Jean Angus
CEO and President, Life Sciences
Saint-Gobain Corporation
I am lucky to be in a business with people that say ‘yes’ and ‘do the right thing’ when others say ‘no.’ We take on challenges that take time to solve and make parts that are not the easiest to produce. Behind our parts are people that have passion for each other and the customers we serve. I could not imagine spending my time any other way.
Jean joined Saint-Gobain in 2011 to build and lead a brand-new department founded on the philosophy that innovation is a process that can be learned and institutionalized. Over the years, she has served the company in multiple capacities ranging from innovation process director to general manager of the global Seals business. A few of her key accomplishments include boosting sales of products less than five years old from 23 percent of total sales to 50 and restructuring the Seals business into a customer-centric organization. Today, as CEO of Saint-Gobain’s Life Sciences business, Jean’s approach to customer needs, organizational core competencies and growth potential is having transformative impacts.
Jean, a natural-born mentor and coach, currently has more than a dozen mentees under her tutelage. She prides herself on being able to identify what makes each person unique so they can build and capitalize on their own strengths. Her greatest satisfaction comes when her mentees move to a place of strength where they can stand on their own. Building on this leadership, Jean embarked on a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland to lend time to young women who may need help and guidance on finding a career that aligns with their talents. She is also participating in Cleveland’s first-ever “Mentoring Monday,” which is a nationwide event giving local women the opportunity to work with volunteer mentors.
Jean’s passion for giving back is rooted in helping underserved populations by eliminating hunger, and mentoring girls and women to help them achieve their goals and aspirations. Jean has been known to put together meal bags of healthy food to distribute directly to those in need in her community. She also supports the Toni Turchi Foundation, which provides financial support to families with a loved one undergoing breast cancer treatment.
