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August 6, 2025 16 mins

Welcome back to Adhesion Matters.  Ever stop to think what’s really holding your smartphone, car, or skyscraper together? This episode reveals the unsung heroes behind the adhesives that empower our modern world. We spotlight the top ten industry visionaries whose leadership is driving innovation, sustainability, and evolutionary change in adhesive technology.

What’s Inside:

  • Meet the Movers & Shakers – From Henkel’s CEO, who’s leveraging scale to drive bio-based adhesives and circularity, to Dow’s chairman reshaping packaging recyclability—and beyond.
  • Innovation in Action – Learn how leaders at 3M, PPG, and others are honing R&D strategy, driving acquisitions, and focusing on ultra-high-performance formulations for EVs, electronics, and advanced materials.
  • Digital & Sustainable Integration – Discover how Avery Dennison is turning smart labels into powerful data points, or how Bodo Möller Chemie  is pioneering “debond-on-demand” tech for future recyclability.
  • Top-Level Sustainability – Get inspired by front-runners like Wacker and H.B. Fuller, who are embedding carbon targets and eco-conscious solutions into their growth agendas.

Why You Should Listen:

These industry leaders aren’t just responding to trends—they're shaping the adhesives of tomorrow, driving breakthroughs that impact electric vehicles, packaging, aerospace, and beyond. Learn what it means for the materials that literally keep our world together.

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Elena Bondwell (00:00):
Have you ever stopped to think about what
really holds your smartphonetogether?
You know, allowing for thoseincredibly thin, complex
designs, or like what keeps allthe different parts of your car
working together seamlessly,even when it's, well, under
pretty extreme conditions.
The answer, often, isadhesives.
Sort of the unsung hero, right?
The invisible backbone.

(00:21):
Okay, let's unpack this.
Today, we're diving deep intothis really fascinating report.
It profiles the 10 mostinfluential living figures
currently shaping the globaladhesives industry.
And our mission really is topull out the crucial insights
from the source material.
We want to show you how thesecorporate visionaries aren't
just reacting to the market.
No, they're actively drivinginnovation, defining where

(00:42):
adhesive tech goes next.
And there's a big emphasis onsustainability and high
performance applications.

Lucas Adheron (00:48):
Yeah.
And what's really interestingabout this report is how it
defines influence.
It's not just about running abig company.
It digs into the strategicdirection they set, their actual
market impact, and the sort ofgroundbreaking innovation
initiatives they're championingright from the top.
We're talking leadership inR&D, pushing for big industry
shifts like circularity,bio-based materials, that kind

(01:08):
of thing, advanced manufacturingtoo.
And when you connect that tothe bigger picture, you quickly
get why this industry, whichmight seem kind of niche, is
actually so critical.
I mean, adhesives underpin justcountless sectors,
microelectronics, electronics,skyscrapers, food packaging,
aerospace composites, you nameit.
Without their constantinnovation, a lot of the tech we

(01:30):
rely on daily, it just wouldn'texist or, you know, it wouldn't
work as well or last as long aswe expect.

Elena Bondwell (01:36):
Right.
So who are these people?
These architects of adhesionleading the charge.
Let's meet the individuals whoare really at the vanguard here,
starting right at the top ofthe list.
First up is Karsten Noble.
He's the CEO of Henkel.
Now, you might know Henkel forlike one stuff, but they're
actually the world's largestadhesive technologies producer.

(01:57):
And here's a kind of surprisingbit from the source.
Henkel apparently got intoadhesives almost by accident
back in 1922 because of a supplyshortage after World War I.

Lucas Adheron (02:06):
Yeah.
Fortuitously, as the reportsays.

Elena Bondwell (02:09):
Exactly.
And from that kind ofaccidental start, they grew into
this global leader.
They even bought Loctiteeventually.

Lucas Adheron (02:14):
Huge acquisition.

Elena Bondwell (02:16):
Huge.
Now Henkel operates in over 800industry segments.
Mobility, electronics,packaging, construction.
It's vast.
So I guess the question Thequestion is, with a company that
big, nearly 150 years old, howdoes Nobel manage to keep
pushing for profitable growthand these really ambitious
sustainability goals across somany different areas?

Lucas Adheron (02:35):
Well, that's where his strategic skill really
comes in.
Nobel isn't just aiming forsmall improvements.
He's guiding Henkel throughpretty fundamental changes.
Given Henkel's huge scale, Imean, hundreds of sectors.
His focus on sustainability,it's not just internal, it's
about influencing the wholesupply chain.
Think about when a company thatmassive commits to things like

(02:57):
bio-based adhesives or makingrecycling easier.

Elena Bondwell (03:00):
It has knock-on effects.

Lucas Adheron (03:01):
Exactly.
It creates ripples.
It sets new standards for allthose industries that depend on
them.
He's using their market powerto drive change, not just react
to it.

Elena Bondwell (03:10):
That's a really good point about using scale.
Okay, shifting gears a bit,let's look at Celeste Mastin.
She's president and CEO of HBFuller.
They're ranked fourth globallyin 2024 for adhesives and
sealants.
What seems to stand out withMastin is this real focus on...
customer-centric innovation andsustainability efficiency too.
They even have these customerinnovation awards.
How does that focus on customerinnovation actually set HB

(03:33):
Fuller apart?
Because it's a competitivemarket, right?
Often B2B.

Lucas Adheron (03:36):
It's a really key differentiator.
Yeah.
In an industry where theproduct is often kind of hidden,
Mastin makes sure HB Fuller islike deeply involved with their
clients' R&D.
Those awards aren't just forshow.
They reflect a co-creationapproach, solving specific,
tricky problems for theircustomers.
And her background, you know,seven years at Bostik, that

(03:56):
gives her a deep understandingof different market needs.
Right.
So H.P.
Fuller can tailor solutionsthat really push the envelope.
Things like lighter car partsor more durable packaging.
And that approach also helpsexplain their global footprint.
81 manufacturing sites, 26countries.
It lets them offer thatlocalized customer support.

Elena Bondwell (04:16):
Makes sense.
Okay.
Speaking of iconic names, BillBrown at 3M.
We all know 3M.
Huge material science andmanufacturing company.
Over $25 billion dollars ayear.
And adhesives are absolutelycore to their business.
Automotive, industrialelectronics.

Lucas Adheron (04:30):
Oh, yeah.
Central.

Elena Bondwell (04:30):
And of course, the classic example of their
adhesive innovation has to bethe Post-it note, right?

Lucas Adheron (04:35):
The ultimate example.

Elena Bondwell (04:36):
So Brown's focus now is apparently on refocusing
their R&D investments, drivingorganic growth, boosting
efficiency.
Given 3M's massive portfolio,what's the strategic implication
of that refocusing specificallyfor their adhesive innovations?

Lucas Adheron (04:50):
Well, Brown's strategy at 3M sounds like it's
about disciplined innovation.
For a company as diverse as 3M,it's probably easy to spread
R&D too thin.
So his refocusing likely meansconcentrating their resources,
putting them into the mostpromising, high-impact adhesive
tech that can really make adifference for their biggest
customers.
Think maybe advanced bondingfor EVs or next-gen adhesives

(05:14):
for flexible electronics.
It's about making sure the nextpost-it note, whatever that
might be, comes out of a moretargeted, efficient R&D
pipeline.

Elena Bondwell (05:21):
Right, focusing the firepower.
Okay.
Now, another Another leaderwhose influence comes partly
through M&A is Terry Lehanoff.
He's chairman and CEO ofArkema.
He really shaped Arkema's placein the adhesives market by
leading that strategicacquisition of Bostik.
That move solidified Arkema'sposition in specialty chemicals.
What do you think was the realdriver behind such a big move

(05:43):
and how did it change Arkema'sdirection?

Lucas Adheron (05:45):
Oh, the Bostik deal was huge for Arkema, a real
game changer.
Lehanoff clearly saw adhesivesas a high growth, high value
part of special Good margins,steady demand.
By bringing Bostick's portfolioand market know-how into
Arkema, he didn't just diversifytheir income.

Elena Bondwell (06:01):
No, it gave them scale.

Lucas Adheron (06:02):
Exactly.
Critical mass, technologicaldepth.
It let Arkema speed upinnovation, push into key
emerging markets, and get betteroperational excellence across a
much wider product range thanthey could have before.
It was definitely a bold move,and it paid off, made them a
stronger, more resilientcompany.

Elena Bondwell (06:17):
Okay.
Then we have Jim Fitterling,chairman and CEO of Dow.
Dow, another global materialscience player, big presence in
adhesives and sealants.
Fitterling's been key intransforming Dow, focusing it
more on higher growth marketsdriven by consumer demand.
But what's really interestingis his push on sustainability,
like Dow being a founding memberof the Alliance to End Plastic

(06:39):
Waste, the AEPW.
From an adhesive standpoint,what's the actual impact of
being part of something like theAEPW?

Lucas Adheron (06:46):
That's a great question.
How does that high-levelcommitment translate into actual
adhesive chemistry?
For Dow, being a founder ofAEPW means that there's a direct
corporate push to developadhesive solutions that help
create a circular economy forplastics.

Elena Bondwell (07:00):
So

Lucas Adheron (07:01):
we're talking about adhesives that make it
easier to recycle packaging madeof different materials, or
adhesives made from recycledstuff themselves.
Fitterling is basically pushingDow to make adhesives that
don't just stick thingstogether, but also consider the
product's whole life.
Production, deconstruction,recycling.

Elena Bondwell (07:16):
Thinking end-to-end.

Lucas Adheron (07:17):
Exactly.
Exactly.
It's a systemic shift drivenright from the top.

Elena Bondwell (07:20):
That's a massive undertaking.
All right.
Next up, let's look at TimNavish at PPG Industries.
PPG, global leader, mostlyknown for paints and coatings,
right?
But they also have thissubstantial specialty materials
division, including adhesives.

Lucas Adheron (07:35):
Yeah, that's right.

Elena Bondwell (07:35):
And interestingly, under Navish, PPG
won an Adhesives and SealantsCouncil Innovation Award back in
2020 for a high-strengthstructural adhesive.
What does winning an award likethat tell us about his broader
strategy?

Lucas Adheron (07:50):
Winning that ESC award, I think it wasn't just
about one product.
It really highlighted Navish'sstrategic focus on technology
differentiation.
He's actively managing PPG'sportfolio, making smart
divestitures, it seems, to focusresources on the most promising
tech-driven products.

Elena Bondwell (08:05):
So doubling down on the high-tech stuff.

Lucas Adheron (08:07):
Precisely.
For adhesives, that meansinvesting heavily where
performance is absolutelycritical, like those structural
adhesives for making carslighter or advanced solutions
for tough industrial uses.
It shows a commitment toleading through better product
performance.
It's not just selling morevolume, optimizing for organic
growth and financial returns.

Elena Bondwell (08:25):
Right.
OK, moving into a slightlydifferent but still critical
area.
Dion Stander, president and CEOof Avery Dennison Corporation.
Avery Dennison, they'remultinational, making pressure
sensitive adhesive materials,labels, even specialty medical
products.

Lucas Adheron (08:41):
Very diverse.

Elena Bondwell (08:41):
Yeah.
And his leadership seems to bedriving innovation, not just in
the self-adhesive tech itself,but also in digital solutions
for supply chains.
Plus a big push onsustainability, circularity,
transparency.
How do those different areas,the physical adhesives and the
digital solutions kind of cometogether under his vision?

Lucas Adheron (09:01):
That's a great question because it really
points to a key trend.
Standard gets that in today'sworld, a physical thing like an
adhesive label isn't justphysical.
It's also a data point.
By integrating digital supplychain solutions with the
self-adhesive tech, AveryDennison can offer amazing
transparency.
Think about it.
A smart label could track aproduct's entire journey, prove

(09:22):
it's authentic, maybe even giveyou disposal

Elena Bondwell (09:24):
instructions.
Exactly.

Lucas Adheron (09:27):
But much more integrated.
This convergence is crucial forhandling complex supply chains
and for actually provingsustainability claims are legit.
It's about turning the labelstuck on with adhesive into an
intelligent carrier ofinformation.

Elena Bondwell (09:40):
Wow, it really shows how far beyond just
sticking things together thesecompanies are thinking.
It's fascinating how diversethe portfolios are among these
leaders, too.
Let's look at Peter R.
Huntsman.
He's chairman, president, andCEO of Huntsman Corporation.
His company is a global makerof differentiated and specialty
chemicals.
They have a really strongportfolio of high-performance

(10:01):
adhesive tech epoxy,polyurethane, acrylate,
phenoxyethanol, A

Lucas Adheron (10:06):
wide range of chemistries.

Elena Bondwell (10:07):
Right.
So how does his focus ontailoring products to specific
market needs and navigating allthe regulations shape their
innovation strategy?

Lucas Adheron (10:15):
Peter Huntsman's approach seems to be about
strategic agility, beingresponsive to the market.
With such a broad, advanced setof adhesive chemistries, his
leadership ensures Huntsmanisn't just pushing tech for its
own sake.
They're proactively developingvery specialized formulas that
solve real pain points fordifferent industries, whether

(10:36):
that's making planes lighterwith advanced epoxies or making
buildings more durable withpolyurethanes.
Got it.
And navigating complex globalrules is just part of the deal
now.
It means investing in R&D tocreate solutions that are not
only high performing, but alsocompliant and, well, future
proof.

Elena Bondwell (10:53):
OK, as we're nearing the end of the list,
let's talk about Dr.
Christian Hertel, president andCEO of Wacker Kimi AG.
Wacker Kimi is a globalchemical company, big divisions
in silicones and polymers, whichare, of course, crucial
ingredients and tons of adhesiveformulas.

Lucas Adheron (11:08):
Absolutely fundamental.

Elena Bondwell (11:09):
Under Hertel, Wacker is focused on accelerated
profitable growth, and prettyambitious sustainability
targets, like aiming to havetheir CO2 emissions by 2030.
That's

Lucas Adheron (11:20):
a big goal.

Elena Bondwell (11:20):
It is.
So what kind of investments arethey making to hit those goals,
especially in the adhesivespace?

Lucas Adheron (11:26):
Well, Hartel seems to be putting serious
resources behind it.
Wacker is making biginvestments in expanding
capacity, specifically forspecialty chemicals like
high-performance adhesives andadvanced silicone solutions.
This includes developing newsilicone sealants and adhesives
that are maybe more durable ormore energy efficient to apply
or just made with a lower carbonfootprint.

(11:46):
Having CO2 by 2030 isaggressive, yeah.
It means every part of theirproduction, including key
adhesive components, is beinglooked at for better efficiency
and less environmental impact.
It's clearly a top-downmandate.
make their core chemistrygreener.

Elena Bondwell (12:01):
OK, finally, we get to Frank Haug, CEO of Bodo
Möller Chemie Group.
His company plays a reallyinteresting role.
They're a major solutionsprovider and partner to the big
global chemical companies inadhesives, BASF, Dow, DuPont,
Henkel, Huntsman.

Lucas Adheron (12:17):
Kind of a critical link in the chain.

Elena Bondwell (12:19):
Exactly.
They operate in over 60countries, 400 plus employees,
pioneers in adhesives.
And they offer this unique fullservice package through their
adhesive competence center.
It provides everything frompicking the right product,
validating it, processsimulation, engineering, even
certified labs for toughindustries like automotive,

(12:40):
railway, aerospace.

Lucas Adheron (12:41):
Very comprehensive.

Elena Bondwell (12:42):
Yeah.
So what's reallyforward-looking about Hogg's
initiatives, especially thisvision he has of converting
molecules into functioningunits?

Lucas Adheron (12:50):
Hogg's approach seems to be about solving the
whole adhesive problem, not justselling the chemical.
That phrase, molecules intofunctioning units, either I
think it perfectly captures BodoMöller Chemie's integrated
model.
They aren't just giving you aproduct, they're providing the
solution for how that productworks best in a specific use
case.

Elena Bondwell (13:08):
Right, the how-to.

Lucas Adheron (13:09):
Exactly.
And what's really excitingunder his leadership are their
initiatives in AI for developingmaterials and some truly
groundbreaking work insustainability.
Things like bio-based epoxyresins and these revolutionary
debonding-on-demand solutions.

Elena Bond (13:23):
Debonding-on-demand, what's that?

Lucas Adheron (13:25):
Okay, so this allows adhesives to be...
essentially unstuck when youwant them to be, intentionally.
It's potentially a game changerfor repairing products,
recovering materials, and reallyenabling true circularity in
manufacturing, especially incomplex things like electronics
or cars, where separating partsfor recycling is usually almost
impossible.
He's anticipating whatmanufacturing will need next and

(13:48):
designing adhesive solutions tomake it happen.

Elena Bondwell (13:51):
Stepping back from the individual leaders,
what does this all mean for you,the listener?
If we connect the dots acrossthe work of these 10 people,
some really clear, powerfulthemes emerge, don't they?

Lucas Adheron (14:02):
Absolutely.
And one of the most criticalones, as we've kind of touched
on repeatedly, is thatsustainability is no longer just
nice to have.
It's paramount.
Leaders like Celeste Mastin,Jim Fitterling, Christian
Hartel, they're deeplyintegrating sustainability into
their core business strategies.
And like we said, it's not justabout meeting regulations.
It's a fundamental rethink ofadhesive chemistry.

(14:23):
We're seeing this huge pushtowards bio-based, eco-friendly
formulas, promoting circulareconomy ideas, and like we just
discussed with Frank Hogg, trulyrevolutionary tech like
debonding on demand.
That enables end of liferecycling, material reuse.
It's all about making sureadhesives are part of the
solution for a greener future,not part of the problem.

Elena Bondwell (14:45):
And the second clear trajectory seems to be the
relentless push towards highperformance and advanced
materials.
The industry is obviouslycommitted to creating adhesives
with better properties fortougher and tougher
applications.
Definitely.
You see that with Bill Brownoverseeing 3M's huge R&D engine,
always looking for the next bigthing.
And Peter R.
Huntsman's focus on tailoringthose super high performance

(15:08):
adhesives for critical needs.
These advances are justcrucial, aren't they?
Especially in areas likeadvanced electronics, electric
vehicles, renewable energy,where materials have to handle
extreme conditions and beincredibly reliable.

Lucas Adheron (15:21):
Absolutely vital.

Elena Bondwell (15:22):
So why should you care who leads the adhesives
industry?
Well, because theircontributions are foundational.
They're fundamental.
These are the people makingsure the bits inside your next
phone stay connected, that EVscan be lighter, more efficient,
that our packaging can actuallybe sustainable, that new ways of
building are more resilient.
They ensure the adhesivesindustry stays this critical

(15:42):
enabler of global progress andinnovation, literally holding
our modern world together.
So yeah, these leaders aren'tjust reacting to what the market
wants now, they are activelyanticipating, actively shaping
the next generation of adhesivetechnologies.
Their vision is paving the wayfor innovations that will affect
industries, affect products.
We might only just be startingto imagine today.

Lucas Adheron (16:06):
Which raises an important question, I think.
As these leaders keepinnovating, how will our
reliance on these, well,invisible adhesive solutions
evolve in future tech?
And what new challenges mightpop up?
Because they're becoming socomplex, so ubiquitous, pretty
much everything we touch.

Elena Bondwell (16:22):
Something to think about next time you pick
up your smartphone.
Okay, that wraps up this deepdive.
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