christen Campbell, Director, Site Development & Energy/Verbund Management, Jolen Stein, Sr. Director, People Services, and Jacki Partain, CI Area Maintenance Manager - on various topics including business strategy, career trade-off decisions, influencing effectively, and career development. In addition to professional development, the cohort spent time networking with Geismar leaders representing multiple business units and operating divisions. 

Ignite Your Potential is geared towards women in manufacturing roles in BASF with 2-5 years of experience. The first year of the program is focused on developmental building blocks and networking opportunities. In year two, the participants are split into groups to help solve real and “unsolvable” problems in business units at BASF. Then wrapping up the program in year three, members of the cohort will spend the year exploring mentorship and progressing their roles in paying it forward to the future generations

"The speakers were amazing! I feel very empowered to go back to my site and put their advice into action. This event was enjoyable for me with the smaller group, and the more relaxed atmosphere was a beneficial experience,” said Elena Castiaux, flame participant.

Congratulations to the following Ignite Your Potential Year 1 cohort:

• Diana Alegria – CI / Freeport 
• Julia Batiuk – AP / Regina 
• Elena Castiaux – AP / Palmyra
• Stephanie Coolidge – CM / Freeport
• Emily Rapp – CM / Freeport
• Jessica Thibodeaux – CI / Geismar
• Danielle Godfrey – NAF / Freeport
• Katie Lane – AP / Palmyra Alexis Ledoux – NAG / Geismar
• Khiet Mai – CI / Geismar
• Crystal McLean – AP / Saskatoon
• Shampa Samanta – CI / Geismar
• Rebecca Sanchez – AP / Ames
• Julie Tran – CM / Freeport
• Samantha Turner – CM / Freeport
• Lauren Westholtz – NAG / Geismar

Flame, sponsored by the Manufacturing Community Steering Committee (MCSC), was developed in partnership with the Leadership Excellence Team to attract, retain, develop, and excite women about manufacturing. Two programs are offered through flame based on the length of time participants have been in their careers: Ignite Your Potential (early years) and Lighting the Way (middle years). The MCSC sponsors programs that support the attraction, retention, and development of our manufacturing workforce. Each program is designed to meet needs identified by manufacturing constituents and support the People focus area of the corporate strategy.