Connie: Building a Career That Lasts

Over more than a decade at Evonik, Connie's career has taken her across nearly every side of chemical manufacturing- from plant operations and major capital projects to environmental compliance, process safety and regional leadership. Today, as Director, Americas ESH - Environmental & Process Safety Improvement, Connie helps lead environmental, health, safety and security strategy across 42 Evonik sites in the Americas. Earlier in her career, she led safety, securityand environmental compliance in North America and served as a site leader and plant manager in Houston.

That breadth of experience has shaped her perspective on what makes a career successful. For Connie, it isn't about doing everything at once. It's about understanding what each season requires and choosing where you can have the greatest impact.

There is no perfect balance - only different seasons

"I don't believe in balance as a fixed thing you achieve. I believe in different seasons of life," said Connie. Some seasons are right for fast-paced, high-pressure assignments. Others call for something different. Connie experienced that when her daughters were in high school. Rather than taking a role that would consistently pull her away, she chose work that allowed her to be present for the moments she couldn't get back."I couldn't have led a major startup in Texas in that season. The hours would have cost me years I couldn't get back."

Different season, different fit. That's not stepping back. That's choosing right."It's a perspective she carries into conversations about career decisions today: understand the season you're in before deciding what comes next. "When you're honest about what you can give right now at work, you stop overcommitting out of guilt and start choosing work that fits. That's not a limitation. That's how you last a whole career instead of burning out in one."

Technology can give you the data. People still have to decide.

As work evolves, Connie believes one capability will become increasingly important: decision-making. "The most important skill isn't technical - it's having the confidence to make decisions." AI, Power BI and other tools can organize information, identify trends and surface insights. But information alone doesn't determine what happens next. "The tools don't make the decision, especially when it's a tough decision. 

What we need are people who can look at the data they have, make a decision, and bring others with them to achieve the results." That is especially relevant in environmental and process safety, where technology and data are essential, but so are collaboration, sound decision-making and the ability to turn information into action.

Projects end. The people you invest in carry it forward.

Despite a career filled with major projects and leadership responsibilities, Connie doesn't point to a facility or business result when asked what makes her most proud. She points to people. "My proudest accomplishment is the people I've mentored over the years - interns and early career engineers I've watched take on new assignments, rise to every challenge, and grow into leaders."

Her lesson from those experiences is simple: "Startups end. Projects get completed. Programs get replaced. The people you invest in carry it forward long after you're gone."

It's also what she believes makes a career at Evonik distinctive. "You'll be handed real problems and a team worth solving them with. The work is demanding and it matters. And the people you build alongside stay with you long after any single project ends."

Careers change. Technology changes. Projects begin and end. But the perspective you develop, the choices you make and the people you invest in are what last.