At just 30 years of age, Megan Landry found herself managing people old enough to be her parents. It was a difficult transition, as she went from being a co-worker to their boss virtually overnight. Landry admits that at the time, “people skills” weren’t her strong suit. She found it easier to manage a budget or engineer a solution to a problem than to manage people.
Fortunately, her manager offered some valuable advice that still guides her today. “He told me, ‘Not everyone is you,’ meaning you can’t communicate with everyone in the same way,” Landry says. “The way we communicate with one individual might be completely different from the way we approach someone else, even when the message is the same. In other words, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing people.”
With a career spanning some 10 years, Landry has become a driving force in the chemicals industry, demonstrating a passion for enhancing processes that marry efficiency, compliance and sustainability. Beginning her journey as a process design engineer for capital projects, Landry quickly distinguished herself with a keen ability for technical design and problem-solving.
Over the following five years, she became a technical support engineer, where her responsibilities expanded to include day-to-day operations, project development and the successful commissioning and startup of three new chemical assets – all part of a large-scale expansion project at the Sasol Lake Charles Chemicals Complex. “Commissioning those units was one of the high points of my career so far,” Landry says. “In those three years, I think I got six years’ worth of experience. The skills and the growth during that period … you can’t put a price on it.”
Landry – who holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and master’s degree in business administration – currently oversees a spectrum of critical aspects, including personnel management, fixed and variable cost control, budgeting, forecasting and the overall production of assets. She feels that integrity and resilience are critical in her role as a leader. “I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty and go and work alongside someone when it’s necessary,” Landry says. “I feel it’s important to lead by example and will get out there.”
Beyond the confines of her professional duties, she is a member of the Leadership Southwest Louisiana Class of 2024 and contributes to company initiatives such as Junior Achievement, Chem Expo and Lake Area Industry Alliance Paint Recycling Day. She is also deeply committed to nurturing the next generation’s interest in the STEM fields.
Read more about the next generation driving Louisiana’s industrial future.
