Faces of Lubricants – Nick Kob
Apr 30, 2018
Nick Kob is an outgoing family man with an impressive career spanning from technical to commercial positions held within various chemical industry segments. Although he’s extremely humble, it’s hard not to be impressed when listening to Nick’s experience. With a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Science and Ph.D in chemistry, he later went on to earn his MBA in marketing. Currently residing in Houston, Texas, Nick has been with Ingevity for nearly five years. He has a proven track record of strategically leading global businesses to expand into new markets and applications.
Nick has experience in the Lubricants, Agricultural Chemicals and Oilfield markets, bringing diverse expertise to the table. Prior to Ingevity, Nick held various roles at DuPont, Hunstman and Hercules.
Tell us about the experience you bring to your role and what you do at Ingevity.
I began my career in a technical role at DuPont, working on research and development for metalworking fluids. I then moved into a marketing role within the company and later held similar positions at Huntsman. I’ve been working in the chemical industry for more than 20 years in various capacities which has allowed me to learn about multiple business segments.
For the last five years, I’ve overseen the AgChem, Lubricants and now Oilfield teams. I help set strategic direction and facilitate execution for global growth. My job is to make sure my teams are on the same page and have a clear shared vision of how to succeed.
What do you enjoy most about leading a team?
I love working with a diverse group of people who have various skill sets and backgrounds. Leading global teams helps me learn more about different people’s cultures and experiences.
What’s one of your favorite memories from a Lubricants project?
Being a part of the Diacid 1550 product relaunch was a very exciting opportunity. We were tasked with reenergizing a well-established product and expanding into new applications. I enjoyed helping the team strategically plan and execute this process which ultimately led to a YOY market growth.
What does success mean to you?
To me, success is doing the best job you can delivering on things within your control. There will be times you do everything right and it doesn’t go your way because of variables outside of your control.
Who inspires you to be better?
My grandfather inspired me personally and professionally to be the best person I can possibly be. He was adopted at a young age and had an entrepreneurial spirit that led him to start his own chemical distribution business in Chicago. With a solid vision and a lot of sweat equity, his company was very successful and inspired me to choose this field.
What do you love most about where you live? The warm weather! Growing up in California, and spending the last 13 years in Houston, I’ve been spoiled with great weather.
What does your dream day look like? I’m content with the way I live my life on a day-to-day basis. My dream day consists of what I’m currently doing — spending time with my two boys, wife and dog!
