Dru Manuel

Background

About Dru Manuel

I have a deep level of chemical manufacturing experience built over 29 years with Albemarle Corporation, a publicly traded global specialty chemical company. Through those years have achieved sustainable gains in HSE and plant output performance for custom and highly hazardous and/or energetic chemistry. Gained valuable experience in people management and culture from working and living across the US and Europe. My current role is Vice President of Manufacturing for the Lithium and Bromine Specialties division with responsibility for $1 Billion in annual revenue. In this role I oversee manufacturing across 8 plant sites including a joint venture with operational control, a large sub surface brine mining operation, and a port storage and loading facility. Manage up to 1900+ employees inclusive of the joint venture with union and non union employees across the US, Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific. Oversee direct spend and capital expenditures in the hundreds of millions USD range each on an annual basis. Prior to my current role, ran three different production sites for Albemarle. Was the first and only non Dutch Managing Director for Albemarle Catalyst Company B.V. in Amsterdam in the site’s 100+ year history. Have experience in horizontal and directional drilling for deep subsurface salt water used in bromine production. Management of a Pharmaceutical production facility that created and validated chemistry and analytical method for leaders in the Pharma Industry with zero 483 findings on yearly FDA audits. Intermixed between plant management assignments I also assumed responsibility for Raw Material Strategic Sourcing for $150-200 million annual spend, Supply and Operations Planning, and Global Tolling for the Bromine Global Business Unit. Key strengths include operations and manufacturing excellence, HSE culture in both process and occupational safety, Root Cause Problem Solving, Cross Functional team building, Engineering fundamentals, Pharmaceutical production, Drilling and subsurface liquid production, negotiations, and integration.