ILMA Compoundings - May 2021 - 40

PORTRAIT
Chris Marquette
Senior Vice President Global Sales,
Ergon Inc.
" You can't always control
the situation, but you can
always control how you
react. Relax. Have fun. "
enjoy the travel portion of my job. Constant change in my
environment through my childhood - having to adapt to new
areas and situations - has allowed me to feel comfortable in a
business world that is changing much more rapidly than it did
in the past. "

FINDING A HOME
" I wandered through my 20s and early 30s, gaining experiences in other industries. I lived in Jackson, Mississippi, where Ergon is headquartered, and when I heard about a job opening,
I was really excited about an opportunity to work for this company that had such a good reputation. I was lucky enough
to join Ergon in a role that offered me access to some of the
people that were instrumental in leading Ergon into the base
oil business. In addition, I had great access to the workings
and decision-making processes of the business. I think my first
trip to ILMA, which came during my second year with Ergon,
was probably when I really started to understand the value of
relationships in this industry. "

GREAT PRIVILEGE
" We were discussing our favorite travel experiences on a
recent trip, and four or five from the past 10 years immediately
came to mind. As we discussed them, I noticed a theme developing among the stories. It seems that most of my memorable
experiences while traveling for work tie back to sharing great
stories and incredible food and wine with the people I have the
privilege of working with in this industry. "

GREAT GUIDANCE
" When I joined Ergon, I was fortunate to work with a lot of
longtime industry veterans who really took the time to teach
me this industry. If I had to narrow the list down to a few
names, I would pick Ed Hudgins, who led our sales, and Per
Klintstam, who led our international group. Their guidance
really helped me understand what it means to be a part of the
Ergon family and how we are able be valuable partners to the
business we are privileged to serve. "

ALL ABOUT ADAPTABILITY
" My family moved constantly as I was growing up, which
created a sense of adventure that still makes me want to
constantly see and experience new things. It's the reason I

MAY 2021

| COMPOUNDINGS | ILMA.ORG

A FAMILY AFFAIR
" People would probably be most surprised by the fact that I
like to cook. Growing up, meals were always some of the most
enjoyable times with my family. They tended to be long, meandering events that involved great conversation. My parents
had no interest in cooking, so we typically ate most of our
meals at restaurants. When I first started out working, I began
to cook to save money. After some time, I found that enjoyable meals could be extended by involving the whole family in
the process of cooking. This has grown to be one of the main
sources of our family time and allows us to spend more time
together, learning how to prepare food instead of rushing
through our meals. "

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ILMA Compoundings - May 2021

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