Eria Young
Supply Chain Manager
Koppers Inc.
In this Women in Chemicals Woman of the Week Live interview, Eria Young, Supply Chain Manager at Koppers, shares her 10-year journey through operations, compliance, and leadership. From managing logistics and internal customer relationships to balancing career growth with caregiving, Eria offers a thoughtful perspective on values-driven leadership, community engagement, and resilience in the chemical industry.
Building Leadership Through Internal Customer Focus
Eria credits much of her leadership foundation to her early career at Cintas, where management training emphasized understanding the needs of internal customers. By recognizing the unique value each coworker brings to a project, she learned how trust, communication, and cross-functional effectiveness are built. This mindset continues to guide her leadership style today and reinforces the importance of respecting both tangible and intangible contributions across teams.
Logistics, Compliance, and the Power of Thoughtful Decision-Making
Hands-on logistics experience taught Eria how operational decisions impact people downstream, especially drivers and frontline employees. Inviting end users into planning conversations helped improve safety, efficiency, and buy-in. Later, her time at Wells Fargo strengthened her appreciation for auditing, compliance, and risk management. She emphasizes the importance of slowing down to eliminate risk, clearly explaining the “why,” and documenting processes to prevent workflow disruptions.
Leading With Transparency and Community Commitment
At Koppers, Eria’s community service support as Community Service Liaison reflects her belief that chemical companies must be visible, transparent, and engaged neighbors. By opening doors to regulators, participating in OSHA’s VPP program, and showing the human side of the business, she helps build trust within the community. Her advice to other leaders is simple but powerful – find passionate advocates within the company (internally), empower them, and treat community engagement as a true partnership.
Credibility, Allyship, and Owning Your Value
Navigating male-dominated environments has required Eria to anchor herself in her skills and value. Understanding what each person brings to the table creates mutual respect and strengthens collaboration. She highlights the importance of male allies who recognize talent and create space for women to contribute meaningfully. Knowing your worth and trusting that you earned your seat at the table are central to her approach.
Balancing Ambition, Motherhood, and Caregiving
Eria’s leadership journey deepened when she became a working mother and caregiver after her son was diagnosed with epilepsy. She manages the tension between professional ambition and personal responsibility through proactive communication, self-reflection, and honest conversations with her leadership team and family. Utilizing resources like EAPs and building trusted relationships at work have been critical supports. Her advice to others is grounded and compassionate – be clear about your priorities, communicate openly, and seek help when needed.
A Mindset for Growth and Resilience
For the Women in Chemicals community, Eria encourages leaders to “be where your feet are and thrive.” She views challenges as opportunities for growth and recommends the book No Hard Feelings as a valuable resource. Her story reinforces that leadership is not about perfection, but about presence, purpose, and progress.
This episode was sponsored by:
