Innovations
Published: October 21, 2019
Innovations
Published: October 21, 2019

The Perfect Balance Between Science and Motherhood

Meet Marta Gordel-Wojcik, technologist specialist, wood scientist and technologist at PPG Deco, Poland. Marta joined us three and a half years ago, bringing to the company the valuable insights and scientific knowhow she gained from completing two PhDs. 

I have an interdisciplinary background: a Master’s in biotechnology and physics, a PhD in chemistry and new materials for photonics, and a PhD in Biology from the Laboratory of Biology and Pharmacology Application. I did my studies in Poland, France, the USA and Holland. I came to PPG just after my PhD.
Marta is in charge of project planning, and enjoys the constant search for the nuggets of innovation that make all the difference to the projects she works on.

A Scientific Mind in Practice

At each part of the project, we science people can modify and improve, at a significant level, the final version of the product. I enjoy spending my time on reading about innovation and getting to know news from scientific development.
Marta takes the approach of looking at projects in stages to see how, as a scientist, she can modify and improve the process. In this way, she can draw satisfaction from the final version of the product. For Marta, success is very much about the people she works with. Their engagement and focus on achieving the goal together help create an innovation-and-determination-driven atmosphere.

At the Heart of Sustainability

At our recent PPG Innovation Summit, Marta was introducing a new all-weather wood stain that she, along with her team in Wroclaw, had developed. PPG Quick Rain Resistant Technology allows painters to apply paint to exterior surfaces at short notice when it is raining. Its unique properties mean it is rain resistant just 30 minutes after application and boasts incredible durability. It is one of our revolutionary products that combine both sustainability and innovation while preserving the environment.

If you asked Marta about sustainability in the coatings industry, she would definitely highlight PPG Phylopure, bio-based paint.

It is a 97% bio-based resin from plant material and industrial by-products. It has a complete range of undercoat, mat and velvet finishes – offering the same performance as classical paint while preserving the environment.

Taking the Chance to Learn and Grow

Her work at PPG is very fast-paced, which means there is always the chance to learn very quickly. Last year, despite her busy schedule, Marta found time to complete her PPG-funded Project Management studies at Wroclaw University of Economics. And not being the kind of person who rests on her laurels, this year she is undertaking Sigma Logic Accelerator training.

In my job, it is most important to learn new stuff very quickly, and to be interested in innovation and willing to implement this into the products. At PPG, there are changes all the time, I think this is what I like the most.

Sharing Knowledge with Emerging Talents

Marta is a member of PPG’s Women’s Leadership Council, a leader in the branding section and a keen supporter of sharing knowledge externally. She organizes internships, training and tours with PPG for students of the Wroclaw University of Technology.

Outside the valuable work she does for PPG, Marta is the mother to a young daughter. At the PPG Innovation Summit, she brought her little girl and husband along to share the experience too – and also so her husband could look after their daughter when necessary. This is a beautiful and inspiring way in which career and family can come together and, at the same time, still maintain a healthy life/work balance.

Marta also likes to indulge her 20-year-long passion for horse-riding. And it probably comes as no surprise that weekends are strictly reserved for spending time with family and friends and traveling together.

I am strongly involved during working hours, but when I finish, I try not to think about it. Then I have time for those I love. I almost always leave my laptop in the office. I have a one-year-old daughter, and she makes me forget my troubles and struggles quickly.

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