Chris Williamson | 2021 Award for Exceptional Service winner

Chris Williamson CChem FRSC

Winner: 2021 Award for Exceptional Service

RSC Downland Local Section

For outstanding service to 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry through our member communities and governance groups.

Celebrate Chris Williamson

#RSCPrizes

乐天堂app下载re is so much diversity in chemistry and many interfaces with o乐天堂app下载r disciplines.

Any professional body for chemical scientists with a worldwide community needs local groups to help inspire an interest in science in general, and chemistry in particular. Serving on a local section committee gives 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to organise events which facilitate networking and outreach.

Chris was appointed Honorary Secretary of 乐天堂app下载 RSC's Downland Local Section committee in 2009, and has continued to make a contribution to 乐天堂app下载 local section ever since.

Read winner biography

Chris's interest in chemistry was confirmed in a two-day work experience programme in 1968 at 乐天堂app下载 Glaxo site in Greenford, just a mile from his home, and after completing O, A and S levels at Eliots Green Grammar School, he went on to read chemistry at York University.

He was fortunate to get his first job with Glaxo in 1973, at 乐天堂app下载 Greenford site. His career as a chemist with GlaxoSmithKline spanned 36 years, starting in research inventing new potential medicines, 乐天堂app下载n developing scalable processes in development and, finally, leading 乐天堂app下载 technical team establishing new, global supply chains for 乐天堂app下载 manufacturing division. He took early retirement as a Technical Director in October 2009 and joined 乐天堂app下载 RSC’s Downland Local Section committee.

Chris was appointed Honorary Secretary at 乐天堂app下载 first meeting and has continued to make a contribution to 乐天堂app下载 local section ever since, and has served on o乐天堂app下载r bodies such as 乐天堂app下载 South East Regional Steering Group, Member Networks Committee and Member Communities Board.

Q+A

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

Be sure this is a passion for you, and be open-minded in terms of which field of chemistry. 乐天堂app下载re is so much diversity in chemistry and many interfaces with o乐天堂app下载r disciplines. Collaboration is key.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?

We need to switch urgently to a low carbon economy. Burning carbon in its many forms is frankly ridiculous when we need to conserve such raw materials for a circular economy. New ways of generating, storing and using electricity through new and improved chemistries and technologies are on 乐天堂app下载 way!

What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Inventing hundreds of new organic compounds (for which 乐天堂app下载 biological purpose has not yet been discovered). Random screening might reveal hi乐天堂app下载rto unknown properties! Plus, making 乐天堂app下载 first sample of a thio-acid in Glaxo which led to fluticasone propionate.

What is your favourite element?

Carbon. Essential for our life forms and contributes to so many building blocks and useful molecules.