Newell Brands engineers play a critical role in enabling us to innovate and create products that delight our consumers and light up everyday moments. To celebrate Engineers Week, we spoke to members of our Research & Development (R&D) teams around the world about working at Newell and having the opportunity to affect our consumers’ lives positively.

Janie Salmon, Product Engineer for our Home & Commercial Segment based out of Huntersville, NC, USA, shared that she was drawn to her career path after taking a college course on product engineering. “I think it is fascinating to take people's wants and needs and translate them into a product,” she said. “I enjoy how product engineering is very consumer-focused, collaborative, creative and challenging.” Janie’s team engages in a quarterly “idea lab,” where cross-functional teams brainstorm new products and improvements for the Rubbermaid Commercial Products® brand. She loves the sense of teamwork fostered in these sessions and always leaves them feeling energized and inspired.

Pierre-Thomas Courteille, MAPA Spontex Project Design Leader who works in Colombes and Beauvais, France, sees products develop from their initial concept stages all the way through validating production samples. He emphasized the importance of creativity as a critical skill for all engineers. “Innovations are a must in our business,” he shared, adding that active curiosity about how things work can lead to more creative ideas. “We must be very creative and curious about how products work and are made.” 

Atlanta, GA-based Kyle Cauwels is a Senior Product Engineer for our Writing R&D team. His favorite project so far has been the recently launched Sharpie® Creative Markers, describing the process as “fun and challenging.” Kyle shared that he believes the keys to success in his field are an openness to new ideas and skills and leveraging evolving trends and technology, as they allow engineers to innovate and deliver solutions with speed and agility. Kyle said, “Newell’s research and purchase of the latest 3D printing technologies has sped up our design process by giving us the ability to iterate different design options rapidly.”   

Louise Bodelle, MAPA Spontex R&D Packaging Engineer from Beauvais, France, embraces sustainability every step of the way, and part of her role includes seeking more sustainable packaging options for our products. “Newell encourages and supports experimentation and the generation of new ideas,” Louise shared. “We are ready to adapt to changing customer preferences by staying open to emerging technologies and materials. We also strive for continuous improvement so we can quickly respond to new challenges and opportunities.”

We’re proud that passionate engineers like Janie, Pierre-Thomas, Louise and Kyle have chosen to share their talent at Newell Brands.