Podcasts about Intertek

“Manager and leader”? What's the difference. During my conversation this time with Scott Hanton, our guest, we will discuss this very point along with many other fascinating and interesting subjects. As Scott tells us at the beginning of this episode he grew up asking “why” about most anything you can think of. He always was a “why” asker. As he tells it, unlike many children who grow out of the phase of asking “why” he did not. He still asks “why” to this very day.   At the age of 13 Scott decided that he wanted to be a chemist. He tells us how this decision came about and why he has always stayed with it. Scott received his bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Michigan State and his PHD from the University of Wisconsin. Again, why he changed schools for his PHD work is an interesting story. As you will see, Scott tells stories in a unique and quite articulate way.   After his university days were over Scott went to work, yes as a chemist. He tells us about this and how after 20 years with one company how and why he moved to another company and somewhat out of constant lab work into some of the management, business and leadership side of a second company. He stayed there for ten years and was laid off during the pandemic. Scott then found employment as the editorial director of Lab Management Magazine where he got to bring his love of teaching to the forefront of his work.   My hour with Scott gives us all many insights into management, leadership and how to combine the two to create a strong teaming environment. I believe you will find Scott's thoughts extremely poignant and helpful in everything that you do.     About the Guest:   Scott Hanton is the Editorial Director of Lab Manager. He spent 30 years as a research chemist, lab manager, and business leader at Air Products and Intertek. Scott thrives on the challenges of problem-solving. He enjoys research, investigation, and collaboration. Scott is a people-centric, servant leader. He is motivated by developing environments where people can grow and succeed, and crafting roles for people that take advantage of their strengths.   Scott earned a BS in chemistry from Michigan State University and a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is an active member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Society of Mass Spectrometry (ASMS), and the Association of Lab Managers (ALMA). As a scientist Scott values curiosity, innovation, progress, and delivery of results. Scott has always been motivated by questions beginning with why. Studying physical chemistry in graduate school offered the opportunity to hone answers to these questions. As a professional scientist, Scott worked in analytical chemistry specializing in MALDI mass spectrometry and polymer characterization.   At Scott married his high school sweetheart, and they have one son. Scott is motivated by excellence, happiness, and kindness. He most enjoys helping people and solving problems. Away from work, Scott enjoys working outside in the yard, playing strategy games, and participating in different discussion groups.   Scott values having a growth mindset and is a life-long learner. He strives to learn something new everyday and from everyone. One of the great parts of being a trained research scientist is that failure really isn't part of his vocabulary. He experiments and either experiences success or learns something new. He values both individual and organizational learning.   Scott's current role at Lab Manager encompasses three major responsibilities: ·      Writing articles and giving presentations to share his experience with lab managers. ·      Driving the creation and growth of the Lab Manager Academy (https://labmanageracademy.com/) that currently contains three certificate programs: lab management, lab safety management, and lab quality management. ·      Helping people through his knowledge of science, scientists, management, and leadership. He is very happy sharing the accumulated wisdom of his experiences as a researcher, lab supervisor, and lab manager. Each article posted on Lab Manager addresses a decision that a lab manager needs to make. Lab management is full of decision-making, so helping people make better, faster, more complete decisions is very satisfying. Ways to connect with Scott:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-hanton/   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Well, welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset where inclusion diversity and the unexpected meet, and mostly we get to deal with the unexpected, as opposed to inclusion or diversity. But that's okay, because unexpected is what makes life fun, and our guest today, Scott Hanton, will definitely be able to talk about that. Scott has been a research chemist. He comes from the chemistry world, so he and I in the past have compared notes, because, of course, I come from the physics world, and I love to tell people that the most important thing I learned about physics was that, unlike Doc Brown, although I do know how to build a bomb, unlike Doc Brown from Back to the Future, I'm not dumb enough to try to go steal fissionable material from a terrorist group to build the bomb. So, you know, I suppose that's a value, value lesson somewhere. But anyway, I am really glad that you're all here with us today, and we have lots to talk about. Scott, as I said, was in chemistry and research chemist, and now is the editorial supervisor and other things for a magazine called lab manager, and we will talk about that as well. So Scott, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad   Scott Hanton ** 02:38 you're here. Thank you for having me. I'm excited to have this conversation with you today.   Michael Hingson ** 02:43 Well, I think it'll be a lot of fun, and looking forward to it. Now, you're in Michigan, right?   Scott Hanton ** 02:48 That's right. I live in South Lyon, Michigan,   Michael Hingson ** 02:51 ah, what's the weather back there today?   Scott Hanton ** 02:55 It's probably about 55 degrees and cloudy   Michael Hingson ** 02:58 here today. Well, it's still fairly sunny here, and we're actually, according to my iPhone, at 71 so it was up around 80 earlier in the week, but weather changes are still going to bring some cold for a while   Scott Hanton ** 03:15 in here in Michigan, I visited a customer earlier this week, and I drove by about 1000 orange barrels on the highway, which means it's spring, because there's only two seasons in Michigan, winter and construction.   Michael Hingson ** 03:29 There you go. Yeah, I know. I went to the University of California, Irvine, UCI. And if you ask somebody who doesn't know that UCI stands for University of California at Irvine. If you ask them what UCI stands for, they'll tell you, under construction indefinitely. Sounds right? Yeah. Well, it's been doing it ever since I was there a long time ago, and they they continue to grow. Now we're up to like 32,000 fresh, or excuse me, undergraduates at the university. And when I was there, there were 2700 students. So it's grown a little. That's   Scott Hanton ** 04:05 a lot of change. I'm used to big universities. I'm a graduate of both Michigan State and the University of Wisconsin. So these are big places.   Michael Hingson ** 04:13 Wow, yeah. So you're used to it. I really enjoyed it when it was a small campus. I'm glad I went there, and that was one of the reasons that caused me to go there, was because I knew I could probably get a little bit more visibility with instructors, and that would be helpful for me to get information when they didn't describe things well in class. And it generally worked out pretty well. So I can't complain a lot. Perfect. Glad it worked well for you, it did. Well, why don't you start, if you would, by telling us kind of about the early Scott growing up and all that sort of stuff.   Scott Hanton ** 04:49 I grew up in Michigan, in a town called Saginaw. I was blessed with a family that loved me and that, you know, I was raised in a very. Supportive environment. But young Scott asked, Why about everything you know, the way kids do? Yeah, right. And my mom would tell you that when I was a kid, why was my most favorite word? And most kids outgrow that. I never did, yeah, so Me neither. I still ask why all the time. It's still my most favorite word, and it caused me to want to go explore the sciences, because what I found, as I learned about science, was that I could get answers to why questions better in science than in other places.   Michael Hingson ** 05:34 Yeah, makes sense. So what kinds of questions did you ask about why? Well, I asked   Scott Hanton ** 05:43 all kinds of questions about why, like, why are we having that for dinner? Or, why is my bedtime so early? Those questions didn't have good answers, at least from my perspective, right? But I also asked questions like, why is grass green, and why is the sky blue? And studying physical chemistry at Michigan State answered those questions. And so   Michael Hingson ** 06:03 how early did you learn about Rayleigh scattering? But that's you know?   Scott Hanton ** 06:07 Well, I learned the basic concepts from a really important teacher in my life, Mr. Leeson was my seventh grade science teacher, and what I learned from him is that I could ask questions that weren't pertinent to what he was lecturing about, and that taught me a lot about the fact that science was a lot bigger than what we got in the curriculum or in the classroom. And so Mr. Leeson was a really important person in my development, and showed me that there was that science was a lot bigger than I thought it was as a student, but I didn't really learn about rally scattering until I got to college.   Michael Hingson ** 06:43 But at the same time, it sounds like he was willing to allow you to grow and and learn, which so many people aren't willing to do. They're too impatient.   Scott Hanton ** 06:58 He was a first year teacher the year I had him so he hadn't become cynical yet. So it was great to just be able to stay after class and ask him a question, or put my hand up in class and ask him a question. He also did a whole series of demonstrations that were fabulous and made the science come to life in a way that reading about it doesn't stir the imagination. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 07:23 I had teachers that did that too. I remember very well my freshman general science teacher in high school, Mr. Dills, and one day, and he loved to do kind of unique things, just to push the boundaries of students a little bit. He came in one day and he said, I got a pop quiz for everybody, which doesn't help me, because the pop quiz was in print, but he handed it out. And then he took me to the back of the room, and he said, You're not going to really be able to do this quiz. Let me tell you why. And he said, Oh, and one thing he said is, just be sure you follow all the instructions and you'll be fine on the test to everybody. He brought me back to the back of the room. He says, Well, here's the deal. He says, if people really read the instructions, what they'll do is they'll read the instruction that says, Read all the questions before you start answering, and if you get to the last question, it says answer only the first question, which is what is your name and and sure enough, of course, people didn't read the instructions. And he said, so I wouldn't be able to really deal with you with that one, with that whole thing, just because it wouldn't work well. And I said, I understand, but he loved to make students think, and I learned so much about the whole concept of realizing the need to observe and be observant in all that you do. And it was lessons like that from him that really helped a lot with that. For me,   Scott Hanton ** 08:48 I had a high school chemistry teacher named Mrs. Schultz, and the first experiment that we did in her class, in the first week of classes, was she wanted us to document all of the observations that we could make about a burning candle. And I was a hot shot student. Thought I, you know, owned the world, and I was going to ace this test. And, you know, I had maybe a dozen observations about a burning candle, and thought I had done a great job describing it, until she started sharing her list, and she probably had 80 observations about a burning candle, and it taught me the power of observation and the need to talk about the details of those observations and to be specific about what the observations were. And that experiment seems simple, light a candle and tell me what you see. Yeah, but that lesson has carried on with me now for more than approaching 50 years.   Michael Hingson ** 09:47 Let's see, as I recall, if you light a candle, what the center of the flame is actually pretty cool compared to the outside. It's more hollow. Now I wouldn't be able to easily tell that, because. Is my my process for observing doesn't really use eyesight to do that, so I I'm sure there are other technologies today that I could use to get more of that information. But   Scott Hanton ** 10:12 I'm also sure that that experiment could be re crafted so that it wasn't so visual, yeah, right, that there could be tactile experiments to tell me about observations or or audible experiments about observation, where you would excel in ways that I would suffer because I'm so visually dominant. The   Michael Hingson ** 10:33 issue, though, is that today, there's a lot more technology to do that than there was when I was in school and you were in school, but yeah, I think there is a lot available. There's a company called Independence Science, which is actually owned and run by Dr Cary sapollo. And Carrie is blind, and he is a blind chemist, and he wanted to help develop products for blind people to be able to deal with laboratory work. So he actually worked with a company that was, well, it's now Vernier education systems. They make a product called LabQuest with something like 80 different kinds of probes that you can attach to it, and the LabQuest will will provide visual interpretations of whatever the probes are showing carry, and independent science took that product and made it talk, so that There is now a Talking LabQuest. And the reality is that all those probes became usable because the LabQuest became accessible to be able to do that, and they put a lot of other things into it too. So it's more than just as a talking device, a lab device. It's got a periodic table in it. It's got a lot of other kinds of things that they just put in it as well. But it's really pretty cool because it now makes science a whole lot more accessible. I'm going to have to think about the different kinds of probes and how one could use that to look at a candle. I think that'd be kind of fun.   Scott Hanton ** 12:15 And it's just awesome to hear that there's innovation and space to make science more available to everybody. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 12:23 the real problem that we face is the one that we mostly always have faced, which is societal attitudes, as opposed to really being or not being able to do the experiments, is people think we can't, and that's the barrier that we always, usually have to overcome.   Scott Hanton ** 12:39 What I find in my time as a coach, mentor, supervisor, is that if somebody believes they can't do it, they can't do it. Yeah. And so it's often about overcoming their own mental limitations, the limitations that they've placed on themselves,   Michael Hingson ** 12:56 and that's right, or unfortunately, the limitations that other people place on us, and we, all too often and weigh too much, buy into those limitations. So it's it is something that we, especially in the sciences, should recognize that we shouldn't be doing so much of. I know that when I was at UC Irvine as a graduate student, I learned once that there was a letter in my file that a professor wrote. Fortunately, I never had him as a professor, but it and I was in my master's program at the time in physics, and this guy put a letter in my file saying that no blind person could ever absorb the material to get an advanced degree in physics at the University. Just put that in there, which is so unfortunate, because the real thing that is demonstrated there is a prejudice that no scientist should ever have.   Scott Hanton ** 13:51 I'm hopeful that as you graduated, there was a retraction letter in your file as well,   Michael Hingson ** 13:57 not that I ever heard, but yeah. Well, I'd already gotten my bachelor's degree, but yeah. But you know, things happen, but it is a it is a societal thing, and society all too often creates limitations, and sometimes we don't find them right away, but it is one of the big issues that, in general, we have to deal with. And on all too often, society does some pretty strange things because it doesn't understand what science is all about. I know when we were dealing with covid, when it all started, leaving the conspiracy theorists out of it. One of the things that I learned was that we have all these discussions about AI, if you will. But AI was one of the primary mechanisms that helped to develop the mRNA vaccines that are now still the primary things that we use to get vaccinated against covid, because they the artificial intelligence. I'm not sure how artificial. It is, but was able to craft what became the vaccine in a few days. And scientists acknowledged, if they had to do it totally on their own, it would take years to have done what AI did in a few days.   Scott Hanton ** 15:13 The AI technology is amazing and powerful, but it's not new. No, I met a person who shared her story about AI investigations and talked about what she was doing in this field 30 years ago. Yeah, in her master's work. And you know, I knew it wasn't brand new, but I didn't really realize how deep its roots went until I talked to her.   Michael Hingson ** 15:37 I worked as my first jobs out of college with Ray Kurzweil, who, of course, nowadays, is well known for the singularity and so on. But back then, he developed the first reading machine that blind people could use to read printed material. And one of the things that he put into that machine was the ability, as it scanned more material, to learn and better recognize the material. And so he was doing machine learning back in the 1970s   Scott Hanton ** 16:07 right? And all of this is, you know, as Newton said on the shoulders of giants, right, right? He said it a bit cynically, but it's still true that we all in science, we are learning from each other. We're learning from the broader community, and we're integrating that knowledge as we tackle the challenges that we are exploring.   Michael Hingson ** 16:27 So what got you to go into chemistry when you went into college?   Scott Hanton ** 16:33 That's a good question. So when I was 13 years old, I went on a youth a church group youth trip to another city, and so they split us up, and there were three of us from our group that stayed overnight in a host family. And at dinner that night, the father worked in a pharmaceutical company, and he talked about the work he was doing, and what he was doing was really synthetic chemistry around small molecule drug discovery. And for me, it was absolutely fascinating. I was thrilled at that information. I didn't know any scientists growing up, I had no adult input other than teachers about science, and I can remember going back home and my parents asking me how the trip went. And it's like, it's fantastic. I'm going to be a chemist. And they both looked at me like, what is that? How do you make money from it? How do you get that? My dad was a banker. My mom was a school teacher. They had no scientific background, but that that one conversation, such serendipity, right? One conversation when I was 13 years old, and I came home and said, I'm going to be a chemist, and I've never really deviated from that path. Did you have other siblings? Younger brother and another younger sister?   Michael Hingson ** 17:54 Okay? Did they go into science by any remote chance?   Scott Hanton ** 17:58 Not at all. So they were both seventh grade teachers for more than 30 years. So my brother taught math and English, and my sister teaches social studies.   Michael Hingson ** 18:10 Well, there you go. But that is also important. I actually wanted to teach physics, but jobs and other things and circumstances took me in different directions, but I think the reality is that I ended up going into sales. And what I realized, and it was partly because of a Dale Carnegie sales course I took, but I realized that good sales people are really teachers, because they're really teaching people about products or about things, and they're also sharp enough to recognize what their products might or might not do to help a customer. But that, again, not everyone does that, but so I figure I still was teaching, and today, being a public speaker, traveling the world, talking, of course, about teamwork and other things, it's still all about teaching.   Scott Hanton ** 18:57 I think I've always been a teacher, and if you talk to my coworkers along the way, I enjoy helping people. I enjoy sharing my knowledge. There's always been a teacher inside but only in this job as the editorial director at lab manager have I really been able to do it directly. So we've developed what we call the lab manager Academy, and I create e learning courses to help lab managers be more successful, and it's been a passion project for me, and it's been a load of fun.   Michael Hingson ** 19:30 And it doesn't get better than that. It's always great when it's a load of fun, yes,   Scott Hanton ** 19:35 well, so you left college and you got a bachelor's and a master's degree, right? No masters for me, that step you went right to the old PhD, yeah. So I went straight. I went graduated from Michigan State. So Michigan State was on terms back in those days. So graduated in June, got married in July, moved to Wisconsin in August. To graduate school at the end of August at the University of Wisconsin. Okay? And my second year as a graduate student, my professor asked me, Do you want to stop and complete a master's? And I said, Wait, tell me about this word stop. And he said, Well, you'd have to finish the Master's requirements and write a thesis, and that's going to take some time. And I said, Do I have to and he said, No, and I don't recommend it. Just keep going forward and finish your PhD. So that's   Michael Hingson ** 20:30 and what does your wife do?   Scott Hanton ** 20:33 So my wife also is in the graduate program at the University of Wisconsin, and she decided that a master's degree was the right answer for her, because she didn't want to be a PhD scientist in XYZ narrow band of science. She wanted to be a master of chemistry. Okay, and so we took different paths through graduate school, but each of us took the path that worked best for us, and each pass has great value, so we're both happy with the choices that we made,   Michael Hingson ** 21:06 and complement each other and also give you, still lots of great things to talk about over dinner.   Scott Hanton ** 21:12 Absolutely. And she took that master's degree, went into the pharmaceutical industry and largely behaved as a librarian in her first part of her career, she wasn't called a librarian, but what she really did was a lot of information integrating, and then moved into the Library Group, and was a corporate librarian for a long time, and then a community librarian. So that path worked brilliantly for her. She also has a Masters of Library Science. So I have one PhD. She has two Master's degree. I have one bachelor's degree. She has two bachelor's degree.   Michael Hingson ** 21:50 Oh, so you can have interesting discussions about who really progressed further,   21:54 absolutely.   Michael Hingson ** 21:57 Well, that's, that's, that's cute, though. Well, I I got my bachelor's and master's. My wife, who I didn't meet until years later, wanted to be a librarian, but she ended up getting a a Master's at USC in so in sociology and and ended up getting a teaching credential and going into teaching, and taught for 10 years, and then she decided she wanted to do something different, and became a travel agent, which she had a lot of fun with. That is different, it is, but she enjoyed it, and along the way, then we got married. It was a great marriage. She was in a wheelchair her whole life. So she read, I pushed, worked out well, complimentary skills, absolutely, which is the way, way it ought to be, you know, and we had a lot of fun with it. Unfortunately, she passed now two and a half years ago, but as I tell people, we were married 40 years, and I'm sure she's monitoring me from somewhere, and if I misbehave, I'm going to hear about it, so I try to just behave. Sounds like good advice. Yeah, probably certainly the safe way to go. But we, we, we had lots of neat discussions, and our our activities and our expertise did, in a lot of ways, complement each other, so it was a lot of fun. And as I said, she went to USC. I enjoyed listening to USC football because I thought that that particular college team had the best announcers in the business, least when when I was studying in Southern California, and then when we got married, we learned the the day we got married, the wedding was supposed to start at four, and it didn't start till later because people weren't showing up for the wedding. And we learned that everybody was sitting out in their cars waiting for the end of the USC Notre Dame game. And we knew that God was on our side when we learned that SC beat the snot out of Notre Dame. So there you go. Yeah. Yeah. Oh gosh, the rivalries we face. So what did you do after college?   Scott Hanton ** 24:09 So did my PhD at the University of Wisconsin. And one of the nice things, a fringe benefit of going to a big, important program to do your PhD, is that recruiters come to you. And so I was able to do 40 different, four, zero, 40 different interviews on campus without leaving Madison. And one of those interviews was with a company called Air Products. And that worked out, and they hired me. And so we moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania to go to work. I went to work at Air Products and and Helen found a role in the pharmaceutical industry at Merck. And so we did that for a long time. I was initially a research expert, a PhD expert doing lasers and materials and analytical stuff. And over the years. I progressed up the ladder from researcher to supervisor to what did we call it, group head to Section Manager, to operations manager, and ultimately to General Manager.   Michael Hingson ** 25:13 Well, at least being in Allentown, you were close to a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Yes, that is true. That was the closest to one to where we lived in New Jersey, so we visited it several times. That's how I know   Scott Hanton ** 25:26 about it. Maybe we were there at the same time. Michael, maybe this isn't our first. It's   Michael Hingson ** 25:31 very possible. But we enjoyed Cracker Barrel and enjoyed touring around Pennsylvania. So I should have asked, What prompted you to go to the University of Wisconsin to do your your graduate work, as opposed to staying in Michigan. So   Scott Hanton ** 25:47 my advisor at Michigan State, our advisor at Michigan State, told us, here's the top five schools, graduate programs in chemistry, apply to them all. Go to the one you get into. And so I got into three. Helen got into two. The one that was the same was Wisconsin. So that's where we went, yeah?   Michael Hingson ** 26:09 Well, then no better logic and argument than that.   Scott Hanton ** 26:14 It was a great Madison. Wisconsin is a beautiful city. It one of the things I really liked about the chemistry program there then, and it's still true now, is how well the faculty get along together so many collaborative projects and just friendliness throughout the hallways. And yes, they are all competing at some level for grant support, but they get along so well, and that makes it for a very strong community,   Michael Hingson ** 26:41 and it probably also means that oftentimes someone who's applying for something can enlist support from other people who are willing to help.   Scott Hanton ** 26:50 And as a graduate student, it meant that I had more than one professor that I could go to my advisor. There was a whole group of advisors who ran joint group meetings and would give us advice about our work or our writing or our approach, or just because we needed a pep talk, because completing a PhD is hard. Yeah, right, so that community was really important to me, and it's something I took away that when I started my industrial career, I had seen the value of community, and I wanted to build stronger communities wherever I went, yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 27:26 So what does a company, does air products do   Scott Hanton ** 27:31 that's sort of in the name, right? They're an industrial gas company. Got some of their big, biggest products are taking air and separating it into its components of nitrogen, oxygen, oxygen, argon, whatever, right? But at that time, they also had a chemicals business and a semiconductor business, or electronics business. So there was a lot of chemistry going on, although a lot of my work colleagues were chemical engineers who were working on the gasses side of the business, we had significant number of chemistry, sorts material science, sorts of people who are working on the chemicals side. Now, over time, Air Products divested those businesses, and now it's much more of a true industrial gas company. But I had the opportunity to work in an integrated science company that did all sorts of things.   Michael Hingson ** 28:23 Yeah, and as as we know, certainly a little helium never hurt anyone.   Scott Hanton ** 28:30 No little helium, you know, raises people's spirits, it   Michael Hingson ** 28:34 does and their voices, it does. I I've visited helium tanks many times at UC Irvine when they had liquid helium, which was certainly a challenge because of how cold it had to be. But occasionally we would open a valve and little cold but useful helium gas would escape   Scott Hanton ** 28:56 very cold. Please be safe. Cryogens are are dangerous materials, and we gotta make sure we handle them with due respect.   Michael Hingson ** 29:05 Yeah, well, we, we all did and and didn't take too many chances. So it worked out pretty well. So you stayed in Allentown and you stayed with Air Products for how long   Scott Hanton ** 29:19 I was in Air Products for 20 years. So the analytical group that I was part of, we were about 92 or 93 people when I joined the company, when I just left after earning my PhD. After 20 years, that group was down to about 35 just progressive series of decisions that made the department smaller, and as the Department got smaller and smaller, we were worried about our abilities to sustain our work. And so a dear friend and a key colleague, Paula McDaniel, and I, worked to try to see what other kind of opportunities there were. Yeah. And so we reached out to a contract research organization called Intertech to see if they would be interested in maybe acquiring our analytical department. And when we called them, and by the way, we called them before we talked to our boss about it, she forgave us later, but when we called the guy on the end of the phone said, Wait a minute, let me get your file. And it's like, what you have a file on Air Products, analytical, really? Why? Well, it turned out that they had a file, and that they had an active Merger and Acquisition Group, and they wanted an integrated analytical department on the east coast of the US. And so we engaged in negotiation, and ultimately this analytical department was sold by Air Products to Intertech. So on Friday, we're a little cog in a giant engine of an global, international company, and our funding comes from Vice Presidents. And on Monday, we're a standalone business of 35 people, we need to write quotes in order to make money. So it was an enormous challenge to transition from a service organization to a business. But oh my goodness, did we learn a lot,   Michael Hingson ** 31:13 certainly a major paradigm shift,   Scott Hanton ** 31:18 and I was lucky that I lost the coin flip, and Paula won, and she said, I want to be business development director. And I said, thank God. So she went off to be the key salesperson, and Paula was utterly brilliant as a technical salesperson, and I became the operations manager, which allowed me to keep my hands dirty with the science and to work with the scientists and to build a system and a community that allowed us to be successful in a CRO world.   Michael Hingson ** 31:49 So at that time, when you became part, part of them, the new company, were you or the standalone business? Were you working in lab? Still yourself?   Scott Hanton ** 32:01 Yes. So I had the title Operations Manager and all of the scientific staff reported into me, but I was still the technical expert in some mass spectrometry techniques, particularly MALDI and also tough Sims, and so I still had hands on lab responsibility that I needed to deliver. And over time, I was able to train some people to take some of those responsibilities off. But when the weight of the world was particularly heavy, the place for me to go was in the lab and do some experiments.   Michael Hingson ** 32:34 Yeah, still so important to be able to keep your hand in into to know and understand. I know I had that same sort of need being the manager of an office and oftentimes working with other people who were the engineers, coming from a little bit of a technical background as well. I worked to always make sure I knew all I could about the products that I was dealing with and selling, and my sales people who worked for me constantly asked, How come, you know, all this stuff, and we don't then, my response always was, did you read the product bulletin that came out last week? Or have you kept up on the product bulletins? Because it's all right there, whether I actually physically repaired products or not, I knew how to do it. And so many times when I was involved in working with some of our engineers, I remember a few times our field support people, and we were working out of New Jersey, and then in New York at the time, in the World Trade Center, we had some customers up at Lockheed Martin, up in Syria, Rochester, I think it was. And the guys would go up, and then they'd call me on the phone, and we'd talk about it, and between us, we came up with some bright ideas. And I remember one day, all of a sudden, I get this phone call, and these guys are just bouncing off the walls, because whatever it was that was going on between them and me, we figured it out, and they put it in play and made it work, and they were all just as happy as clams at high tide, which is the way it ought to   Scott Hanton ** 34:13 be. It's great to work in a team that finds success. The longer I was in technical management, the more I enjoyed the success of the team. It didn't need to be my success anymore that helping the scientists be successful in their roles was truly satisfying,   Michael Hingson ** 34:33 and that helped you, by definition, be more successful in your role.   Scott Hanton ** 34:36 And no question, it could be seen as a selfish byproduct, but the fact is that it still felt really good.   Michael Hingson ** 34:43 Yeah, I hear you, because I know for me, I never thought about it as I've got to be successful. It's we've got problems to solve. Let's do it together. And I always told people that we're a team. And I have told every salesperson. I ever hired. I'm not here to boss you around. You've convinced me that you should be able to sell our products, and sometimes I found that they couldn't. But I said my job is to work with you to figure out how I can enhance what you do, and what skills do I bring to add value to you, because we've got to work together, and the people who understood that and who got it were always the most successful people that I ever had in my teams.   Scott Hanton ** 35:30 One of the things I strive to do as a leader of any organization is to understand the key strengths of the people on the team and to try to craft their roles in such a way that they spend the majority of their time executing their strengths. Yeah. I've also discovered that when I truly investigate poor performance, there's often a correlation between poor performance and people working in their weaknesses. Yeah, and if we can shift those jobs, change those roles, make change happen so that people can work more often in their strengths, then good things happen.   Michael Hingson ** 36:07 And if you can bring some of your skills into the mix and augment what they do, so much the better.   Scott Hanton ** 36:16 Yeah, because I'm just another member of the team, my role is different, but I need to also apply my strengths to the problems and be wary of my weaknesses, because as the leader of the organization, my words carried undue weight. Yeah, and if, if I was speaking or acting in a space where I was weak, people would still do what I said, because I had the most authority, and that was just a lose, lose proposition   Michael Hingson ** 36:43 by any standard. And and when you, when you operated to everyone's strengths, it always was a win. Yep, which is so cool. So you went to Intertech, and how long were you there?   Scott Hanton ** 36:57 I was at Intertech for 10 years, and work I can if you know, for any listeners out there who work in the CRO world, it is a tough business. It is a grind working in that business, yeah? So it was a lot of long hours and testy customers and shortages of materials and equipment that was a hard a hard a hard road to plow,   Michael Hingson ** 37:22 yeah, yeah, it gets to be frustrating. Sometimes it's what you got to do, but it still gets to be frustrating gets to be a challenge. The best part   Scott Hanton ** 37:32 for me was I had a great team. We had senior and junior scientists. They were good people. They worked hard. They fundamentally, they cared about the outcomes. And so it was a great group of people to work with. But the contract lab business is a tough business. Yeah, so when covid came, you know, the pandemic settles in, all the restrictions are coming upon us. I was tasked as the General Manager of the business with setting up all the protocols, you know, how are we going to meet the number of people this basing the masks, you know, how could we work with and we were essential as a lab, so we had to keep doing what we were doing. And it took me about a week to figure non stop work to figure out what our protocols were going to be, and the moment I turned them into my boss, then I got laid off. So what you want to do in a time of crisis is you want to let go of the the general manager, the safety manager, the quality manager and the Chief Scientist, because those are four people that you don't need during times of stress or challenge or crisis. On the plus side for me, getting laid off was a bad hour. It hurt my pride, but after an hour, I realized that all the things that I'd been stressing about for years trying to run this business were no longer my problem. Yeah, and I found that it was a tremendous weight lifted off my shoulders to not feel responsible for every problem and challenge that that business had.   Michael Hingson ** 39:14 And that's always a good blessing when you when you figure that out and don't worry about the the issues anymore. That's a good thing. It was certainly   Scott Hanton ** 39:25 good for me. Yeah, so I'm not going to recommend that people go get laid off. No world to get fired. But one problem that I had is because Paula and I worked to create that business, I sort of behaved like an owner, but was treated like an employee. And my recommendation to people is, remember, you're an employee, find some personal boundaries that protect you from the stress of the business, because you're not going to be rewarded or treated like an owner.   Michael Hingson ** 39:58 Yeah, because you're not because. Or not.   Scott Hanton ** 40:01 So I got laid off. It was in the height of the pandemic. So, you know, I'm too busy of a human being to sort of sit in a rocking chair and watch the birds fly by. That's not my style or my speed. So I started a consulting business, and that was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed doing the consulting work, but I learned something really important about myself, and that's that while I can sell and I can be an effective salesperson, I don't like selling, and as a company of one, when I didn't sell, I didn't make any money, yeah, and so I needed to figure out something else to do, because I really hated selling, and I wasn't doing it. I was procrastinating, and that made the business be unpredictable and very choppy   Michael Hingson ** 40:51 in that company of one, that guy who was working for you wasn't really doing all that you wanted.   Scott Hanton ** 40:56 Exactly the Yeah, you know me as the founder, was giving me as the salesman, a poor performance review was not meeting objectives. So I had a long time volunteer relationship with lab manager magazine. I had been writing articles for them and speaking for them in webinars and in conferences for a long time, probably more than 10 years, I would say, and they asked me as a consultant to produce a a to a proposal to create the lab manager Academy. So the the founder and owner of the the company, the lab X Media Group, you really saw the value of an academy, and they needed it done. They needed it done. They couldn't figure it out themselves. So I wrote the proposal. I had a good idea of how to do it, but I was new to consulting, and I struggled with, how do I get paid for this? And I had four ideas, but I didn't like them, so I slept on it, and in the morning I had a fifth, which said, hire me full time. I sent in the proposal. An hour later, I had a phone call. A week later, I had a job, so that worked out fantastic. And I've really enjoyed my time at lab manager magazine. Great people, fun work. It's really interesting to me to be valued for what I know rather than for what I can do. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 42:23 the two relate. But still, it does need to be more about what you know, what you really bring, as opposed to what you can do, because what you can do in general probably is an offshoot of what you know.   Scott Hanton ** 42:38 So this gives me the opportunity to help lots of people. So on the outside of the company, I'm writing articles, creating courses, giving talks to help lab managers. Because I was a lab manager for a long time, yeah, over 20 years, and I know what those challenges are. I know how hard that job is, and I know how many decisions lab managers need to make, and it's wonderful to be able to share my experience and help them, and I am motivated to help them. So was it hard? Oh, go ahead, on the inside, I'm literally an internal subject matter expert, and so I can coach and teach and help my colleagues with what's the science? What do lab managers really think? How do we pitch this so that it resonates with lab managers, and I think that helps make all of our products better and more successful.   Michael Hingson ** 43:31 So was it hard? Well, I guess best way to put it is that, was it really hard to switch from being a scientist to being a lab manager and then going into being a subject matter expert and really out of the laboratory. So   Scott Hanton ** 43:48 people ask me all the time, Scott, don't you miss being in the lab and doing experiments? And my answer is, I miss being in the lab. And I do miss being in the lab. You know, on very stressful days at Intertech, I'd go in the lab and I'd do an experiment, yeah, because it was fun, and I had more control over the how the experiment was run and what I would learn from it than I did running a business. But the flip side of that is, I do experiments all the time. What I learned as the general manager of a business was the scientific method works. Let's data hypothesis. Let's figure out how to test it. Let's gather data, and let's see if the hypothesis stands or falls. And we ran a business that way, I think, pretty successfully. And even now, in in media and publishing, we still run experiments all the time. And it's kind of funny that most of my editorial colleagues that I work with, they think my favorite word is experiment. My favorite word is still why, but we talk all the time now about doing experiments, and that was a new thing for them, but now we can do continual improvement more in a more dedicated way, and we do it a lot faster. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 45:00 yeah. So what's the hardest thing you think about being a lab manager?   Scott Hanton ** 45:06 I think the hardest thing about let me answer that with two. I'm not going to be able to narrow it down to one, so I'll give you two. The first one is you transform, maybe one day to the next, from really being in control of your science and working with whether it's animals or rocks or electrons or chemicals, whatever you're working with, having a great degree of knowledge and a lot of control, and the next day, you're hurting cats. And so it's about that transition from having control over your destiny to influencing people to get the work done, and working with people instead of working with experiments, that's really hard. The second is, as a lab manager, there's endless decisions, and so combating decision fatigue is a big deal, and everybody in the lab depends upon you for the decisions you make. And it's not that every decision has to be perfect, you know, that's just a different failure mode if you try to make perfect decisions, but every decision needs to be made promptly. And as a scientist, I could always make more data in order to make a better decision, but as a lab manager, I would often only have maybe 40 or 50% of the data I wanted, and a decision had to be made. And getting comfortable making decisions in the face of uncertainty is really hard.   Michael Hingson ** 46:29 So certainly, being a lab manager or Well, dealing with managers in the way we're talking about it here, has to be very stressful. How do you how do you cope with the stress?   Scott Hanton ** 46:42 So I think ways to cope with the stress successfully is, first of all, you've got to take care of yourself. You know, we've all flown on airplanes, and what is the safety person in the aisle or on the video? Do oxygen masks will fall from the ceiling, and what do we do with them? We put them on before we help somebody else, right? We all know that. But in the workplace, especially as a manager, it's hard to remember that as we care for our team and try and take care of our team, there might not be enough time or energy or capacity left to take care of ourselves, but if we don't fill that gas tank every day doing something, then we can't help our team. And so one way to deal with the stress is to make sure that you take care of yourself. So   Michael Hingson ** 47:28 what do you do? How do you deal with that? So   Scott Hanton ** 47:31 for me, ways that I can reinvigorate is one. I like being outside and get my hands dirty. So I'm not really a gardener, but I call myself a yard dinner. So I grow grass and I grow flowers, and I trim trees, and I want to go outside, and I want to see immediate return on my effort, and I want it to be better than when I started. And it's good if I have to clean from under my fingernails when I'm doing it. Another thing I like to do is I play all kinds of games I'm happy to play, sorry, with little kids, or I'll play complicated strategy games with people who want to sit at a table for three or four hours at a time. Yeah? And that allows my brain to spin and to work but on something completely different. Yeah. And another thing that's been important for me, especially when I was a lab manager is to be involved in youth coaching, so I coached kids soccer and basketball and baseball teams, and it's just beautiful to be out there on a field with a ball, with kids. And you know, the worries of the world just aren't there. The kids don't know anything about them. And it's fun to work with the ones who are really good, but it's equally fun to work with the ones who have never seen the ball before, and to help them do even the most basic things. And that kind of giving back and paying it forward, that sort of stuff fills my tank.   Michael Hingson ** 48:51 Yeah, I empathize a lot with with that. For me, I like to read. I've never been much of a gardener, but I also collect, as I mentioned before, old radio shows, and I do that because I'm fascinated by the history and all the things I learned from what people did in the 2030s, 40s and 50s, being on radio, much Less getting the opportunity to learn about the technical aspects of how they did it, because today it's so different in terms of how one edits, how one processes and deals with sounds and so on, but it's but it's fun to do something just totally different than way maybe what your normal Job would be, and and I do love to interact with with people. I love to play games, too. I don't get to do nearly as much of it as I'd like, but playing games is, is a lot of fun,   Scott Hanton ** 49:52 and I agree, and it it's fun, it's diverting, it's it helps me get into a flow so that I'm focused on. Me on one thing, and I have no idea how much time has gone by, and I don't really care. You know, people who play games with me might question this. I don't really care if I win or lose. Certainly I want to win, but it's more important to me that I play well, and if somebody plays better, good for   Michael Hingson ** 50:14 them, great. You'll learn from it. Exactly. Do you play   Scott Hanton ** 50:18 chess? I have played chess. I've played a lot of chess. What I've learned with chess is that I'm not an excellent I'm a good player, but not an excellent player. And when I run into excellent players, they will beat me without even breaking a sweat.   Michael Hingson ** 50:34 And again, in theory, you learn something from that.   Scott Hanton ** 50:37 What I found is that I don't really want to work that hard and yeah. And so by adding an element of chance or probability to the game, the people who focus on chess, where there are known answers and known situations, they get thrown off by the uncertainty of the of the flip the card or roll the dice. And my brain loves that uncertainty, so I tend to thrive. Maybe it's from my time in the lab with elements of uncertainty, where the chess players wilt under elements of uncertainty, and it's again, it's back to our strengths, right? That's something that I'm good at, so I'm gonna go do it. I've   Michael Hingson ** 51:20 always loved Trivial Pursuit. That's always been a fun game that I enjoy playing. I   Scott Hanton ** 51:25 do love Trivial Pursuit. I watch Jeopardy regularly. A funny story, when we moved into our new house in Pennsylvania, it was a great neighborhood. Loved the neighbors there. When we first moved in, they invited my wife and I to a game night. Excellent. We love games. We're going to play Trivial Pursuit. Awesome like Trivial Pursuit. We're going to play as couples. Bad idea, right? Let's play boys against the girls, or, let's say, random draws. No, we're playing as couples. Okay, so we played as couples. Helen and I won every game by a large margin. We were never invited back for game night. Yeah, invited back for lots of other things, but not game night.   Michael Hingson ** 52:06 One of the things that, and I've talked about it with people on this podcast before, is that all too often, when somebody reads a question from a trivial pursuit card, an answer pops in your head, then you went, Oh, that was too easy. That can't be the right answer. So you think about it, and you answer with something else, but invariably, that first answer was always the correct answer.   Scott Hanton ** 52:32 Yes, I'm I have learned to trust my intuition. Yeah. I learned, as a research scientist, that especially in talking to some of my peers, who are very dogmatic, very step by step scientists. And they lay out the 20 steps to that they felt would be successful. And they would do one at a time, one through 20. And that made them happy for me, I do one and two, and then I'd predict where that data led me, and I do experiment number seven, and if it worked, I'm off to eight. And so I they would do what, one step at a time, one to 20, and I'd sort of do 127, 1420, yeah. And that I learned that that intuition was powerful and valuable, and I've learned to trust it. And in my lab career, it served me really well. But also as a manager, it has served me well to trust my intuition, and at least to listen to it. And if I need to analyze it, I can do that, but I'm going to listen to it,   Michael Hingson ** 53:31 and that's the important thing, because invariably, it's going to give you useful information, and it may be telling you not what to do, but still trusting it and listening to it is so important, I've found that a lot over the years,   Scott Hanton ** 53:47 Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book called Blink, where he talks about the power of the subconscious, and his claim is that the subconscious is 100,000 times smarter than our conscious brain, and I think when we are trusting our intuition, we're tapping into that super computer that's in our skulls. If you want to learn more, read blank. It's a great story.   Michael Hingson ** 54:10 I hear you. I agree. How can people learn to be better leaders and managers?   Scott Hanton ** 54:18 So I think it's there's really three normal ways that people do this. One is the power of experiment, right? And I did plenty of that, and I made tons of errors. It's painful. It's irritating, trial and error, but I used to tell people at Intertech that I was the general manager because I'd made the most mistakes, which gave me the most opportunity to learn. It was also partly because a lot of my peers wanted nothing to do with the job. You know, they wanted to be scientists. Another way is we, we get coached and mentored by people around us, and that is awesome if you have good supervisors, and it's tragic if you have bad supervisors, because you don't know any better and you take for granted. That the way it's been done is the way it needs to be done, and that prevents us from being generative leaders and questioning the status quo. So there's problems there, too. And I had both good and bad supervisors during my career. I had some awful, toxic human beings who were my supervisors, who did damage to me, and then I had some brilliant, caring, empathetic people who raised me up and helped me become the leader that I am today. So it's a bit of a crap shoot. The third way is go out and learn it from somebody who's done it right, and that's why we generated the lab manager Academy to try to codify all the mistakes I made and what are the learnings from them? And when I'm talking with learners who are in the program, it's we have a huge positive result feedback on our courses. And what I talk to people about who take our courses is I'm glad you appreciate what we've put together here. That makes me feel good. I'm glad it's helping you. But when these are my mistakes and the answers to my mistakes, when you make mistakes, you need to in the future, go make some courses and teach people what the lessons were from your mistakes and pay it forward. Yeah. So I recommend getting some training.   Michael Hingson ** 56:17 What's the difference between management and leadership?   Scott Hanton ** 56:21 I particularly love a quote from Peter Drucker. So Peter Drucker was a professor in California. You may have heard of him before.   Michael Hingson ** 56:29 I have. I never had the opportunity to meet him, but I read.   Scott Hanton ** 56:34 I didn't either material. I've read his books, and I think he is an insightful human being, yes. So the quote goes like this, management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things. So as a technical manager, there's a bunch of things we have to get right. We have to get safety right. We have to get quality right. There's an accuracy and precision that we need to get right for our outcomes and our results. Those are management tasks, but leadership is about doing the right things. And the interesting thing about that definition is it doesn't require a title or a role or any level of authority. So anyone can be a leader if you're consistently doing the right things, you are exhibiting leadership, and that could be from the person sweeping the floors or the person approving the budget, or anyone in between.   Michael Hingson ** 57:33 Yeah, I've heard that quote from him before, and absolutely agree with it. It makes a whole lot of sense.   Scott Hanton ** 57:41 Other definitions that I've seen trying to distinguish management and leadership tend to use the words manage and lead, and I don't like definitions that include the words that they're trying to define. They become circular at some level. This one, I think, is clear about it, what its intention is, and for me, it has worked through my career, and so the separation is valuable. I have authority. I'm the manager. I have accountability to get some stuff right, but anyone can lead, and everyone can lead, and the organization works so much better when it's full of leaders   Michael Hingson ** 58:21 and leaders who are willing to recognize when they bring something to the table, or if someone else can add value in ways that they can't, to be willing to let the other individual take the leadership position for a while.   Scott Hanton ** 58:40 Absolutely, and you know that really comes down to building an environment and a culture that's supportive. And so Amy Edmondson has written extensively on the importance of psychological safety, and that psychological safety hinges on what you just said, right? If the guy who sweeps the floor has an observation about the organization. Do they feel safe to go tell the person in charge that this observation, and if they feel safe, and if that leader is sufficiently vulnerable and humble to listen with curiosity about that observation, then everybody benefits, yeah, and the more safe everyone feels. We think about emotion. Emotional safety is they anyone can bring their best self to work, and psychological safety is they can contribute their ideas and observations with no threat of retaliation, then we have an environment where we're going to get the best out of everybody, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 59:46 which is the way it it really ought to be. And all too often we don't necessarily see it, but that is the way it ought   Scott Hanton ** 59:53 to be. Too many people are worried about credit, or, I don't know, worried about things that I don't see. Yeah, and they waste human potential, right? They they don't open their doors to hire anybody. They they judge people based on what they look like instead of who they are, or they box people in into roles, and don't let them flourish and Excel. And whenever you're doing those kinds of things, you're wasting human potential. And businesses, science and business are too hard to waste human potential. We need to take advantage of everything that people are willing to give. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:33 we've been doing this for quite a while already today. So I'm going to ask as a kind of a last question, what, what advice do you want to leave for people to think about going forward in their lives and in their careers?   Scott Hanton ** 1:00:48 So I was participating in a LinkedIn chat today where a professor was asking the question, what sort of advice would you wish you got when you were 21 Okay, so it was an interesting thread, and there was one contributor to the thread who said something I thought was particularly valuable. And she said, attitude matters. Attitude matters. We can't control what happens to us, but we can control how we deal with it and how we respond, right? And so I think if we can hold our attitude as our accountability, and we can direct our strengths and our talents to applying them against the challenges that the business or the science or the lab or the community faces, and we can go in with some positive attitude and positive desire for for change and improvement, and we can be vulnerable and humble enough to accept other people's ideas and to interact through discussion and healthy debate. Then everything's better. I also like Kelleher his quote he was the co founder of Southwest Airlines, and he said, when you're hiring, hire for attitude, train for skill. Attitude is so important. So I think, understand your attitude. Bring the attitude you want, the attitude you value, the attitude that's that's parallel to your core values. And then communicate to others about their attitude and how it's working or not working for them.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:31 And hopefully, if they have a positive or good enough attitude, they will take that into consideration and grow because of it absolutely   Scott Hanton ** 1:02:41 gives everybody the chance to be the best they can be.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:47 Well, Scott, this has been wonderful. If people want to reach out to you, how can they do that?   Scott Hanton ** 1:02:51 So LinkedIn is great. I've provided Michael my LinkedIn connection. So I would love to have people connect to me on LinkedIn or email. S Hanson at lab manager.com love to have interactions with the folks out there.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:08 Well, I want to thank you for spending so much time. We'll have to do more of this.   Scott Hanton ** 1:03:13 Michael, I really enjoyed it. This was a fun conversation. It was stimulating. You asked good questio

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In this episode of Intertek's ISCC Awareness Series, host Simona Romanoschi is joined by Florencia Bahamonde to break down the foundational steps in the ISCC certification journey.Together, they explore the end-to-end pre-audit process — from initial planning and system setup to audit readiness. Whether you're pursuing ISCC EU, ISCC PLUS, or ISCC CORSIA, this episode outlines the crucial preparation steps that ensure organizations meet global sustainability, traceability, and greenhouse gas compliance requirements.Perfect for sustainability leads, compliance officers, and supply chain professionals looking to navigate the ISCC framework with confidence.

In our latest podcast, join Catherine Beare and Monisha Monachan, as they dive into how to spot genuine eco-friendly products. Discover how life cycle assessments (LCAs) and environmental product declarations (EPDs) bring real transparency to sustainability claims, and why this matters more than ever in today's market.Tune in for practical insights that help cut through the noise, and separate true sustainability from clever marketing.Speakers:Catherine Beare, Regional Director - Business Assurance (UK & Iberia)Monisha Monachan, Assistant Manager, Sustainability, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

Join Intertek Assuris' Taylor Cavanaugh and Ashli Span on Assurance in Action as they uncover the hidden risks of cosmetic packaging, risks that could impact both consumer health and brand reputation.Tune in to explore why packaging matters just as much as what's inside, and how you can stay ahead of evolving safety regulations.Speakers:Taylor Cavanaugh, Senior Manager, Regulatory Market Access, Intertek AssurisAshli Span, Project Manager, Regulatory Market Access, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

A staggering 40% of all food product recalls are linked to the mismanagement of allergens, a situation that continues to put consumers at risk and damage food and beverage brands. So, what can food manufacturers do to reduce this occurrence?In this episode, our host Patrick McNamara of Intertek Global Food Services, along with Deborah Matthews and Heather Hayward from Intertek Business Assurance explore:What should be considered in terms of allergen management and what does good look like?Where do manufacturers have the most control to put processes in place?What are the areas of failure and how might they be prevented? Speakers:Patrick McNamara – Global Innovations and Quality Manager, Intertek Food ServicesDeborah Matthews – Business Development Manager, Intertek Business AssuranceHeather Hayward – Technical Consultant, Intertek Business Assurance Download our complimentary ebook to learn what a food allergen is, how to test for allergens in food, and the UK and EU Regulations for allergen labelling. Download here!Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

Description:The EU's push for a circular economy is transforming packaging regulations, and the updates to achieve compliance can be complex.Join Intertek Assuris experts Taylor Cavanaugh and Ashli Span as they provide an overview of Regulation (EU) 2022/1616, the legislation governing recycled plastics in food contact applications. From authorization pathways to safety evaluations, learn what businesses need to know to stay compliant and competitive in the EU market.Don't miss this essential discussion for recycling, packaging, regulatory, and sustainability professionals.Speakers:Taylor Cavanaugh, Senior Manager, Regulatory Market Access, Intertek AssurisAshli Span, Project Manager, Regulatory Market Access, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this podcast we look at what can often seem like a complex topic - transferring your ISO Management Systems Certification from one Certification Body to another. We dispel the myths, highlight how straightforward the process really is, and explain why Intertek makes it easier than most. Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

What role does land use play in greenhouse gas emissions—and how do we measure it accurately?Join Catherine Beare and Timur Lukhadi as they break down the fundamentals of land use GHG accounting. From carbon stock changes to key methodologies, this episode offers a clear and concise overview for businesses navigating sustainability reporting.Tune in to learn the essentials.Speakers:Catherine Beare- Regional Director, Business Assurance (UK & Iberia)Timur Iukhadi- Sustainability Consultant, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

Join Intertek's Catherine Beare and Zineb Belymam as they unpack one of the most talked-about concepts in ESG today: double materiality.With pressure mounting from the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and recent updates through the Omnibus Review, organizations are navigating a complex landscape of sustainability risks, impacts, and disclosures. From practical insights to real-world client experience, this episode explores what double materiality really means and how companies are tackling assessments in practice. Whether you're new to ESG or refining your reporting strategy, this episode offers valuable clarity and guidance.Listen now to learn more.Speakers:Catherine Beare, Regional Director - Business Assurance (UK & Iberia)Zineb Belymam, Senior Sustainability Consultant, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In today's episode, our Intertek's expert, Florencia Bahamonde, dives into the ISCC EU scheme that provides businesses with a structured approach to meet legal obligations and sustainability commitments. From feedstock producers and traders to biofuel refineries and energy suppliers, ISCC EU helps businesses operating within the European bioeconomy contribute to the EU's renewable energy targets while meeting strict sustainability, traceability, and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction requirements. Listen to our podcast and learn which the six core sustainability principles ISCC EU certification is based on.  Speakers: Catherine Beare, Regional Director Business Assurance, UK and Iberia at Intertek Florencia Bahamonde, ISCC Senior Global Program Manager at Intertek Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode of Assurance in Action, we continue our Pyrolysis Oil series with a deeper dive into the expanding possibilities of Py-Oil.Join our expert Liam Mills, Sustainable Hydrocarbon Specialist at Intertek Caleb Brett, as he explores how waste plastics, tires, and biomass are being transformed into valuable low-carbon fuels.From chemical recycling to sustainable aviation fuel and marine decarbonization—discover how Py-Oil is helping reshape waste into renewable opportunity.

In this World Environment Day edition of our Sustainability Series, Elma Christian is joined by David Muil, Intertek's VP of Sustainability, to explore how businesses can unlock value by embedding sustainability into their strategy. From cost savings and innovation to stakeholder engagement and regulatory alignment, this episode breaks down why sustainability is more than a moral imperative—it's a smart business move. Discover real-world examples, a practical PDCA roadmap, and one key message: sustainability is a profit driver.Speakers: David Muil - Global VP of Sustainability for IntertekElma Isakovic-Christian - Global Business Development Director, Supplier Management and SustainabilityFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this podcast, we go behind the scenes of International Finance Consultant Hadouken Consulting Managing Director Stacey Varsani. Stacey is Founder and Managing Director of Hadouken Consulting, where she specializes in finance, supply chain, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), and sales growth. With over 10 years in this role, she has helped clients across various industries optimize their operations and achieve lasting profitability. Stacey was previously Senior Vice President at Intertek, where she was responsible for the Cargo & Analytical Assessment Global Business Line, a US$700M business across 80 countries. Stacey holds degrees in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering from Duke University and a Masters in Biochemical Engineering from UCL. She is certified as a Fellow Chartered Accountant by the ICAEW and is also a certified Practicing Management Consultant (PMC), which enables her to work with clients on projects that qualify for Singapore government grants. Stacey is passionate about applying her skills and knowledge to create a positive social impact, which is why she volunteers at the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped and mentors students at Duke University and Singapore schools. In this detailed and enlightening podcast, Stacey reveals: ✅ What motivates her in business and life  ✅ How she balances family and high-level consulting work ✅ The one conversation with her mother that changed her life immediately ✅ The inside secrets to high-level negotiation ✅ What great leaders and mentors have done and said that have shaped her success ✅ ... and much more Stacey's Profile and website contact details https://www.hadoukenconsulting.com/ linkedin.com/in/stacey-varsani-56a5672  ABOUT OUR CHANNEL When you want simple, easy but powerful micro steps - small steps you do each day to transform your Life, Your Career Advancement or your Business Growth and results.. We have 40 years experience working with over 400 different companies from 47 different industries. Our award-winning coaching, learning and empowerment programmes are not just about online learning - we help you implement and embed smarter systems and solutions into your life, career and business. Most projects start with a speaking engagement at your Leadership or Sales Retreat or conference. Find out more at www.leighfarnell.com or book a 15 minute free exploratory coaching meeting https://calendly.com/lfbb/exploratory-meeting-15mins   #finance #success #consulting #guru #career #business #sales #negotiation

In this episode, we explore the dynamic world of the circular economy—a concept transforming how businesses think about sustainability, resources, and long-term value creation.Join Catherine Beare, Regional Director for Business Assurance at Intertek (UK & Iberia), as she speaks with Emilce Romarion, Senior Sustainability Consultant at Intertek Assuris (Argentina), who brings years of hands-on experience in life cycle assessments, GHG accounting, and decarbonization strategies across diverse industries.Together, they break down the fundamentals of the circular economy, discuss why it's gaining global momentum, and share insights on how companies can begin shifting from linear models to more circular, regenerative systems.Speakers:Catherine Beare- Regional Director - Business Assurance (UK & Iberia)Emilce Romarion- Sustainability Consultant, Quality, Intertek Assuris Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

What happens when allergen contamination starts at the farm—and no one saw it coming?In this powerful episode of our Allergen Podcast Series, Jatin Patel from FGS Ingredients shares the real story behind a nationwide recall involving mustard contaminated with peanut traces. Hosted by Alan Cadman of Intertek Food Services UK, the discussion explores:Inconsistent lab results (PCR vs ELISA)The operational impact of unexpected recallsSteps to protect consumers from unknown risks

How does risk assessment fit into EUDR compliance? In this episode of our EUDR series, Jayne Stewart is joined by experts Luke Gwenter and Karen Ngo to break down the role of risk evaluation in meeting the EU Deforestation Regulation. Tune in for practical insights and key takeaways to strengthen your compliance strategy.Speakers:Jayne Stewart- Scientific Consultant, Regulatory Affairs and Dietary Intakes, Food & Nutrition Group, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisKaren Ngo- Manager, Toxicology & Dietary Intakes, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisLuke Gwenter- Associate Dietary Intakes, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

APAC stocks were on the back foot following the sell-off on Wall St where stocks, treasuries and the dollar were pressured amid deficit concerns and a weak 20-year auction.US President Trump said he was feeling very good about the bill in Congress; US House Speaker Johnson said on Wednesday that they were yet to decide on a vote on the tax bill that night or on Thursday but added that the Trump tax bill is moving forward.Bitcoin extended on gains and printed a fresh all-time high of above the USD 111k level; Texas House approved the bill to create a Bitcoin reserve.European equity futures indicate a lower cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 0.8% after the cash market closed flat on Wednesday.Looking ahead, highlights include EZ, UK, US Flash PMIs, German Ifo, US Jobless Claims, Canadian Producer Prices, NZ Retail Sales, ECB Minutes, Speakers including RBA's Hauser, BoE's Breeden, Dhingra & Pill, ECB's Elderson & de Guindos, BoC's Gravelle, Fed's Barkin & Williams, Supply from Spain, France & US.Earnings from BT, British Land, easyJet, QinetiQ, Tate & Lyle, ConvaTec, Intertek, Generali, PKN Orlen, Allegro, Julius Baer, Galenica, Autodesk, Ross & Analog Devices.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Join Intertek Assuris experts Cyrielle Birhart and Toquyen Legay as they unpack California's Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. From regulatory scope to practical strategies for compliance, this episode offers valuable insights for companies navigating chemical safety in consumer products.Tune in to learn how to stay compliant and keep your products on the California market.Speakers:Cyrielle Birhart- Regulatory and Safety Manager - Cosmetics, Intertek AssurisToquyen Legay- Pharmacist Toxicologist, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode of Intertek's Sustainability Talks, host David Muil is joined by Richard Sargeant from Intertek Industry Services, to dive into the exciting and complex world of offshore wind energy. From the scale of turbines to the unique challenges developers face—like corrosion, lightning strikes, and environmental concerns—Richard breaks down what makes offshore wind so different from onshore. The discussion also explores the financial viability of offshore wind, the latest technological advancements, and the future outlook of the industry. Tune in to learn why offshore wind is considered a key player in the global transition to green energy, and what makes this sector both challenging and thrilling. To connect with our expert Richard Sargeant, email richard.sargeant@intertek.com.For more information and the latest updates, please visit us at http://www.intertek.com/wind and feel free to come see us at our Offshore Wind Events that can be found at www.intertek.com/events/2025Speakers:David Muil - Global VP of Sustainability for IntertekRichard Sargent - Offshore Wind Strategic Development Lead at Intertek Industry ServicesFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

Curious about how to navigate the evolving landscape of climate disclosure? In this episode, we dive into the essentials of reporting for CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project)—a critical framework for companies demonstrating environmental accountability. Join Catherine Beare, Regional Director, at Business Assurance and Myvi Somasundaram, Sustainability expert at Intertek Assuris, as they break down what CDP expects, why it matters, and how your organization can approach disclosure with clarity and confidence.Whether you're new to CDP or refining your next submission, this conversation is packed with practical insights.Presenters:Catherine Beare, Regional Director - Business Assurance (UK & Iberia)Myvizhi Somasundaram, Technical Manager Climate Change & Sustainability, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

Join Catherine Beare, Regional Director of Business Assurance (UK & Iberia), and Nkiruka Ubah, Senior Consultant, Sustainability at Intertek Assuris, as they unpack the essentials of greenhouse gas (GHG) assurance. From regulatory expectations to real-world implementation, this episode dives into what companies need to know to build trust in their climate data and stay ahead of evolving standards. Whether you're just starting or strengthening your sustainability strategy, don't miss these practical insights from two industry leaders.Presenters:Catherine Beare, Regional Director - Business Assurance (UK & Iberia)Nkiruka Ubah, Senior Consultant, Sustainability, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In today's episode, Intertek's expert, Florencia Bahamonde, dives into the ISCC PLUS scheme, a voluntary sustainability certification that extends beyond regulatory requirements, helping businesses reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future. In this episode, you will know which type of businesses and supply chain actors can be certified as well as how the set of comprehensive sustainability criteria looks like.  Speakers: Catherine Beare, Regional Director Business Assurance, UK and Iberia at Intertek Florencia Bahamonde, ISCC Senior Global Program Manager at Intertek  Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

From California to the SEC, climate disclosure is becoming a business imperative. Join Catherine Beare and Beth Mielbrecht as they unpack the evolving U.S. climate reporting landscape, explore what companies need to know now, and share practical insights to stay ahead of regulatory expectations.Whether you're navigating the new California climate bills or looking for a competitive edge, this episode is your guide to understanding what "doing business" really means—and how to stay ahead of regulatory and market demand.Tune in now and get the clarity your sustainability team needs.Speakers:Catherine Beare, Regional Director - Business Assurance (UK & Iberia)Beth Mielbrecht, Associate Director, Sustainability, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this first podcast Patrick McNamara, our Global Innovations and Quality Manager,Food Services, looks at the reasons why allergens remain one of the Food industry's major issues as it faces unprecedented pressure to feed up to 10 billion people. Patrick introduces how replacement ingredients that meet consumer's demands for healthier products are introducing new allergen risks, as well as the ever-changing global and local regulatory environment.Tune in now! Speakers: Patrick McNamara- Global Innovations and Quality Manager, Intertek Food ServicesAlan Cadman- Business Development Manager, Intertek Food ServicesFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this Earth Day special, host David Muil sits down with forestry expert Ciara McCarthy to explore the vital role forests play in our global ecosystem. From absorbing billions of tons of carbon dioxide to supporting biodiversity and Indigenous communities, forests are far more than just trees. Ciara unpacks the threat of deforestation, the promise of sustainable forestry, and what global regulations like the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) mean for the future of forest products. Plus, learn how everyday consumers can make a difference—just by knowing what labels to look for.Whether you're a sustainability professional or simply curious about the hidden world behind the paper and wood products we use every day, this episode offers powerful insights and practical tips for making forest-friendly choices.Tune in now to learn more!Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode of Assurance in Action, we explore the transformative potential of pyrolysis oil—a key innovation driving the circular economy. Liam Mills, an expert from Intertek Caleb Brett, breaks down the science behind pyrolysis, the variety of feedstocks it can process, and its current and future applications—from power generation to advanced chemical recycling. Tune in to understand how this technology supports sustainable waste management and reduces reliance on fossil fuels. For more information:Visit our website: Pyrolysis Oil TestingEmail us: cb.marketing@intertek.comFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode, join scientific consultants Lois Haighton, Jayne Stewart, and Luke Gwenter from Intertek's Food & Nutrition Assuris Group as they explore the requirements for filing a Due Diligence Statement under EUDR.  Tune in as they discuss the due diligence statement or DDS, which is one of the 3 necessary conditions for EUDR compliance, in order to import or export relevant products to or from the EU market. Don't miss this informative podcast on navigating compliance in an evolving regulatory landscape!Speaker:Lois Haighton- Senior Director, Toxicology & Project Operations, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisJayne Stewart- Scientific Consultant, Regulatory Affairs & Dietary Intakes, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisLuke Gwenter- Associate Dietary Intakes, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek Assuris Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In today's episode, our Intertek's expert, Florencia Bahamonde, dives into the ISCC Certifications. ISCC standards drive sustainability and traceability across the supply chains, supporting companies to track certified materials at every stage, preventing fraud and ensuring that sustainability claims are verifiable.  Speakers: Moderator: Catherine Beare, Regional Director Business Assurance, UK and Iberia at Intertek Presenter: Florencia Bahamonde, ISCC Senior Global Program Manager at Intertek Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

What CSRD best practices look like in the oil and gas sector!As the CSRD reporting requirements start to kick in for a number of sectors this year, in this podcast we explore the current key themes and what ‘good' looks like generally for sustainability in the oil and gas industry.  Speakers:  Catherine Beare the Regional Director - Intertek Business Assurance UK & Iberia  Yannick Garcia, Regional Director - Intertek Caleb Brett  For more information, please do go and visit our website  www.intertek.com/assurance/EU-CSRD.  Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode, join scientific consultants Lois Haighton, Luke Gwenter, and Karen Ngo from Intertek's Food & Nutrition Assuris Group as they explore the new guidance, “Understanding your company position in cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy, and wood supply chains”  that the European Union has just released to help companies comply with the EUDR. Tune in as they discuss the requirements and responsibilities of an operator or trader, by illustrating different scenarios within the supply chain for the seven commodities. Don't miss this informative podcast on navigating compliance in an evolving regulatory landscape!Speakers:Lois Haighton, Senior Director, Toxicology & Project Operations, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisKaren Ngo, Manager, Toxicology & Dietary Intakes, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisLuke Gwenter, Associate Dietary Intakes, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode, David Muil, Global VP of Sustainability for Intertek, explains the importance of water efficiency and how organizations can benefit from implementing ISO 46001:2019, the Water Efficiency Management System standard. The discussion covers the core components of the standard, its environmental and financial benefits, and real-world examples of companies achieving significant water savings. This episode offers valuable insights for businesses looking to optimize water use, reduce costs, and enhance sustainability through effective water management practices. Tune in now!To connect with one of our experts today, email us at business.assurance@intertek.comFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

Biodegradability is more than just a buzzword—it's a key factor in reducing environmental impact and ensuring a sustainable future. In this episode of Assurance in Action, Dhanashree Bhelose, Senior Business Development Manager, Environmental Services at Intertek, joins the conversation to break down what biodegradability really means, its role in sustainability, and common misconceptions—like the difference between biodegradable and compostable materials. We also explore how businesses can integrate biodegradable materials responsibly without falling into the trap of greenwashing.From certification and testing to overcoming challenges in implementation, this episode provides valuable insights for businesses looking to make informed, science-backed sustainability decisions. Listen now to discover how biodegradability fits into the bigger picture of sustainable production and waste reduction. 

Join us for an insightful discussion on the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) and Chain of Custody certification with Catherine Beare and Ciara McCarthy from Intertek. In this episode, we explore the significance of FSC® in responsible forest management, its impact on businesses and consumers, and how certification ensures trust, transparency, and sustainability across industries.In this podcast, we also uncover surprising industries that rely on FSC® certification, from furniture and packaging to textiles and even car tires! Tune in to learn how FSC® certification works, who needs it, and the challenges and solutions in maintaining sustainable supply chains. Stay tuned for more in-depth discussions in our upcoming episodes of the FSC® series!To find out more about our FSC® and associated certification services in the sustainable forestry area, visit FSC® and PEFC® Certification | Sustainable Forestry or get in touch by emailing business.assurance@intertek.com.About The Speaker: With nearly 20 years of expertise in forestry auditing, Ciara McCarthy shares valuable insights into FSC's role in environmental protection, ethical labor practices, and market advantages. Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode, join scientific consultants Lois Haighton, Luke Gwenter, and Karen Ngo from Intertek's Food & Nutrition Assuris Group as they dive into the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Tune in as they break down the key commodities and products affected by this regulation and provide insights on how to determine whether a specific item falls within its scope. Don't miss this informative podcast on navigating compliance in an evolving regulatory landscape!Speakers:Lois Haighton, Senior Director, Toxicology & Project Operations, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisKaren Ngo, Manager, Toxicology & Dietary Intakes, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisLuke Gwenter, Associate Dietary Intakes, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek Assuris Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

Loss prevention in restaurants is crucial to minimize theft, reduce waste, and protect profits, ensuring long-term sustainability and efficiency. In this podcast, we look at the causes of loss in restaurants and retail businesses and solutions to mitigate the loss. Speakers:Rebecca Green – UK Business Development ManagerScott Oakley – UK Retail AuditorFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this podcast, we dive into how we should look to evidence compliance with CSRD and specifically touch upon the data side of the things which is proving to be a minefield for so many companies. Listen in for insight and tools to help make the task more manageable. Speakers:Catherine Beare - Regional Director, Business Assurance, UK and Iberia at IntertekSimona Romanoschi - Vice President, Business Assurance Innovation at IntertekFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode, Poonam Sinha, Sustainability Manager at Intertek Assuris, breaks down the concept of materiality—what it means, its role in aligning key issues with sustainability goals, and its importance in credible sustainability reporting. Whether you're new to sustainability or enhancing your strategy, materiality is essential for trustworthy progress and assurance.  Tune in now to learn more! Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode, join scientific consultants Ryan Parente and Brandon Walters from Intertek's Safety & Regulatory team as they delve into the proposed Feed Enhancement and Economic Development Act, or Innovative FEED Act of 2023. They will explore what it is, where it stands in the U.S. Congress, and what it could mean for future regulatory activities within the U.S. Speakers:Ryan Parente, Scientific Consultant 2 – Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek Assuris Brandon Walters, Scientific Consultant 2, Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this edition of Intertek's Sustainability Awareness Podcast Series, we discuss ISCC PLUS certification -  a voluntary scheme that is applicable for the bioeconomy and circular economy for food, feed, chemicals, plastics, packaging, textiles and renewable feedstock derived from a process using renewable energy sources. Speakers:Catherine Beare - Intertek Regional Director for Business Assurance in the UK & IberiaFlorencia Bahamonde, Intertek ISCC Senior Global Programme ManagerFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

Welcome to the Intertek Assuris Podcast series! In this episode, join scientific consultants Brandon Walters and Ryan Parente from Intertek's Safety & Regulatory team as they explore how AAFCO plans to adapt, maintain regulatory consistency, and uphold safety and innovation in the animal feed industry amid these evolving animal feed ingredient regulatory dynamics. Speakers:Brandon Walters, Scientific Consultant 2, Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisRyan Parente, Scientific Consultant 2 – Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek Assuris Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode, join scientific consultants Ryan Parente and Brandon Walters from Intertek's Safety & Regulatory team as they delve into the latest developments in U.S. animal feed ingredient regulations. Together, they explore the proposed FDA Animal Feed Ingredient Consultation process, shedding light on key compliance updates and what they mean for industry stakeholders.Speakers:Ryan Parente- Scientific Consultant 2 – Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek Assuris Brandon Walters- Scientific Consultant 2, Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode of the Assurance in Action Future Fuels series, we dive into the aviation sector's journey toward defossilisation. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) are key to reducing fossil fuel reliance, but the path is filled with challenges—from fuel compatibility with existing aircraft to the high cost of production. Our guest expert explores how innovations like SAF blending, optimized air traffic systems, and carbon capture can help tackle these obstacles. Tune in to learn how the aviation industry is working to achieve sustainability goals while navigating complex technical and economic barriers. Speakers: Liam Mills, Sustainable Hydrocarbon SpecialistDon't miss this engaging conversation—listen now!

In this episode, we are diving into the future of plant-based food and sustainable practices. Hosted by Patrick McNamara, this episode brings together leading voices on three essential topics: 1️⃣ Regenerative Farming – Dr. Vincent Walsh from Regen Farm Co. unpacks how regenerative agriculture strengthens plant-based food systems.  2️⃣ Biodiversity and Sustainability – Intertek's VP of Sustainability, David Muil, highlights why biodiversity is crucial in sustainable food production.  3️⃣ Round the World – Thiago Cremonese from our Intertek Brazil team gives an insider's view of the growing trends in Brazil's vegan market. Tune in to hear these experts explore sustainability's future, innovative practices, and global trends in veganism! Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

This episode explores how the ISO 42001 standard guides organizations in managing AI ethically. Our experts discuss the importance of responsible data inputs, preventing bias, and ensuring transparency in AI outputs to protect society from misuse. Tune in to learn how organizations can align AI practices with ethical principles for a fair and accountable future.Speakers:Angelique Brouillard- NA Program Manager, IT & Data Security at Intertek Business AssuranceSofia Liebon- Europe & Asia Program Manager, IT & Data Security at Intertek Business AssuranceFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

Join us for an insightful episode in our special podcast series, where we dive into recent shifts in the U.S. regulatory landscape for animal feed ingredients. Hosted by Brandon Walters, Scientific Consultant within Intertek's Food & Nutrition Group, and featuring fellow consultant Ryan Parente, this discussion unpacks the latest compliance pathways and requirements shaping the industry today. Tune in now!Speakers:Ryan Parente- Scientific Consultant 2 – Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek Assuris Brandon Walters- Scientific Consultant 2, Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Food & Nutrition Group, Intertek AssurisFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

The global automotive industry has been making remarkable progress in its journey toward sustainability, driven by innovations like Electric Vehicles (EVs) and advanced connectivity features. These advancements are shaping a more sustainable future for the sector, but there's still much work to be done.In this episode, we dive into how the automotive sector is responding to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). We'll discuss the necessity of setting ambitious targets that go beyond just climate change to include critical areas such as biodiversity, pollution, and social governance.Join us as we uncover the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in this evolving landscape. Tune in now!Speakers:Catherine Beare - Intertek Regional Director for Business Assurance in the UK & IberiaDavid Muil, Intertek Vice President for SustainabilityFollow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

In this episode, we explore the world of cultivated and vegan meat. Alice Johnson discusses the cultivated meat process, highlighting its potential as a sustainable alternative to traditional meat production.Kerry Finch and Julie Horton from Intertek Assuris delve into the regulatory landscape of cultivated meat, explaining compliance challenges and opportunities in the evolving market.Finally, Oderay Gonzales Gabriel from Intertek Mexico shares insights on the growing vegan market in Mexico, discussing consumer trends and cultural influences.Join us for this insightful discussion on innovation, regulation, and consumer preferences in the future of food.Follow us on- Intertek's Assurance In Action || Twitter || LinkedIn.

The Future of Renewable Fuels: Policy Frameworks, Emerging Technologies, and Consumer EngagementIn this second episode of Intertek's Assurance in Action Future Fuels series, experts Liam Mills and Mike Koziar take a deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of renewable fuels. They examine key policy frameworks shaping the industry, explore the cutting-edge technologies driving the next generation of fuels, and highlight how consumer engagement plays a crucial role in adoption. With their insights into both current challenges and future opportunities, this episode delivers valuable knowledge for professionals in the energy sector and anyone interested in sustainable solutions.  Speakers: Mike Koziar – Director of Renewable Fuels Liam Mills, Sustainable Hydrocarbon SpecialistDon't miss this engaging conversation—listen now!