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Interview
“ Upon returning from my second maternity leave, I moved into business development, where I scaled our HydroFlex technology from a marketing and commercial perspective. I then became responsible for several projects including upgrading unconventional feedstocks, or in other words, any non-fossil-based feedstock, which we grew from a small project into an entire business line. Following that period, I became head of our hydro-processing technologies, and as of January this year, I’ m now Senior Vice President of Clean Fuels and Chemicals Technology.
“ My role today truly combines my technical roots and commercial experience, providing me with a strategic mindset to continuously drive the company in the right direction and enable customers to build transformative energy plants. I love my job and where I work; not only am I working within a meaningful company that moves the needle towards creating a more sustainable future, but I’ m also working with talented individuals who inspire me every day. In fact, one of my favorite parts of my role is when I’ m able to sit back and let my colleagues shine.”
The power of innovation
Turning to Topsoe, Mikala reveals details about the company’ s history and evolution that have characterized its mission and vision.“ Haldor Topsøe was a true visionary, having talked about a future issue with global warming as early as the 1980s,” she shares.“ One of my favorite quotes of his is that‘ the business itself doesn’ t mean anything unless it improves the lives of people and society,’ and this ethos remains deeply rooted in our operations today. Our technical R & D focuses on the energy trilemma between sustainability, affordability, and reliability, concentrating on how we can improve our catalysts and increase energy security while lowering emissions.
“ Another of my favorite Topsøe quotes is that‘ if it’ s not scientifically proven that it
Haldor Topsøe was a true visionary, having talked about a future issue with global warming as early as the 1980s
can’ t be improved, then we believe it can’ and this idea shapes our R & D efforts as we constantly strive to improve our products and technologies. We’ re a team of genuinely passionate people, and when we sell our technologies, we take pride in their ability to improve the lives of others. It’ s extremely rewarding to watch the energy transition take place and see the shift in mindset and perceptions across several industries.”
Where chemistry and innovation meet market requirements
At its core, Topsoe’ s vision is to meet current and future energy needs with a diverse range of technologies and solutions, converting energy from one form to another using the smallest amount of energy to gain the highest yield.“ While we want to maintain our market-leading position in conventional fuels, we’ ve invested heavily in R & D to investigate compatibility, not only for renewable fuels but also for low-carbon feedstocks where emitted carbon is captured and safely stored,” Mikala explains.“ However, our uniqueness lies in the fact that the technologies and catalysts we’ ve developed over the years can facilitate renewable feedstocks with just a few relatively small, but significant changes. We see our role as a technology provider as ensuring our products are compatible with all the commercially available feedstocks in the market.
“ On a personal level, like many individuals across the company, I’ m fascinated by carbon chemistry and how we can use and refine the
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