In March 2022, David Greener joined CH-Polymers as the director of the paints and coatings business unit. The sociable Englishman brings in decades of experience, a valuable non-Finnish perspective, and a keen interest in a greener future.
In addition to managing and developing the paints and coatings unit, Greener plays a key role in serving CH-Polymers’ customers.
– Being new to the company, I’m working on building a relationship with existing customers and helping them navigate through this difficult post-pandemic period. I’m also using my wide network in the Nordic countries as well as in Eastern and Southern Europe to push geographical expansion, says Greener who has been working in the paint and coating industry for 32 years and speaks both French and Italian fluently.
He describes CH-Polymers as a small and flexible company with efficient communication, rapid decision making, and laboratory and tech assets that compare with multinational giants.
– We’re just easy to do business with; thoughtful but quick, he sums up.
– What originally appealed to me about CH-Polymers is the company’s competence to manage a very difficult situation. During the pandemic, the majority of companies in the industry were not able to deliver to their customers. CH-Polymers was an exception, delivering as promised practically throughout the whole pandemic, and it got noticed by the customers.
A smoky welcome to Finland
Greener works remotely from his home near Oxford, UK. He is not new to working remotely nor dealing with Finns. In fact, he’s been doing both since the early 2000’s. That’s when he first met CH-Polymers’ newly appointed CEO Tuija Andersson while they both worked at the chemical manufacturer Rohm and Haas.
– Coming from England, Finland is seen as a country with many women as leaders, and CH-Polymers reflects that. A mix of genders and cultures brings a lot of value to the company. Diverse teams are the most effective. I’ve seen that in action in the past, Greener says.
– I have a lot of appreciation for the Finnish mentality and culture. CH-Polymers welcomed me with my first-ever fitness class followed by a smoke sauna. Thankfully we jumped in the lake afterwards!
Outside of work, Greener values spending time with his wife and daughter.
– I travel a lot for work but I’m also a big fan of seeing different cultures in my free time with the family. I do a lot of cycling, hill walking and water sports to keep fit and unwind.
Greener thinking
When asked about the future of paints and coatings, Greener stresses the importance of the bio-based trend and sustainability. This development is driven by legislation, big companies who set their own standards, as well as consumer behavior.
– Our challenge is to provide the best possible technical performance level and genuine, data-based sustainable characteristics in the way that customers can afford it. This is not an easy task but at CH-Polymers we put a lot of focus on achieving it. We care how the world will look for our children and how we can contribute to making it a better place, Greener says.