HotSeat – Damian Harvey, International Business Development Manager at Radical Materials
Radical Materials, formerly known as SteriTouch, recently diversified its portfolio of plastic additives to include SCOPIC X-ray & metal detectable masterbatches and KONDUCT thermally conductive compounds. The three brands now come together to form Radical Materials, whose range of additives are vital to the healthcare, pharmaceutical, food processing, construction and consumer markets. A key part of this expansion was International Business Development Manager, Damian Harvey. He is the next PlastikCity Partner in the HotSeat…
What trends do you think will shape the future of UK plastics? How will Radical Materials respond?
Sustainability and manufacturer responsibility. We are all aware of the pitfalls of plastic waste, and it is the responsibility of every part of the plastics “chain” to ensure accountability going forward.
Radical Materials is working on new ways of improving the use of plastics with new technologies for detectability, thermal management, and protecting against polymer degradation.
The plastics industry has changed dramatically in the last two years, mainly down to the public outcry against plastic waste. Therefore we need to react to this and move forward in a more sustainable way for the sake of generations to come.
How has Radical Materials developed during your tenure?
We now supply over 30 countries worldwide with our various Radical technologies, with customers as far afield as Canada, Colombia, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, China and the Middle East.
As International Business Developer, I have enjoyed building new relationships in these territories and look forward to expanding our operations even further over the coming years.
What do you credit as the key to your success?
There’s an old saying that goes, “People do business with other people and not organisations,” and I take pride in building personal relationships with my contacts at the companies we work with.
What has been the greatest challenge in your career?
I speak French, Spanish and Italian as well as English but have found some languages (especially Chinese) very challenging.
We are lucky that most companies we deal with have plenty of people who speak English, but I feel we should all make an effort to converse in the language of the country we are dealing with.
What advice do you wish you’d had on entering the industry and does that differ from the advice you would give to an apprentice joining now?
In our industry, you never stop learning, and if you stand still, you will be left behind very quickly.
One of the most dangerous mottos for any organisation is “We’ve always done it that way.”
I was always told that when dealing with customers, it is always better to listen than talk – you have two ears and one mouth! That way, you will discover their needs far easier than talking too much. That advice still rings true to this day.
What hidden talents do you have?
I am actually a Welsh Rugby Union Level 2 qualified coach and have been coaching rugby in my hometown for over ten years.
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