Van Linh Dang: Business Director – Performance Products

Business Director – Performance Products, Safic-Alcan France

Van Linh Dang joined Safic-Alcan France 18 years ago, beginning her career as an Account Manager in the Rubber Department. With a background deeply connected to the rubber industry — both personally and professionally — her journey reflects a long-standing and natural alignment with the sector.

Born in Vietnam near rubber plantations, and raised in a family where rubber was already part of daily life, Van Linh later became a chemical engineer, completing her final year at IFOCA (now Elanova Education), the French Rubber Institute. Before joining Safic-Alcan, she worked as an R&D Elastomer Laboratory Manager, where she first encountered Safic-Alcan through its technical sales teams.

What stood out to her at the time was the technical rigor, service mindset and proximity to customers — qualities that led her to join the Group without hesitation when the opportunity arose.

From durable links to leadership

For Van Linh, the Safic-Alcan value that resonates most strongly is the concept of the “durable link” — not only with partners and customers, but also internally with employees.

She highlights internal mobility as a concrete reality within the Group. Her own career reflects this philosophy: starting in rubber, she now leads the Performance Products division in France, covering a broad range of markets including rubber, coatings, adhesives, plastics, detergency, lubricants and animal feed.

Today, she oversees a team of nearly 20 account managers, supporting Safic-Alcan’s business development strategy across multiple industries.

“Internal evolution is not a promise — it’s a reality at Safic-Alcan.”

Bridging industry and education

Alongside her corporate role, Van Linh is also a lecturer at Elanova Education, where she teaches elastomers and additives. After more than 25 years in the industry, she sees knowledge-sharing as both a responsibility and an opportunity.

By offering students a transversal view of the manufacturing value chain, from raw materials to finished products, she helps them understand how industries evolve — technically, economically and sustainably.

“Curiosity is essential. It creates awareness, fuels passion and opens the door to innovation.”

Sustainability as a learning driver

Sustainability is a core topic in both her professional and academic activities. In her courses, Van Linh addresses the environmental impact of raw materials, discussing their advantages, limitations and future potential.

Safic-Alcan regularly welcomes Elanova students and teachers to explore innovative and sustainable rubber compounding methods, encouraging open discussions on technology, environmental responsibility and future market trends.

Why join Safic-Alcan?

For Van Linh, Safic-Alcan offers a unique environment where curiosity, adaptability and long-term vision are actively encouraged.

“Evolution always brings challenges — but it also creates opportunities for those willing to stay curious.”