CORINA SANDU, PHD
Houston, TX
www.linkedin.com/in/corinasanduro
***********@****.*** 832-***-****
INNOVATIVE TECHNICAL ANALYST LEADER
BUSINESS STRATEGY WITH MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE
Expert at evaluating, validating, and developing emerging technologies to fit specific applications needs. Innovative and intellectual property evaluator. Experienced in writing patent applications and support the entire filling process. Broad-based R&D experience with product development in downstream and midstream areas, and personal care products. Highly-adaptable professional with deep understanding of chemical technology and commercial processes. Expertise includes:
Business Development Materials Chemistry
Market & Technologies Analyst Nanotechnology
Intellectual Property Evaluator Analytical Characterization
Portfolio Management Surface Chemistry
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
BAKER HUGHES, Houston, TX 2006 to 2016
Subject Matter Expert, Special R&D Projects 2015 to 2016 Provided technical guidance on downstream R&D projects, expanded knowledge on upstream product line, and mentored scientists on project planning and strategy.
Designed and led Technical Scientific External Consortia and SharePoint site, improving collaboration and knowledge transfer on product development across company.
Provided weekly updates on innovation patents and scientific outcomes to key R&D stakeholders, providing essential information to guide decision makers.
Analyzed, selected, and prioritized fundamental research projects for R&D Group, advising on technical and commercial impact for key decision makers.
Performed extensive surface studies on mechanistic understanding of corrosion inhibitors, supporting commercial growth of newly developed products.
Interfaced with vendors and 3rd party collaborators, enhancing chemical products and monitoring tools portfolio.
Director R&D Downstream Chemicals 2011 to 2015
Developed and led highly-skilled team of scientists to design, produce and commercialize on-time and on-budget high-impact technology platforms in fouling, corrosion, H2S treatment, and product performance monitoring applications. Commercialized 4 step-change technologies for downstream applications in less than 4 years. Demonstrated skills as highly innovative scientist with patents (12), publications (22), and technical presentations (13).
Generated $4-6MM in revenue by developing field-portable analytical instrument for on-site determination of the onset of asphaltene flocculation in any feedstock, and evaluation of additive performance on improving feedstock stability, deploying 30 units in field.
Generated 7MM in revenue by developing, manufacturing, and commercializing new hydrogen sulfide scavengers for crude and asphalt applications within 5 months. CORINA SANDU ***********@****.*** PAGE TWO
BAKER HUGHES (Continued)
Increased revenue $500K by deploying first field methodology for fast, sensitive (down to 1 ppm), and accurate quantification of monoethanolamine from crude oil, supporting corrosion prevention programs for refinery applications.
Created novel green corrosion inhibitor to prevent corrosion with no environmental impact downstream for cooling tower applications, overseeing successful field trial and launching product in March 2016.
Improved design of stage-gate process, achieving on time / budget product delivery by developing procedures to enhance process, cross-functional communication, and increase efficiency.
Collaborated with cross-functional teams and executives, operational and marketing leaders, supporting and launching novel technologies.
Participated as Subject Matter Expert and invited speaker in Nanotechnology Cell for Baker Hughes and led Sensor community of practice.
Engaged in and led safety reviews and developed standard operating procedures (SOP), supporting safe and productive operations.
Secretary, Crude Oil Quality Association (COQA) for North America 2011 to 2016 Represented Baker Hughes on Board of Directors, provided technical guidance, and facilitated business opportunities.
Lead Project Manager 2006 to 2011
Technically led and managed complex R&D projects, supervised and trained team members, led meetings as safety coordinator, and implemented SOP improvements within product line.
Delivered $11.8MM in sales by designing improved vanadium corrosion inhibitors based on nano MgO colloidal dispersions with improved hydrolitic stability to address severe deposits and corrosion of gas turbine blades while burning heavy fuel.
Designed and built portable field analyzer that provides fast measurement of onset flocculation of asphaltenes in any hydrocarbon based feedstock, and provided monitoring capability to antifoulants selection and performance.
Received Baker Hughes Technology Excellence Award in 2012 for developing best commercial project.
Identified chemical mechanism of corrosion inhibitors, mitigating high-temperature naphthenic acid corrosion.
ADDITIONAL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
RICE UNIVERSITY, Houston, TX
Post-doctoral Research Associate
Designed chemical methods to control / modify cement hydration and fly ash behavior. Shaped new approach to probe activity of retarders on cement hydration inhibition. Designed novel pathways to control, tune, and predict fly ash behavior on cement slurry. Discovered and identified surface protection mechanisms of organic inhibitors on metal corroded surfaces. BIOTEHNOS S.A., Bucharest, Romania
Principal Chemist
Developed fluorescent methodology to quantify vitamin E in personal care products. EDUCATION
Post-doctoral Researcher, Rice University, Houston, TX Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Inorganic Materials and Surface Chemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX
Bachelor of Science (BSc), Chemistry & Physics, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania CORINA SANDU ***********@****.*** PAGE THREE
TECHNICAL SKILLS
6600 Phi SIMS Instrument (SIMS) 5750 Phi XPS instrument (XPS)
PHI Quantera SXM Scanning X-ray
Microscope
Vertical Scanning Interferometry (VSI)
Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
Optical Microscopy Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS)
Particle Size Analyzer (PSA) Thermogravimetric Analysis
Perkin-Elmer Fluorimeter UV-VIS, IR, MS
Expertise in handling air sensitive inorganic
compounds
JEOL JSM 6400 Scanning Electron
Microscope (SEM)
Scintag XDS 2000 X-Ray Powder
Diffractometer (XRD)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Management, Communication and
Negotiation Skills
Leading Employees with Situational
Leadership
Consultative Selling Skills Kepner Tregoe Project Management
Quality Awareness; Design of Experiments Leadership Skills for Supervisors
Crude Unit Technology Basic Refinery Processes
Paraffin and Asphaltenes Advanced Desalter - Downstream
H2S certification and export control Creative Problem Solving
Front Line Manager, Managing Business,
Communicate and Negotiate Value
Best Speaker and Best Evaluator Award
(Toastmaster, 2015)
PATENTS
Asphaltene Stabilization in Petroleum Feedstocks by Blending with Biological Source Oil and / or Chemical Additive, US20150052802A1
Methods of Determining Crude Oil Stability, US20150219614A1
Low viscosity metal-based hydrogen sulfide scavengers, US20140231311A1
Process for Predicting the Stability of Crude Oil and Employing Same in Transporting and / or Refining the crude oil, US20130341241A1
Methods for reducing acids in crude oil, US8425765B2
Method for Evaluating Additives Useful for Improving the Efficiency of Heat Transfer in a Furnace and Systems for Performing the Same, US20130315277A1
Nano-carbon antifoulants materials, US20130296618A1
Process for Monitoring Industrial Fluids and Treatment of Same, US20130284913A1
Optical method for determining fouling of crude and heavy fuels, US9038451B2
Method for solidifying hydrocarbon liquids, US8425765B2
Increasing hydrolytic stability of magnesium over-based products, US7951758B2
Compositions and methods for controlling the setting behavior of cement slurries using carbonated fly ash US7736430B2
AFFILIATIONS
Member, American Chemical Society (ACS)
Member, Crude Oil Quality Association (COQA) for North America Member, Women’s Energy Network (WEN)