One of the consequential materials industry of the 20th century is facing its most difficult challenge yet, as society expects plastics to provide the same level of comfort and convenience we are used to without harming the environment when we create and dispose of them. The talk will discuss how the industry is responding to these challenges and how innovation within and across the value chain and change in our behavior as consumers can help accomplish this goal.

Kumar Sanketh currently serves as the R&D Director of Functional Polymers product R&D within Packaging, Specialty Plastics & Hydrocarbons (PSP&H) division at Dow Inc. PSP&H is the largest division in Dow with sales of $28B serving Packaging, Infrastructure, Consumer, Transportation and Wire & Cable, markets. In this role, he manages a global team of 120 researchers working on product / formulation innovation in Polyethylene, POE Elastomers, Adhesives & High-pressure copolymers. His responsibilities include talent development, influencing business strategy and driving a robust innovation pipeline.

Prior to this role, from 2015-2021, he held leadership roles in Technical Service & Development (TS&D) for North America region leading teams serving customers across various market segments. In this role, he had responsibility to help deliver the sales plan for the region and monetize the innovation product portfolio. During his tenure, he helped launch new products for caps & closures, pressure pipe, pharma, and other durable applications. Two of the products were also recognized with “R&D 100 finalist” awards. Prior to that, Kumar was leader in material science group, leading efforts in the identification and development of structure property relationships for applications within packaging markets. From 2007 - 2014, Kumar worked as an individual contributor working in area of encapsulation films for solar modules, development of polyurethane dispersions for coatings market as well as understanding fundamentals of scratch and mar behaviour of coatings.

Kumar joined Dow in 2007 after completing his PhD in Polymer Science and Masters in Polymer Engineering from University of Akron. Kumar has published 15+ publications in peer reviewed journals and his work at Dow has resulted in 12+ granted patents and patent applications. Kumar has also received a graduate leadership certificate from Jones school of business at Rice University in 2018. He currently serves on the board of SPE, South Texas Chapter.

Kumar lives in greater Houston area with his wife, Sushma and 2 daughters Siri & Neha. They also have a dog named Oreo. Outside of Work, Kumar enjoys painting, gardening, and cooking.

ART - Kumar N. Sanketh

The Akron Roundtable podcast brings you monthly installments of nationally recognizable figures and local leaders sharing their thought-provoking perspectives on topics that engage, educate, and inspire listeners. These episodes are recorded in full at the Akron Roundtable luncheons and include the audience Q&A session with each guest. To learn more about Akron Roundtable or to attend a luncheon please visit our webpage.

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