Karine Guichet: Director Coatings, Inks & Construction France

Director – Coatings, Inks & Construction

Karine Guichet joined Safic-Alcan more than 25 years ago, shortly after graduating as a Formulation Chemistry Engineer specialised in Paints & Inks from ITECH Lyon. Although initially oriented toward a laboratory career in the coatings industry, she chose to join the commercial side of specialty chemicals distribution—bringing technical expertise closer to customers and markets.

Her decision to join Safic-Alcan marked the beginning of a long-standing career built on technical credibility, customer proximity and team spirit within the Coatings, Inks & Construction activities.

A culture of trust and teamwork

After more than two decades within the Group, Karine describes Safic-Alcan as an environment where collaboration, mutual trust and long-term relationships are central. This team spirit extends beyond internal teams to partners and customers, creating a shared dynamic focused on collective success.

“When you feel almost like part of a family at work, time doesn’t feel long at all.”

Sustainability in coatings and construction

Karine closely follows the evolution of sustainability within the coatings industry. While the sector may have moved later than others, it is now fully engaged in reducing its environmental footprint. Raw material selection, formulation choices and innovation play a key role in this transformation.

Customers increasingly seek sustainable, recycled and high-performance solutions, particularly in the context of evolving regulations and supply constraints. Local sourcing and alternative supplier strategies are also becoming central discussion topics within the market.

“The choice of raw materials is essential to reducing the environmental impact of our industry.”

Supporting customers in a changing market

At industry events such as Eurocoat, Karine and her teams support customers navigating multiple challenges: sustainability requirements, performance expectations and ongoing raw material shortages. Their role is to provide reliable expertise, alternative solutions and long-term partnership in an increasingly complex environment.