Fifty years is more than a milestone – it’s a legacy. Monument is proud to celebrate Indresh Mathur, Director of Innovation & Customer Solutions for Renewables & Fuels, as he marks five decades of innovation, leadership, and problem-solving.

From starting his career in Canada with Dow Chemical in 1975 to helping build Monument’s Haltermann Solutions fuels business from the ground up, Indresh has lived through change, embraced challenges, and shaped the future of specialty fuels. Now part of Monument’s Renewables & Fuels business, he’s drawing on a lifetime of experience while helping advance the future of renewable solutions.

We sat down with Indresh to reflect on his journey, his biggest learnings, and what still excites him about coming to work every day.

You’ve been with this company through decades of change and multiple ownerships. What first brought you here – and what’s kept you here all these years?

I began my career in Canada as a Senior Process Research Engineer on May 12, 1975, just after finishing my PhD in catalysis. Dow Chemical had invited me to join them for a research project in catalysis, but when I arrived, they asked me to work in electro chemicals, a field I knew almost nothing about. But this opportunity turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me at that stage of my career. I was thrown into Dow’s critical project of developing a novel ion exchange membrane cell process. Eliminating the use of asbestos and mercury from caustic/chlorine manufacturing was the most important issue facing Dow at that time. I was mentored by some of the best scientists at Dow, and quickly learned how to dive into challenges.

This openness to new experiences carried me through global assignments, a transfer to Texas in 1997, and eventually to Haltermann in 2005 – right after it had been acquired by Dow. I joined Haltermann to help with Custom Manufacturing projects that were struggling – yet another chance to learn something new. A few years later, in 2008, Haltermann was sold to Monument, and I’ve been here ever since. At every step, I was asked to take on something different, and those opportunities have kept me energized and engaged. Monument, especially, has been a place that encourages that kind of growth.

If I had to sum up the biggest lesson of these 50 years, it’s this: you really can learn anything. School teaches you how to think, not what to think. With that foundation, you can take on whatever challenges your career – and your passions – put in front of you.

What’s one story or lesson from your early years that you still share today?

I was very lucky to be mentored by the most senior Scientist at Dow who became like a father figure to me. He told me something in the late 1970s that I’ve passed on to so many people since:

“You can work like crazy, but if you can’t sell your ideas to management, you’ll never do well. It’s good to do great things, but you also have to carry and present your ideas well.”

He even had an equation for it: Do good ÷ Look good = 1. If you just stay in the lab and never present, you’ll be out of balance. If you only present and never deliver, you’ll be out of balance too. This advice – and equation – is as relevant today as it was back then.

You’ve witnessed huge shifts in fuels over your career. What stands out to you as the most significant change?

The biggest one is the move toward renewables. Back in the 1990s, we saw the advent of ethanol. Then came biodiesel, then renewable diesel. And now, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the next exciting frontier. You can electrify vehicles on the road, but you cannot electrify commercial aviation!

There’s always been some ebb and flow of progress, depending on government support, but the shift is real, lasting, and needed. Even if we only replace 5–10% of aviation fuel with SAF, that’s a massive carbon reduction. It’s exciting to see the industry rally around sustainability, and to know Monument has a role in shaping that future.

You’re recognized as a technical expert in specialty fuels. How did you end up in that specialization – and what’s been most rewarding about it?

Honestly, when Monument was formed, fuels wasn’t a top priority at first. We didn’t get any land or equipment from the Haltermann acquisition, and my real interest was on the manufacturing side. So, when I was asked to take on fuels development, I was a little reluctant – I figured I’d just help out for a year or two. But here I am, 22 years later! What started as a “temporary assignment” turned into one of the most rewarding chapters of my career.

I grew to love this work because it was all about building something new. In the early days, we worked closely with SpaceX, which was just getting started. That partnership really put Monument on the fuels map. From there, we built relationships around the world and developed our expertise in primary reference fuels.

What’s been most rewarding is seeing Monument become recognized in the industry – by ASTM, by customers, by partners – as the go-to company when it comes to technical solutions. We may not always be the cheapest, but when it comes to solving problems, we’re known for our expertise. That’s something I’m really proud of.

And now, being part of the relatively new Monument Renewables & Fuels business is especially exciting. We’re combining decades of experience in specialty fuels with the growing opportunities in renewables. It feels like the perfect next chapter – building on the foundation we’ve created while helping lead the way into a more sustainable future.

When you’re faced with a tough technical challenge, how do you approach solving it?

I believe the answer to any technical problem is already out there – it just lives with different people in different places. So, my approach is to talk to a lot of people to work through a challenge. Usually, you’ll find little nuggets of insight, and when you put them together, you get to an amazing solution.

This industry has a deep well of knowledge from past problems and fixes. Networking is key – and not just the formal kind. As an example, some of my most useful insights have come from spending time with operators on the night shift, often over a late-night pizza. Those conversations have sparked ideas that helped me crack tough problems.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting in the fuels industry, what would it be?

Don’t just sit in your office – get out and connect. This is a community-driven industry, and you’ll learn so much faster by talking to people. Go to the SAE, ASTM, JANNAF, IASH, and CRC meetings. Pick up the phone and call someone who’s passionate about their work. Nine times out of ten, they’ll be more than happy to share what they know, and you’ll walk away with ten times more insight than you expected.

After 50 years, what still excites you about coming to work each day?

I just love what I do. Every day brings new challenges, and solving problems is what energizes me. I love being in the weeds with customers, figuring out not just the issue they came to us with, but also the bigger challenges behind it – and how we can help as a Monument team.

And when you have that kind of relationship with a customer – where they trust you, where they share their toughest problems, and where you can help them succeed – that’s when you know the work really matters.

Monument’s fuel team may be small, but it very gratifying to see we are well recognized and considered development partners by the U.S. Air Force labs for our expertise in rocket, hypersonic, and cruise missile fuels. There is still a lot to do. That’s what keeps me excited, even after 50 years!