ILMA Compoundings - May 2021 - 20

Lizbeth Cisneros, manager of base oils technology for
Motiva, received pushback when she tried to use her
chemical engineering major and business administration
minor in Mexico. " When looking for jobs in Mexico, I got
the response, 'You are very qualified, but we believe women
belong in families.' The level of responsibilities were capped
in Mexico, " she said.
The involvement of women in the industry varies from
country to country, Serra-Holm said. " In Sweden, the
majority would be women. There are a lot of women in
technical roles in Spain and Italy. In other European countries, you would see fewer women, " she said.

" I believe if you show
up, make a positive
difference, recognize
that you are a part
of a bigger team and
endeavor to support those around
you, opportunities will present
themselves, and your career will
most certainly benefit. "
Gina Harm, president, Afton Chemical

MAY 2021

| COMPOUNDINGS | ILMA.ORG

Cisneros decided to pursue a Ph.D. in the U.S., and she
received a Fulbright scholarship for her Ph.D. in chemical
engineering at Texas A&M University. " At that point, the
whole world opened for me. I had many job offers, and none
of them said they couldn't hire me because I am a woman, "
she said, adding that she joined Shell after graduation.
Throughout her career, Cisneros has conducted research,
served as a laboratory manager and was involved in various
process development teams. " I got to see different types of
projects - bio projects, life-cycle analysis, chemical projects
and refinery projects. After that, I took an assignment on the
refinery, " she said, adding that when her current position came
up, she was well suited for it based on her previous experience.
Colleen Murphy-Smith, base oils director for Motiva,
started with Shell out of college and has always worked in
the fuels business. " When the joint venture between Shell
and Saudi Aramco separation occurred in early 2017, one
of the critical questions from the employees were centered
around career development in a now much smaller company
versus our connections to Shell Oil, " she said, adding that
she looked into what Motiva had to offer. " My boss at the
time made me aware of an opportunity leading Motiva's
base oils group. "
The new position came with a learning curve, MurphySmith said. " I had to come in and be a sponge with an open
mind, " she said. " The commercial aspect of the lubricant
industry has similarities to the fuels business, so a lot of my
time initially was spent partnering with our refinery and the
teams involved in production and logistics of our base oils. "
Over her 29-year career, Murphy-Smith has held several
roles, including in sales and in Motiva's joint venture group
at a time when all major brands were selling their direct fuel
stations and securing long-term supply contracts. In 2016,
she was the first general manager of marketing in Motiva's
fuels sales and marketing division, leading the marketing
and operations for Motiva's Shell stations and developing
the marketing strategy for the launch of the 76 brand.
Some of the industry's female leaders were exposed
to lubricants early. Beth Ann Jones grew up in it. Her
grandfather, William Hangsterfer, founded Hangsterfer's
Laboratories in 1937, which is the same year her mother,
Ann Jones, was born. " He started making wax sticks, and
my mom remembers stirring the wax sticks on the stove, "
Beth Ann Jones said.
Ann Jones graduated high school in 1956. While most
women went to work and then on to get married, Ann
Jones came into the family business, which she had started
working at when she was 15. After graduating, she took on
roles in all different areas of the company, from testing the
oil and purchasing the raw materials to paying the bills. She
also traveled the world for the company. She was the only

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ILMA Compoundings - May 2021

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