Ted Olszanski joined Monument Houston in May 2023, stepping into the role of Operations Manager with over a decade of experience as a production leader in the chemical and refining industries. His background includes overseeing plant operations, ranging from startup and shutdown activities to turnarounds and emergency operations. Ted's path to engineering was influenced by his family; his father was an engineer, and his uncle, a chemical engineer, pointed him toward his career. Though Ted grew up in the Midwest, where chemical processing plants were not as common, his interest in engineering and chemistry set him on the path.

Ted pursued his education at the Colorado School of Mines, where he balanced his studies with playing football for the Orediggers. After graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering, Ted’s first professional opportunity took him to a sulfuric acid plant in Louisiana.

“I remember stepping off the plane in December, and it was eighty degrees and humid. Back in Colorado, it was negative ten,” Ted recalled.

Ted began his career as a production engineer, rotating through various units at the plant in Louisiana. His talent and leadership potential soon led him to a management role, and in January 2018, he relocated to Houston with his girlfriend, now wife, shortly after Hurricane Harvey struck the area. Ted eventually transitioned to a role as an Operations Superintendent at Nouryon before ultimately joining Monument.

At Monument, Ted is responsible for leading a large operations team, which includes around 90 professionals spanning operations, logistics, and production engineering.

“I try and keep things moving in the right direction,” Ted remarked. “When there are problems people are stuck with, they know they can come and find me. I’m also responsible for growing the team.”

A core focus for Ted is training and mentorship, which he considers one of the most rewarding aspects of his career. He takes great pride in helping his team develop their skills and creating a supportive environment where the drive to learn and improve thrives.

“During my time as a production engineer, I was given an opportunity to train new operators,” said Ted. “After a while, I realized I enjoyed talking with people, teaching them, and helping them grow. Seeing that growth in people is very rewarding, particularly when they take on a task that was previously daunting, and they succeed. One thing you quickly realize is that everyone learns differently. That’s part of the challenge. Being able to recognize that and customize training is key.”

For Ted, preparing the next generation of engineers and operators is not just a responsibility, but also a critical part of his leadership philosophy.

“I remind my production engineers often regarding summer interns and experienced operators with trainees – you have to pay it forward. You have to teach the new generation — and invest in them. Someone invested their time in you, someone invested time in me – you have to make sure that commitment goes forward. I tell everyone the same thing: if you train people to be successful, you’ll be successful.”

Throughout his career, Ted has observed a wide range of management styles, and he aims to balance empowering his team with keeping a watchful eye. He asks questions to ensure they stay on the right track, rather than solving problems for them. It is all part of a leadership style influenced by the many different leaders Ted has worked with over the years, each of whom contributed something unique to his development.

“I’ve been fortunate to work for only a handful of companies, yet worked for lots of different leaders, and they all had their unique styles. Looking back on it, from my first boss out of college to now, I’ve picked up various behaviors, tricks and aspects of their leadership styles. There are times when I’m walking out in the plant and I’ll catch myself doing activities that remind me of my past and the different people who influenced these habits and it is pretty cool to reflect on. Starting out, I never would have expected that.”

Outside of work, Ted enjoys spending time with his wife in Houston and staying active. They have a black lab who keeps them busy, and they like to vacation when they have the time. Over the past year, they went to Glacier National Park in Montana and also took a tour of the Caribbean.

We look forward to Ted’s journey of mentoring and leadership continuing to grow at Monument!