Meet Adam Savin

Calling the past few months in Adam Savin's life »eventful« would be an understatement. After spending most of last winter getting himself in shape to run the London Marathon, Adam and his wife Claire – who also works at Clariant – recently welcomed their first child into this world.

Adam works as a Tender & Contract Manager for our Business Segment Oil in Aberdeen. And whether at home or at the office, he was never one to shy away from a challenge. Quite the contrary, in fact – as he tells us in a personal interview.

Hello, Adam. What does an average working day at Clariant look like for you?
Adam: I really don’t think there is an average working day. I am very lucky to have a lot of variation in my role. I am speaking to colleagues across a wide geographic span working on different sales opportunities, each with their own unique set of challenges to overcome. The common factor would be the problem-solving aspect of the role. That, for me, is always the exciting part of working at Clariant.

What is the coolest project you’re working on right now?
The Tender & Contract Management team is a brand-new concept for the oil business following a change in organization. As a team we have had to create and build up our own purpose and aims, as well as implementing how we will work with our colleagues to deliver successful tender submissions. We are probably about halfway through the process of establishing and cementing all the tools and best practices that we want to work with, but it has been really enjoyable for us to design this ourselves.

What are some of the biggest opportunities you’ve had at Clariant?
I think the biggest opportunity I was given was about one year into my career with Clariant. I was still early on in my professional career. At 22 years old I was given responsibility to manage a small technical team that provides support to customers. I had no prior management experience and limited customer facing experience, but I loved it. There were challenges along the way and a steep learning curve, but I think it set me up very well for all the roles I have held since.

Shortly into my tenure within that new role I had been asked to be part of a team that would be presenting to a client to expand our contract with them. I remember coming away from the presentation with such an adrenaline rush after they informed us that we had been successful. I think this would have been where I realized how much I liked the mix of technical and business development, which would lead me to where I am now.

What is your favorite Clariant value, and why?
I resonate with Perform with agility most of all – I enjoy throwing myself into different challenges and grappling with new ideas and concepts. When faced with difficult situations or problems, I like to play out the scenarios or potential solutions through in my head and put them into action as quickly as possible. I get »itchy feet« if I don’t feel like I am solving an issue!

What’s the best thing about your job?
The ability to mix technical, commercial, strategic thinking and creativity all into one.

What’s the best way to start the day?
Firstly, I need a coffee to wake myself up! Depending on the time of the year and how dark outside it is, I may go for a run, or, I will listen to some podcasts with the cat.

You ran the London Marathon in April. What was your most memorable experience during the race?
The amount of support received during the race from spectators was incredible. I was not expecting anything like that. Just as I was approaching Tower Bridge, I was met with a wall of noise from those watching at the side of the road – it was amazing and unforgettable.

Could you share some of the challenges you faced during your training and on the race day, and how you overcame them to achieve your goal?
I started training for the marathon about six months before the event, which overlapped with a Scottish winter. So, staying motivated and maintaining a training routine over the winter when it is dark, cold and icy outside wasn’t easy.

On the days building up to the marathon I was really quite anxious. I had put in all this time and effort and started getting irrational fears of not being able to run or feeling fake injuries! As I was raising money for charity as well, I felt a bit of pressure to make sure I finished. In the end all the hard work paid off and I finished in 3 hours 28 minutes, so I was over the moon.

Can you give us more info about the UK charity you’ve supported through this marathon?
I was raising money for a charity called Maggie’s. Maggie’s provides practical support to individuals living with cancer and their families. It operates centers, usually on the site of hospitals, where they run exercise classes, counselling sessions or general advice. Maggie’s started in the UK and is now beginning to set up centers in other countries, including Japan, Hong Kong, Spain and Norway, as a result of the amazing work and benefits that the centers provide.

What is the luckiest thing that has happened to you?
Starting a family. I have recently become a father, and seeing my son's face light up in the mornings instantly makes the day better.