Brian Fraleigh

Background

About Brian Fraleigh

I am a formulation chemist, inventor, and new product developer with experience in coatings technology, with a particular focus on topcoats. My view is that new product development is a place where the boundaries of art and science become blurry. I enjoy working in this space. As a classically-trained chemical engineer, I bring a structured problem-solving approach to product development, and I adhere to design for manufacturability principles. I feel comfortable in dealing with ambiguity and the unknown. The unique perspective that I bring to product development has often eased the transition from bench scale to production scale. If I zoom out and consider myself from the possible perspectives of others, I might be described as a highly-skilled problem solver who happens to work as a bench chemist. I consider myself to be humble; I am willing to say "I don't know" and I strive to continuously improve by learning from my more experienced colleagues. Regarding topics in which I am considered to be a subject matter expert, I enjoy mentorship, which I approach with patience and a genuine desire to elevate those around me. I have experience working with a variety of chemistries for forced-air curing. I am also quite familiar with coatings application technology, including slot die, WWR, rotogravure and flexography. Most of my experience is in the context of development for roll-to-roll film applications. My main strength as a formulator is cross-functional experience on both the back and front ends combined with rapid learning and application of new (to me) chemistries. Outside of work, I enjoy the outdoors, and I can often be found climbing, snowboarding, or working on my truck (a 20+ year old Tacoma that accompanies me on all my adventures!). I maintain a professional interest in outdoor education, and have over a hundred days of field leadership experience as an AMGA certified guide in various terrain types. My experiences working as a guide profoundly shaped me as a person and are the bedrock of my leadership style in a professional setting. On a personal note, I value emotional intelligence, and the adjectives that I've been proudest to hear describe me include honest, humble, courageous and kind. Follow this link for some kind words about my leadership style and how I interact with others: