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Employee Training & Development

To build a sustainable business we need a competent and experienced workforce. We are committed to the STEM approach to learning and development, supporting career development and continued education throughout our employees’ careers.

Training in action

We develop specific, bespoke targeted training at group level. A key example of this is our Leadership program. This two-stage program is offered through our training partners who provide instructor-led sessions and post-training coaching which is tailored towards upskilling our frontline management.

In 2023, we launched our new Key Management Skills development program in the Americas and EMEA. The aim of the programme is to provide the participants with the necessary skills they need to perform effectively in their managerial role. 93 managers took part in the program in 2023, completing 4,240 hours of training. We also conducted two runs of Sales Excellence training for 24 Performance Chemicals EMEA Sales team members which took place in Chester, UK, and Castiglione, Italy in November. 33 employees also completed individual specific functional skill training.

Dr Dickson Ojukwu, Talent Development Specialist

‘As a Talent Development Specialist, my role is to develop a learning strategy for the business. 

This is my opportunity to contribute to the growth of our business by supporting development activities across all employee groups, including our next generation of stars. What is really satisfying is that it gives me the opportunity to understand our business better. I can then use this knowledge to unleash the talent and maximize the potential of our people.’

Science ladder

As a company, we drive innovation through investment in research, technology and people. We recognize that attracting, challenging and retaining scientists and technical personnel of the highest caliber is essential to our existing and future business.

Our Science Ladder is a research associate program designed to provide employees in technical roles with the opportunity to advance their careers in science and technology. Through the program, exceptional scientists are encouraged to continue their scientific work, enabling both the employee and the company to benefit from the development of technology. The program provides opportunities for personal development, recognition and status for those who participate in it, providing technical guidance to their colleagues and taking a key role in projects requiring a high level of technical expertise.

Our science ladder in action

In 2023, Matthew Giles at our Ellesmere Port Site in the UK was promoted from Principle Scientist to Research Associate.

“The Science Ladder at Innospec has given me chance to increase my knowledge both within the company and with external contacts.  It has also given me a career pathway to develop and progress whilst remaining a chemist within Research and Technology.    The promotion to Research Associate is gratefully received in terms of recognition for my efforts and I look forward to working towards the next level.”

Matthew Giles, Ellesmere Port

Dr. Jim Barker, Senior Research Fellow

The most senior level on our Science Ladder is that of Senior Research Fellow. In 2021, Dr. Jim Barker was promoted to Senior Research Fellow, only the second person in our company’s history to achieve this prestigious level. Achieving this level takes significant time and requires continued personal commitment from individuals. In 2024, Jim was awarded the ASTM International Award of Merit, in recognition of his voluntary work to help make the world better by contributing directly to the safety, quality, and reliability of products world-wide. Jim’s scientific achievements mark him out as one of the best industrial chemists in the world and this reflects positively on Innospec and our technical credibility with our customers.

Succession planning

Preparing our future leaders to take our organization to the next level is key to building a sustainable business. Our succession planning program for strategic roles ensures our business continues to thrive even when the individuals change positions. Our focus is on finding the right people to fulfil key functions within the organization. We look for potential within our existing workforce and continue to educate and support individuals, so they develop and excel within our structure.

Higher level qualifications

We believe it is important to help all our employees reach their true potential, which is why we support people studying for higher level qualifications across a wide variety of functions. These professional qualifications help employees to further develop as individuals and enables us to maintain a competent workforce. Some examples of the employees we have supported in their learning and development journeys in 2023 are provided below.

Emma Bleasdale, our Junior Regulatory Toxicologist based at our Ellesmere Port, UK site, successfully completed her Toxicology Master’s degree at Birmingham University.

Dan Hollingsworth, Control Systems Engineer, based at our Ellesmere Port, UK site, completed his Electrical Automation Degree, from Wrexham Glyndwr University.

Daniel Grewing, a sales manager based at our Herne site in Germany, was supported to complete his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration at FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management.