Strategic thinking and collaboration are two mechanisms to success for Chris Cain, senior vice president of Net Zero Transition Strategy with LyondellBasell.
Cain took over the role in September and before that was the senior VP of Global Manufacturing for Intermediates, Derivatives and Refining with LyondellBasell.
He is responsible for executing the plans — dubbed Net Zero Transition Strategy —for LyondellBasell to achieve targets to reduce GHG emissions globally, which have been announced as a 42% reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050.
Cain’s extensive background in manufacturing positions him to help align the company’s business strategy, which includes growing and upgrading its core businesses, building a profitable Circular & Low Carbon Solutions business and stepping up performance and culture.
LyondellBasell’s Cain connects manufacturing expertise with ambitious net-zero goals
LyondellBasell’s POTBA unit in Channelview, Texas
"I believe leaders pull from quite a broad skill set each day on the job. Some of the skills I find myself relying on are strategic thinking — looking beyond the moment and thinking through the goal; business acumen which helps me think strategically and collaboratively, with both internal and external audiences," Cain said. "As a leader you have impact and influence, so understanding how your words and actions present to others is an important skill as well.
"In addition, I find being able to pull from my major project development and execution experience gained over my career are two other skills I rely on every day."
Cain said the future of the industry will rely heavily on making products that customers and the world need, but doing so in a more sustainable way.
"Our ability to focus on circularity, reducing the carbon footprint of our products and achieving our overall ambitions to address the global issue of climate change will determine our ability to be a leader in the chemical industry for the long-term future," he said.
While leaning into its Net Zero Transition Strategy, Cain said LyondellBasell is keeping a keen focus on manufacturing, most notably the recent start-up of the world’s largest propylene oxide and tertiary butyl alcohol (POTBA) unit in Channelview, Texas.
"The world-leading capacity of the new POTBA plant positions us to meet the growing demand for products essential for modern life," Cain said. To deliver a project of this magnitude, he added that the collaborative effort between multiple project teams at both Bayport and Channelview, Texas, as well as around the world, was essential.
With more than three decades of experience in petrochemical manufacturing, Cain has spent most of his career with Lyondell-Basell and appreciates that the company actively advocates on important issues, aiming to work within industry trade groups to create smart public policy solutions.
"Our advocacy activities are directed toward furthering LyondellBasell’s business interests and fostering the protection and advancement of a strong petrochemical industry while enabling a circular and low carbon economy," he said.
LyondellBasell’s Cain connects manufacturing expertise with ambitious net-zero goals
LyondellBasell’s MoReTec molecular recycling technology
In Texas, LyondellBasell seeks to raise awareness on key issues and is advocating in support of programs that are important to creating jobs and attracting new capital investment to the state, Cain said.
In addition, it supports policies that create a competitive and reliable electricity market. The company dedicates funding to the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan programs which company officials believe provide the most cost-effective solutions for reducing mobile source emissions, opportunities to enhance protocols and processes that support safe operations and fair and equitable tax policies that promote economic investment.
On the national level, LyondellBasell is focused on many leading issues, including addressing climate change, ending plastic waste and establishing supply chain continuity.
Cain said smart tax policies that encourage future development of affordable, renewable and clean energy is a key focus for LyondellBasell, as is incentivizing companies to invest in carbon-reducing technologies.
In its effort to grow the company’s mechanical recycling footprint and to increase access to feedstock through advanced sorting, LyondellBasell announced four new plastic waste recycling projects and ventures in 2022. LyondellBasell’s proprietary MoReTec technology allows for the recycling of most types of plastic materials such as multi-layered food packaging items or mixed plastic containers. The technology converts post-consumer plastic waste into high-quality feedstock for the production of new polymer materials.
Contiguous to the reach for new technologies, safety is of the utmost importance, and achieving and maintaining excellent safety and process safety performance is one of the biggest challenges any leader in manufacturing faces, Cain said. It requires a strong safety culture among employees at the site — contractors included — and relies heavily on building relationships, maintaining strong management systems and actively demonstrating that people and their safety matters above everything else, he added.
LyondellBasell’s Cain connects manufacturing expertise with ambitious net-zero goals
Chris Cain, Senior Vice President, LyondellBasell’s Net Zero Transition Strategy
"Culture is key to long-term sustained excellent safety performance," Cain said. "Building relationships and a drive toward continuous improvement and shared values across workgroups, companies and contractors is what transforms average safety performance within a company to excellent. Strong systems are required, but the culture is what determines long-term success."
In 2022, LyondellBasell had a 0.12 TRIR, a record low performance and top decile in the industry. Fifty-five sites also achieved zero injuries and zero process safety and environmental incidents. Over four million safe work hours were achieved at five manufacturing sites, and over one million safe work hours were achieved at 21 manufacturing sites.
Attributing leadership successes attained in areas of safety as well as operational achievements throughout his tenure, Cain gives much credit to skills he learned early on.
"My first official job was working in a grocery store in high school, from the age of 16," he said. "I stocked shelves, carried groceries to the customers’ car, unloaded delivery trucks and more. It helped me pay for college, reinforced the importance of a good work ethic and helped me develop customer service and overall interpersonal skills."
Later, after those formative years, Cain earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Ohio State University and an MBA from Marquette University. He gained leadership experience overseeing the day-to-day operations at various Lyondell-Basell manufacturing sites, including locations in Ohio, Iowa, Illinois and Texas.
As the company expands its product base and focuses more on its net-zero transition strategy and projects, Cain believes partnerships with contractors — especially those in construction, welding and the other skills necessary in the project planning and execution process — remain a priority. "These relationships are collaborative, where we share goals regarding safety and project completion," he added.
Additionally, Cain said reliable and cost-efficient performance is of top concern to LyondellBasell and is dependent upon consistency in the implementation of operational excellence management systems.
This is where leadership comes into play, Cain said. "You need to have strong people, strong risk management systems and a conviction to make critical investments."
For more information, visit lyondellbasell.com.
