Born and raised in Brazil, Henrique Noguchi got a taste for life abroad while studying in France from 2008 to 2010. So, when he was working for Milliken & Company in Brazil, and the company offered him a U.S. posting, the decision to take it was an easy one. Today, Henrique is a technical manager, responsible for the Technical Service & Development (TS&D) team of Milliken’s Plastics Additives business unit. Henrique’s group provides additive solutions which improve various attributes of plastics, such as aesthetics, mechanical properties, and sustainability.
Discovering a dream job
Having studied materials engineering in college, which satisfied his love for manual work and problem-solving, Henrique is pleased to have found something that holds his interest, every day. About the plastics industry overall, he says, “It’s a growing, global industry that touches so many aspects of our lives. The diversity of applications and end-use markets where you see plastics is incredible to me. So are all the different ways to process plastic. There’s still so much to be discovered!”
Given all that, we feel confident in saying Henrique is one of those happy people who absolutely love what they do, but it’s better to hear it from him. “TS&D is a dream job to me because I get the chance to apply lots of deep science into real life situations to solve customer problems,” he said. “That means lots of lab experiments and industrial-scale trials: you can’t be afraid, every day, to get your hands dirty. In 2021, I was given the opportunity to manage the TS&D team, which was an honor for me. I found that even more satisfying than solving the problems was working with my team to enable them to do it.”
Henrique is also motivated by his knowledge of what his team’s work means in the bigger picture. “Over the years, I have seen how an improvement in a specific material property can cascade into massive value generated along the value chain and cause big changes in people’s lives, what they consume and how they behave,” he said. “It’s amazing what can be achieved when you focus your efforts on something that will bring tangible value to users. That makes me feel reinvigorated about my work.”
Maintaining a passion for learning
Henrique has had great schooling and learned quite a bit since beginning his career, but he is adamant about making the time for continuing education. “Learning is something we must do constantly,” he explained, “but frequently we don’t find either the time or the right resource.”
Fortunately, Henrique is able to fill that gap as a member of FLiP (Future Leaders in Plastics) the Plastics Industry Association initiative for professionals under the age of 40. “There are many benefits from being part of FLiP,” he said., “but two that I would like to mention are the mentoring program and the content shared during the quarterly and book club meetings.”
With everything he has learned and seen in the industry, Henrique hopes other young people seeking careers will discover the opportunities offered by plastics. “In the grand scheme of things, the plastics that we use today are a relatively recent invention; they have been used for a short time compared to other materials,” Henrique said. “There’s still tremendous space for growth. Lots of the mega trends we see today must be backed by innovation in materials science, and the benefits of plastics position them for sustained long-term growth.”
Understanding issues, recognizing solutions
Among the topics we addressed with Henrique was how the industry might combat negative public perceptions of plastics. “The answer to ‘how’ is still to be determined and is what everyone is trying to find out,” he said. “But whatever it is, I believe it involves working together as an industry towards a solution. No isolated part of the value chain will be able to win alone.”
As the only trade association representing the entire plastics value chain, we couldn’t have said that better. On a lighter note, we asked Henrique to name a plastic product he couldn’t do without. “The plastic containers I use to store my leftovers,” he said. “I hate wasting food!”
PLASTICS and the Future Leaders in Plastics (FLiP) Committee are devoted to supporting and encouraging the next generation of plastics leaders who will play a crucial role in the innovation, technology and future of the plastics industry. FLiP’s mission is to provide young professionals under the age of 40 the exposure, education and resources they need to build lifelong careers in plastics. Want to join? Want to get your employees involved? Email: [email protected]
