Hey Patrick! Tell us something about your career path so far!

I joined Evonik in October of 2016 and am a Principal Project Engineer with a background in Chemical Engineering and process controls. I began my career as a process engineer and gained valuable field experience providing services to chemical plants around the country. After a few years, I made the decision to become specialized in process control and am now an expert in the Process Controls group within the Process Technology and Engineering department in North America. 

What were your experiences with the onboarding process at Evonik?

During my onboarding experience at Evonik, I was taught standard processes of my group, met new people, and shared experiences. I can remember on my first day being greeted with open arms, friendliness, and guidance to help me adapt. I met with managers and leaders at the site and felt like I was joining a new family. I will never forget that first day, because it propelled me into my new role at Evonik.

Could you tell us something about Reverse Mentoring @ Evonik?

I have a passion for Reverse Mentoring, in which less experienced employees’ mentor more experienced employees to facilitate cross-generational and cross-cultural learning. With support from my management team, I successfully introduced the idea for Reverse Mentoring. Since then, Reverse Mentoring is spreading across the company; I have actually completed three rounds myself! Experiences like this have been invaluable in allowing me to connect to the Evonik culture and I encourage everyone to explore during onboarding.

How do you keep your Work Life Balance?

In my personal life I have my lovely wife Allie and my two-year old son Titus. We have four dogs and love to play outside. We visit the beach often and explore the region around us regularly as having a toddler keeps us active. In my spare time I enjoy making crafty items out of wood, reading, and cooking. I have always said that chemical engineers make the best chefs.