UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mark Rayfield, CEO of manufacturing company Saint-Gobain North America, recently spoke to Penn State engineering students about leadership and opportunities in the manufacturing industry as part of the College of Engineering’s ExecutiveXcellence speaker series. Launched in 2017, the series offers students and faculty the unique opportunity to engage directly with accomplished C-Suite executives and gain firsthand inspiration from their professional journeys.
As part of his Oct. 23 visit, Rayfield toured labs and facilities around campus before his hour-long workshop and Q&A session.
Priya Baboo, senior director of corporate and industry engagement, said the event was an incredible opportunity to connect students and faculty directly with a long-standing industry partner of Penn State.
“We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to host Mark, alongside the rest of the Saint-Gobain team, and show them the facilities and resources we have available in Happy Valley,” Baboo said. “Collaborative relationships such as this one are critical to innovation and education, and we deeply appreciate the opportunity to introduce the Saint-Gobain team to our faculty, staff and students.”
Saint-Gobain is a leading manufacturer of building materials and high-performance solutions used in many industries including construction, life sciences and ceramics — employing over 22,000 employees across their North American region. CertainTeed, the building materials subsidiary of Saint-Gobain in North America, manufactures light and sustainable construction materials like drywall, siding and insulation at over 140 plants in the United States and Canada. Rayfield, who has been overseeing all North American operations for almost seven years, shared insight on his journey and what a career at Saint-Gobain can offer young engineers.
According to him, risk has played a major role in the success he’s found over the course of his career.
“You will realize that your career path is very winding and will take you to places you could’ve never imagined,” Rayfield said. “Regardless of where you start, you are in control of your own destiny, and you can reach your goals if you take risks. You cannot grow without being afraid.”
Rayfield explained how he started his career at a manufacturing startup, growing the company significantly over the 13 years he spent there. Over time, he was able to work his way up the company and oversee most of the sales. He was then approached with a job offer at Saint-Gobain and had to make the first of many difficult decisions he would make over the course of his career.
“I decided to leave a job that I was super comfortable in to pursue a future with Saint-Gobain,” Rayfield reflected. “This was a major step in my career, and a step that was terrifying. Without taking that step into the unknown, though, I would have never grown my skillset and, in turn, my career.”
Saint-Gobain has taken Rayfield around the country and even to other continents, as he spent four years overseeing the companies’ UK and Ireland distribution branches, before returning to lead the company’s North American operations. Throughout these experiences, Rayfield has instilled a supportive, growth-oriented culture at the company, while effectively guiding the company’s strategic decisions with the goal of improving sustainability in manufacturing and construction processes across the country. The company aims to be entirely carbon neutral by 2050, Rayfield said.
“Forty percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from the building materials used in the construction industry,” Rayfield said. “If you can keep these materials sustainable, you can eliminate a substantial part of this problem and help make our world a better home for us all.”
Rayfield ended his discussion by answering questions from the audience and highlighting the various internship and career development opportunities available at Saint-Gobain. “Essentials of Manufacturing” is the company’s 18-month, engineering-focused internship program where about 50 students are placed in Saint-Gobain plants around the U.S. and Canada. They work on different projects that involve eliminating waste, increasing sustainability in plants and more, presenting their projects to senior leadership at an end-of-program board presentation. Additionally, Saint-Gobain offers a similar program for students studying finance or sales.
“I’ve seen some incredible innovations at some of these board presentations,” Rayfield said. “We know everyone coming from Penn State is going to have the technical foundation to excel in our program, so I really encourage students interested in entering the manufacturing field to consider a future at Saint-Gobain.”
Students interested in more information and opportunities at Saint-Gobain can contact Samantha Todd and visit the website.