Articles

Chemical engineer. Fashionista. Community worker. There's a lot to explore when it comes to getting to know Jane Mansaray. We recently caught up with Jane, who joined BASF's Mining Solutions team as a Sales and Technical Account manager in late 2020, to find out a little more about her prior working experience and life outside of work.

They say that the best ideas come to you when you least expect them, a sentiment that proved to be true when it came time for Toby Erkkila to choose a career. Find how a high school excursion to a dairy farm led Toby to choose a career in agriculture.

When Hannah Thomas tells people she has the ‘very sweet’ job of being a Melon & Watermelon Sales Specialist, they often assume she works in retail selling seeds to gardening enthusiasts. In reality, a typical day for Hannah involves travelling to farms, assessing crops, eating watermelons and having discussions with growers.

From grappling with challenging stock sudokus to tasting watermelons for a living, working in the agriculture industry has a myriad of career options. In this series, we catch up with three agricultural graduates who have taken their degree in agriculture three very different directions. In part one, we chat to BASF Seed Supply Coordinator Jake Gaudion.

At this year’s Diggers and Dealers conference BASF’s Mining Solutions team were keen to talk about more than just flocculants and dewatering aids. 

To celebrate LGBTQIA+ STEM Day, Queers in Science (QiS) have partnered with Science Gallery Melbourne and BASF, to lead a ‘Science on a Serviette’ competition. Here QiS Victorian chapter co-chair, Dr. Mohammad Taha, shares their own journey and why initiatives such as this are vital in raising the profile of Queer folk in science.

With a shared mission to inspire a new generation of Indigenous scientists, BASF and Indigenous STEM charity 'DeadlyScience' have teamed up to donate 450 personalised science books to remote schools around Australia.

While John Anderson, Hydrometallurgy Sales and Technical Account Manager, is no stranger to running face-to-face training sessions, he recently discovered that when it comes to adapting these sessions to an online format, a new set of skills is required. Here, John shares lessons he learnt from a recent training he held for Mining Solutions customers.

In honour of International Rural Women’s Day, Rach Carson, BASF National Commercial Manager Agriculture, shares stories from her career journey and the key role mentoring has played in her development.

BASF and national children’s educational charity, The Smith Family,  recently partnered to deliver a virtual work experience program from secondary students. The 'Work Inspiration' program provides young people with the opportunity to experience the world of work in a meaningful and inspiring way. 

Mercedes Benz Brighton prides themselves on staying ahead of the curve, so it comes as no surprise that when they were approached to be one of the first auto repairers in the world to trial Glasurit's new game-changing 100 Line technology, they jumped at the opportunity. 

If you think a career in sales involves long lunches,  a day with Tara Haskell, will pretty quickly set the record straight. Forget games of golf, when it comes to winning new clients in Tara’s line of work, customers only want one thing: proof, and lots of it. 

The Australian outback is one of the hottest and driest places on earth. Living and surviving under such severe climatic conditions depends on the use of water collected in plastic water tanks. But, wouldn’t the harsh Australian sun be too much for water tanks made of polyethylene to handle?

With the COVID-19 pandemic sparking many DIY projects, life under the new restrictions is also making us rethink how we can live our lives more sustainably. The team at Science Gallery Melbourne think seaweed might just play a role in the answer. 

While many uni students spend their summer breaks going travelling or to the beach, Jesse McEwan instead used the time away from his studies to gain some valuable work experience at BASF’s Mining Solutions Research and Development laboratory in Perth. Here Jesse shares what he learnt working in R&D and his plans for life after uni.

Agricultural companies BASF and Nutrien have joined forces to support local football clubs in Western Australia. Through a jointly funded community football initiative, the companies will fund 500 footballs for 89 WA Football Clubs in a massive show of support for country football.

While the weather in Tinashe Madhuvu’s hometown of Melbourne was warming up, Tinashe was packing his thickest winter jacket, preparing to travel to Germany.  Although the weather upon his arrival was chilly, luckily the reception that greeted him was anything but. Here Tinashe, BASF's 2019 SAGSE sponsored exchange student, shares stories from his adventure.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic means that many of us adjusting to new ways of working. Here Gavin Jackson, Head of BASF Agricultural Solutions Australia and New Zealand, shares how he and his team are communicating through COVID.

Find out how BASF's product solutions are enabling our Care Creations® team to contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. 

Between navigating bushfires and a global pandemic, BASF's Somersby team have celebrated the expansion of their production facility and started producing a brand-new inoculant for the first time in Australia. 

Appreciating the subtle hues of different colours is a passion shared by paint technicians and artists alike. While the two groups may operate in very different industries, there is a space where they intersect, as Perth-based artist Geoffrey Drake-Brockman discovered. 

Following a secondment in New Zealand, we caught up with Edwina Gadsby to chat about her career with BASF, her exciting new role and advice for young people who are about to start their career.

BASF’s Cheltenham site recently hosted a group of PhD students from the Institute of Chemical Engineers. The goal of the day was to show the students what a typical day working at BASF’s Nutrition and Health site entailed, jam packed in to only one hour.

As a child Elizabeth Kemp loved nothing more than watching her two heroes restore old cars: the first was her father and the second Chip Foose from the tv show ‘Overhaulin’.  Now working as a Technical Services Representative (TSR) for BASF, we spoke to Betsy about her career journey. 

Find out more about the chemical solutions BASF provides to medical professionals and the public at large to combat viruses like Covid-19.

Architectural exterior coatings work hard all year round, especially across Australia where the weather can be extremely volatile. We spoke to Shehani Nanayakkara, Technical Services Chemist at BASF, about  testing products for multi-weather suitability. 

Twelve months ago Georgia Readett joined BASF’s GROW Graduate Program. After a huge year, we caught up with Georgia to see where she is now.

Rocks, dust and wildlife are not things Barbara Goeke and Sarah Sma, normally encounter in a standard day based out of BASF's head office. Late last year however, the pair swapped their city office for an adventure in the bush when they visited two mining customers in rural New South Wales.

BASF’s Mining Solutions division sponsor an award for outstanding academic achievement at Curtin University’s School of the Mines. We spoke to 2019’s recipient, Adisa Umari Yoniton, about moving to Kalgoorlie and plans for the future.

It was more curiosity than careful planning that saw Daniel Chipfunhu enrol in a Metallurgical Engineering. Find out more about Daniel's career journey here. 

Professor Peter Scales is on a mission to find sustainable and economical methods to remove pollutants from waste water and is not afraid to explore unconventional methods. Find out more about Peter’s 'Urinotron' installation, featured in Science Gallery Melbourne's 'Disposable' exhibition. 

Rachel Carson is one of the National Farming Federation’s (NFF) 2019 Diversity in Agriculture Leaders. We chat to Rachel about what she got out of the program and her commitment to changing the face of the Australian agriculture industry.

The Journal of Surface Coating's Australia spoke with Evan Tzardis about receiving the 2019 BASF Perpetual Award for Technical Excellence to find out what he has learnt during his career to date and how he sees his place in the coatings industry.

Chemists and epicureans alike recently gathered at the BASF Head Office in Melbourne to attend the RACI’s Women in Chemistry’s ‘Chemistry of Chocolate and Coffee’ event to further their knowledge on what goes into creating two of life's finest treats.

How do you sell a new product to customers who live by the mentality ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’? Yvonne Mah, Business Development Manager Plastic Additives, shares some things she’s learnt about winning new business in her career. 

Being named the inaugural winner of the 2019 Professional Women in Australian Pest Management (PWAPM) Excellence Award sponsored by BASF, is an impressive title, and one Kylee Enwright from CPR Pest Management Services is no doubt doing justice.

Lee-Anne and Anthony Yewers at Berry Sweet are longstanding trailblazers in sustainability, so it comes as no surprise that they were the first in the Australia to buy BASF’s new Serifel^® Biological Fungicide.

 

BASF’s premium paint brand Glasurit is an official sponsor of the 'car painting' category of the upcoming WorldSkills competition in Kazan, Russia. Ahead of the event, we caught up with Maxine Colligan, Australia’s spray painting representative and graduate of the Glasurit EDUCATE program. 

BASF is a proud supporter of the National Farmers Federation’s (NFF) Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program. Find out more about the NFF's two-day immersive retreat for the mentees in Canberra and meeting with Australia’s first Federal Agriculture Minister.

BASF is supporting the PWAPM Excellence Award, which seeks to recognise and highlight the achievement of women who have advanced the pest management industry. 

Each year BASF sponsors a student to travel to Germany for 10 weeks to practice their language skills and learn more about the culture. We caught up with Tara Keshavarz, BASF’s 2018 Australian- German exchange student, to find out more about her experience.

As the world’s leading chemical company, our social licence is key to enabling us to contribute both sustainably and economically to Australia for the long term. This is not only true for us at BASF, but also for the wider chemistry industry. To support the continued progression of our industry, David Hawkins, Chairman and Managing Director of BASF Australia and New Zealand, has accepted the role of Chair of Chemistry Australia.. 

When Fatima Mirzad, Master Builders Solutions NSW Specification Consultant, began her career in construction it was a daunting industry for a young, female, chemical engineer to enter.  We caught up with Fatima to chat about how the construction industry has changed and her experience being a Women In Construction Ambassador at the Sydney Build expo. 

Lynley Crawford spends most days advising customers on which BASF performance material best suits their project, and most nights skating in circles around an industrial estate. As a Technical Manager by day and a pro inline speed skater by night, every day for Lynley is different. 

They say you can't understand someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. To get more of an understanding of what her colleagues get up to out in the field, Mining Solutions customer service officer Jane Azzopardi, went on the road. 

On most days you can find Anna Anderson, Territory Manager for Crop Protection, driving around the North Island of New Zealand visiting resellers and farmers.  Find out about Anna's life on the road.

We spoke to Tony Chapman, operations supervisor, about a typical day working at BASF Australia's Automotive Refinish Technology (ART) distribution center in Dandenong South.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, the BASF Albany office is tucked away in a modern, industrial estate north of Auckland. This site is home to BASF New Zealand's Construction Chemicals business, and a prince.

When it comes to close-knit teams, they don’t come much closer that the BASF New Zealand Customer Service team. Based in BASF’s Auckland office, opposite the airport, on most days the team have the freedom to make almost as much noise as the planes flying overhead. 

From veterans to new joiners, rock stars to princes, we went on the road to get to know the people who are BASF New Zealand. ​Johnnie affectionally known to his colleagues as the ‘man with a van’,  has been on the road selling BASF’s Glasurit automotive paints for 14 years and has many stories to share. 

BASF is a proud sponsor of the 2018 Science Gallery Melbourne youth mediators program. Hear from Science Gallery mediator Emma Byers, on working at PERFECTION and getting young people excited about STEM.  

Do computers control society? Should we be weary of Artificial Intelligence? Fearing that the everyday person has a limited understanding of AI, Dr. Niels Wouters created the sci-fi installation ‘Biometric Mirror’ to force viewers to question AI, and their own reflection. 

Getting your first job or graduate placement after university is an exciting time, but can also feel like a big decision to choose the right fit and experiences for you. If a graduate program that provides exposure across a multinational business in a variety of roles sounds like it might be the opportunity you’ve been after, then BASF’s Graduate program could be for you. Our BASF ANZ 2018 GROW Graduate, Lachlan Hedges, shares his experience in choosing the right path for him.

Local technical support and resources are crucial to helping our customers develop new and sustainable innovations in the paint and coatings industry. BASF was pleased recently to open a new laboratory and technical support centre for its local dispersions and resins business in Australia and New Zealand.

Another myth is to do with the application amount of sunscreen and value of SPF we enjoy from it. This myth has been spread often by ‘experts’, from which we often hear: ‘If you use a half the volume of SPF, then you actually only enjoy a square root of the SPF value.’ But is this the truth?

In June 2011, the American FDA standardized and regulated UVA protection for the first time. This concluded that the standard of broad spectrum UVA protection could be fixed at a critical wavelength greater than or equal to 370nm. But why did the FDA choose 370nm?

We often hear myths around sunscreen like: The protecting factor of SPF 15 is not double that of SPF 30, nor is SPF 60 twice as effective as SPF 30. The rationale behind this myth is that if SPF 30 can filter out 96.7% of UV rays, while SPF 60 can filter out 98.3%, the resulting difference is only 1.6%. Actually, this is looking at the situation in the wrong way!

Some people differentiate between soluble and insoluble sunscreen particles, grouping them into two types of UV filters, ‘physical’ and ‘chemical’ - but thinking about them in this way has led to many people misunderstanding how sunscreen really works to protect the skin.

An abundance of information on the nature and damaging effects of ultra violet (UV) radiation from different sources has resulted in myths about suncare that are often passed off as facts. So through a series of articles, we’ll debunk five common misconceptions around sunscreen.

A growth in sedentary lifestyles and high-fat diets has seen incidences of cardiovascular disease (CVD) increase. As a result, on average, someone now dies every 12 minutes in Australia from CVD. Taking a proactive stance against this and choosing food products fortified with plant sterols can significantly reduce the threat of heart disease, particularly for those most at risk.

BASF is proud to support the 50th year of the scholarship that offers Australian students the chance to travel to Germany for 10 weeks.

The Wasp Wipeout community led conservation program, supported by BASF, achieved significant results in reducing the invasive wasp populations in the Nelson Bay, New Zealand, region.

In line with our ongoing support of STEM and in addition to our commitment to diversity and inclusion at BASF ANZ, we proudly supported the Royal Australian Chemical Institute's Women in Chemistry inaugural SPRINT program.

Sharpen^®, the most powerful and fast-acting Group G herbicide, has recieved registration for reduction of wild radish seed set and viability of weed seeds in wheat, barley and triticale from the early milky dough crop stage.

Getting out of the classroom and into the field can be an invaluable experience for agriculture students, which is exactly what BASF provided recently when hosting a class of students from the University of New England at its research farm in Tamworth.

What better way to celebrate World Environment Day than to have some of our team out in the fresh air together to plant trees!

As a benefit to our staff and through our commitment to our community BASF Australia and New Zealand offers one corporate volunteering day each year, per person to use on a volunteering initiative of their choice.

With rodent populations in rural areas booming, animal producers are taking to herbicide action plans alongside traditional baiting in a strategic bid to prevent the risk of feed contamination and spread of disease while securing electrical assets and water systems.

Rural areas are the target of hordes of mice again this year with farmers being warned to plan preventative pest control to secure their yields and protect property.

Martogg Group of Companies is Australia’s largest privately owned polymer distribution, resin compounding and plastics recycling company. Martogg worked with BASF to develop a plastic compound for a customer, Sureguard Safety Australia, seeking to produce a translucent safety helmet.  

This year, Kids’ Lab events were held across Australia and New Zealand in partnership with Monash University in Melbourne, Curtin University in Perth, University of New South Wales in Sydney and University of Auckland in New Zealand.

There’s no question about it: returning to work after having a baby poses one of life’s biggest juggling acts for women. 

The iridescent salt lakes at BASF’s Hutt Lagoon facility were a natural choice for Myer’s Spring 2016 advertising campaign shoot.

It’s been one year since we opened the gates at our research farm in Tamworth, New South Wales. And what a cropping success it has been!

News emerging yesterday that a deadly ‘bee-killing parasite’, Varroa mite, has been found in a nest of Asian honey bees in far north Queensland, sparked concern among agriculture experts.

Back in April, we announced the appointment of David Hawkins as the new Chairman and Managing Director for BASF Australia and New Zealand. And today, 1 July 2016, marks David’s first official day in the new role.

Every year the pharmaceutical industry produces more than 1.3 trillion tablets globally but there’s more to a tablet than just the active ingredients.

This International Women’s Day, we sat down with female entrepreneur and winner of our Creator Space™ event, Sheree Rubinstein. Watch the interview to find out how she felt about winning the event, her advice to young entrepreneurs and what’s next for One Roof.  

The tennis season is officially upon us. But as thousands of fans flock to see their favourites battle it out for the top spot in Australian Open, it got us thinking about the chemistry that goes on behind the scenes to make the game possible.

Halloween pumpkin sales are on the way up in Australia but before you bin that perfectly good pumpkin, consider these scary facts about food wastage.