TLT: How long have you worked in a lubrication-related field, and how did you decide to pursue a career in the lubricants industry?
Faizi: I think many would agree—I fell into the lubricants industry! I graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry, and my wife and I moved to her hometown of Redmond, Wash. I pursued some semi-pro football up in the area while she and I tried to figure out where we could work. My wife drove daily by this sign in Bellevue that stated “ChemPoint,” and at first I just dismissed it as a lab or something of that sort. But then I ended up working there for four years. In all, I have been in the lubrication industry for 10 years.

TLT: What has been your most rewarding accomplishment throughout your career in the lubricants industry?
Faizi: Scaling up the supply chain has been the most rewarding accomplishment by far. We have moved from small less than truckload (LTL) shipments 15 years ago to railcar orders of key raw materials. This has been extremely educational—working with railcars, and the rail is significantly different than anything I had managed before. It also has been great to make new connections with transloaders and freight companies that will be mutually beneficial for years to come.


Darius Faizi posing in front of a railcar.

TLT: What is the No. 1 piece of advice you would give to a person who might be interested in starting a career in the lubricants industry?
Faizi: I would argue this piece of advice spans one’s entire career and not even just the lubricants industry: don’t be afraid to ask the “dumb” question, and don’t be afraid to say you do not know something. With the invention of social media, we are moving toward a culture of “imperfect perfection”—sure the video or the content looks perfect, but we are not aware of how many attempts it took or the failures that preceded the content. Professional growth is the same way—there will be situations in which you will not know the answer, or you may have some doubts. Express those doubts. Be vocal about your lack of knowledge. That is the only way to gain understanding and to be successful.

TLT: Throughout the different segments within your career, which one has been the most interesting, challenging and/or rewarding?
Faizi: Being a salesman in the lubricant space for both ChemPoint and Univar Solutions was the most interesting and challenging! It definitely helped that I had a technical degree, but phone sales in the lubricant space was extremely difficult; let’s just say, I got used to people hanging up on me! The challenge in the lubricant space was converting customers to new chemistries and blends; change is difficult. Based on my time at ChemPoint and Univar Solutions, I now try to apply those open-minded concepts when sales representatives pitch new technologies and new ideas.

TLT: What are some of the most technical lubrication-based concepts or topics that you have encountered throughout your career?
Faizi: As an oil and grease formulator, additive stability in blends was a major challenge. We never really know what conditions our customers subject these lubricants to out in the field, so ensuring that the products remain visually robust was key. On the grease side of the business, extreme pressure properties were paramount.

TLT: How did your time in the general chemical manufacturing space compare to your time in the lubricant manufacturing space?
Faizi: Working for Univar Solutions exposed me to a variety of chemical industries. I think one fascinating difference is the challenges of simply converting to oil-based chemistry versus aqueous/water-based chemistry. Cleanup and propagation of “mess” becomes significantly more important in the oil sector. Moreover, grease manufacturing is definitely as much of an art as a science—in the general chemical manufacturing sector I was a part of (think household, industrial and institutional [HI&I]; metal processing, etc.), it felt like a much more repeatable process. So flexibility in our lubrication space is key!

TLT: What is the one thing you wish you would have learned earlier in your career?
Faizi: Be vocal about your goals and desires in your workplace. Promotions and organizational restructurings happen much earlier than you think; pieces to the puzzle are always moving. You have to put your desires and goals into the universe and let them circulate. Your boss cannot help you achieve those goals until you do so. And it also will enlighten you if your boss does not help you—then it’s time to find a new place to work.

You can reach Darius Faizi at dariusf@tomlinscientific.com.