Exceptional Service Award 2025: Canada International Group

Launched in 2025, the Exceptional Service Award recognises those members who have worked together as a team to deliver a key project for SCI. This year's winner was the Canada International Group and we would like to thank Ravi Ramachandran, Bradley Haltli, Deborah Nicoll-Griffith and Fiona Hess for their service and commitment to expanding the SCI network in Canada.

When and why did you become a member of SCI?

Ravi: I joined the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) in 2022 after being introduced by a UK colleague at Syngenta, where over 100 colleagues in our corporate R&D team at our Jealott’s Hill site are active SCI members. Following this introduction, Sharon Todd, CEO of SCI, invited me to become a member and serve as Chair of the SCI Canada Awards Nomination Committee. I was honoured to take on the role, as SCI’s mission — advancing science in service of society, recognising excellence in innovation and industry leadership, and advocating for science — strongly aligns with my passion. I’ve long been committed to supporting young professionals, promoting science literacy, and fostering academia-industry partnerships. SCI offers a unique multidisciplinary forum that brings together diverse stakeholders to collaborate and apply chemistry as an enabling science to solve multitude of global challenges.

Brad: I joined SCI in 2023 as a member of the SCI Canada awards committee. I became aware of SCI Canada through my Croda colleagues in the UK who made me aware of the resources offered by SCI and connected me to the SCI Canada group. After learning about SCI Canada’s mission to recognise the best and brightest in the Canadian chemical industry, I knew that I wanted to be a part of that mission.

Deborah: I won the SCI Student Merit Award when I graduated from university in 1981. Coming full circle, in 2021 when serving as Vice Chair of the Chemical Institute of Canada exactly 40 (!) years later, I was invited to join the SCI Canada awards committee as the CIC representative. The SCI and the CIC have a long history in Canada, dating back to the early 1900’s when the very first Local Sections, that now are part of the CIC, were founded by the SCI. The SCI Canada programme beautifully complements the CIC efforts by recognising our amazing Canadian chemical sciences industry leaders and students with a unique set of awards and programming. Through SCI Canada, our efforts can help support and develop our Canadian brain trust and encourage our national chemical industries.

Fiona: My first interaction with SCI was when assisting in my then capacity as CIC Edmonton Local Section Chair with marketing the joint CIC/SCI Canada Business Innovation Seminar at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Calgary 2015, specifically for the CIC student members. I was impressed by the showcasing of excellence in Canadian chemical industries and engagement with students, especially the younger undergraduate population, who are the leaders of tomorrow. I barely skipped a beat accepting an invitation onto the awards committee, on which I have served since 2016. It is a testament to the tenacity and resourcefulness of this unique motivated committee to pivot out of the CIC umbrella and covid restrictions in 2018/2019 to host a successful online conference in 2020. I remain motivated as the SCI Canada Group grows from strength to strength each year, with a broad Canada-wide committee of 28 members from 6 provinces and 24 organisations, covering industry, academic, government and start-up sectors.

Why did you decide to get involved in committee work?

The SCI Canada group’s awards committee is dedicated to recognising excellence within the chemical industry in Canada. The principal members of the award committee have been involved in the chemical industry in Canada from 15 to more than 30 years and each of us believe strongly in the need to recognise business and technical leaders and innovators in the Canadian chemical industry, and to celebrate their achievements in order to engage and inspire the next generation of industrial chemists. Involvement in the awards committee allows us to be at the heart of these initiatives!

What has driven your continued involvement with SCI?

Our continued involvement with SCI is driven by several factors, but most importantly it is the professional networking opportunities gained through involvement with the committee and the awards dinner. Not only is the outcome of the awards dinner very rewarding to all of us that contribute to the event, but involvement in these initiatives is a great avenue to foster the development of relationships with colleagues in diverse sectors of the chemical industry across Canada. The strong support by the SCI staff in UK, in the particular Sharon Todd, Zoe Hamson and Mary Mehari also helps foster continued involvement with SCI as their passion and dedication for SCI and its mission is inspiring!

How has being involved in SCI activities had an impact on your professional career?

Involvement in the SCI Canada Awards committee has had an enormous impact in expanding our professional networks across academia and chemical industries across Canada. So often in science-driven industries one becomes siloed in their specific sector and geographic location. Involvement in SCI activities has provided the opportunity to broaden our networks beyond our sector to include a diverse range of industry and academic leaders that we would not otherwise have the opportunity to meet. This is highly enriching and brings with it new perspectives and inspiration that provides significant personal and professional growth. Involvement in SCI activities has also provided access to many professional development opportunities through participation in SCI events in the UK. Several of these events are live streamed and accessible to Canadians, although some morning events in the UK require an early start if you are in Canada!

How do your SCI activities reflect your personal/professional interests?

We are passionate about growing the chemical industry in Canada in a sustainable way to make a positive impact on society and the Canadian economy and provide high quality career opportunities for Canadians. Our activities with the SCI Canada group allow us to follow those passions by recognising those that make outstanding contributions to the Canadian chemical industry and inspiring early career scientists to consider careers in the chemical industry where they can translate academic knowledge to real world solutions. The sustainable innovation and industry panel held at the 2025 SCI Canada Awards event in Toronto helped bring industry and academic leaders together and share their perspectives on multi sectoral approach to sustainable development.

How do you think your contribution as a group has helped shape SCI.

The SCI Canada Group represents the interests of the chemical industry across the vast land that is Canada, with the goal of being a positive force within the Canadian chemical industry. One focus area of the committee has been to grow our membership to represent industries from every province and territory. We have made significant progress in this regard and through these efforts are helping to spread SCI’s mission across Canada.

What are your thoughts about receiving an Exceptional Service Award?

We are honoured to receive an Exceptional Service Award. It is wonderful to be recognised by SCI for our efforts to expand the reach and scope of the SCI Canada Awards committee to include not only an amazing annual awards event, but also valuable programming such as our early career networking events and the upcoming sustainable innovation challenge. We know there are many amazing SCI members and groups across the globe doing exceptional work on behalf of SCI, and we are truly humbled to be selected from among our peers for this recognition.