rainer potthast
R&D Director, houston
What is your current role? How long have you worked for Monument?
I joined the team in Houston about 32 years ago, and I am currently Monument’s R&D Director for the Houston Area. Before I arrived in Houston – and long before Monument entered the picture – I was working in the German headquarters in Hamburg in the central R&D laboratory. I actually came to the United States with a two-year contract, and when I left Germany, I never expected that I would spend so much of my career here!
What is your favorite part of what you do?
But, of course, I’ve stayed because I get to do what I love in this role. I’m not an administrative guy; I’ve always liked the chemistry work. At Monument, I’m frequently challenged to create innovative processes, and there are constantly new projects from our custom manufacturing business. Those requests are always challenging, because the chemicals our customers need are unique and demanding.
I also enjoy the lifecycle of a project – and the diversity of our collaborations. When a project starts, we do the work in the lab to meet the customer’s challenge. Then, we share our work with the customer. Once they sign off on the samples, our team works with the operations team for a successful scale-up. So, while I do love the process design work based on lab results, I also appreciate that our work goes well outside of the lab – allowing us to interact with production, quality, engineers, and the customer.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I started running in my 20s. I joined a running club in Germany and even competed in many half- and full-marathons. Now that I’m in my 60s, I run at a much slower pace – but I still get out there and do it! I try to find 30 to 60 minutes ever day to run, because I can see and feel all the benefits to my health – both physically and mentally.
My wife and I have two grown sons, and I’m proud of them both. As a German, I still think it’s funny that my sons are Texans – but they have dual citizenship and can speak German fairly well. My youngest son is currently earning his master’s degree in geophysics in Germany; my oldest son studied psychology, and I’m in the process of encouraging him to study in Germany as well – since it’s a perfect opportunity to learn more about his roots and to have a different life experience.
What is the most surprising thing about you?
The list of places I’ve traveled is quite extensive. When I first came to the United States, I wrote down all the places I wanted to visit, and I’ve been to 28 states so far. And back when I lived in Germany, I traveled to 27 countries: 4 in Africa, 8 in Asia, and 15 in Europe. I love being on the road and exploring both popular tourist attractions and discovering places not in any tour book.
The best part of traveling is meeting new people. I learned that even if you don’t speak the same language, you can always find creative ways to communicate. Laughter, for example, is a universal language – and it’s one of the easiest ways to break down barriers and build connections. I’ve also learned that you will find wonderful people everywhere you go – people who live in a range of worlds very different from mine. That perspective is important for building empathy – something we all need to connect with each other, especially through the global challenges we face today.