Ep. 9 - Building a Biopolymer Leader with Rich Altice

Most recently, Richard Altice served as the President and CEO of NatureWorks, a leading developer and manufacturer of biopolymers (polylactic acid). During his five-year tenure, Altice successfully led the company to achieve significant revenue growth and profitability. 

Richard Altice is an experienced executive in the specialty chemicals and biopolymers industry. He has consistently achieved revenue growth and profitability by employing a market-focused and value-driven approach in various businesses, markets, and organizations.

Rich and I discuss his career in the chemical industry and some of the key insights and formative experiences he had in leading multiple large global organizations. We discuss his pivot to sustainable materials company NatureWorks one of the earliest companies in the bio-derived plastics segment, and his perspective and outlook on the sustainability trend in materials.

Sustainability is currently the prominent trend in materials, dominating both startup and incumbent firms' technology portfolios. It encompasses a range of approaches such as the use of bio-derived materials like NatureWorks PLA, circular business models that prioritize recycling traditional petroleum derived materials, and the implementation of carbon capture techniques. It is important to note that each of these options comes with its own strategic considerations, risk profiles, and execution methods.

Who should listen? Those who:

* Materials executives

* Sustainability strategists

Topics covered included:

* Dealing with novel materials 

* Current maturity of biomaterials 

* How to consider investments in sustainability 

* Getting execution right 

* Common blind spots for novel biomaterials 

* Reference customers and their role 

* Industry collaborations and role for non-corporate entities 

* Recycling vs. biodegradability

Show Notes: (subscribers only)

* Video Replay - Aug 23, 2023, 10 am EST

* Executive Roundtable for Materials Growth website

* Executive Summary

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit materialgrowth.substack.com