When Kaitlin Kearney joined the American Cleaning Institute’s (ACI) Future Leaders Program in early 2025, she stepped into a national network focused on learning, collaboration and the future of the chemical and cleaning products industry.
Kearney, a senior supply chain specialist at CREMER North America, said one of the most valuable aspects of the program has been its cross-functional nature. Through the Future Leaders community, she has connected with emerging professionals across R&D, sustainability, regulatory affairs and supply chain, helping her broaden her perspective on how industry challenges are shaped by many different roles, not just one.
Over the past year, those connections have helped reinforce the importance of relationship-building across the value chain and within the broader industry. Kearney said the program has made the industry feel more collaborative and accessible, while also helping her grow as a leader in conversations that extend beyond day-to-day responsibilities.
The experience has also strengthened her confidence in bringing supply chain insights into higher-level discussions, especially as companies navigate volatility, disruptions, and changing regulatory expectations. Many conversations among ACI Future Leaders have centered on real-world challenges, including global market uncertainty and supply disruptions, which have reinforced the need for proactive scenario planning and diversified sourcing strategies.
Sustainability has remained a central theme in Kearney’s development through the program. She said sessions focused on sustainability frameworks, transparency and evolving compliance expectations have helped her better understand ingredient stewardship and lifecycle analysis, as well as the connection between supply chain decisions and brand commitments.
She also noted that sustainability expectations are increasingly becoming baseline requirements across cleaning and oleochemical sectors, pointing to priorities like traceable supply chains, sustainable feedstocks, packaging circularity, carbon reduction targets and transparent emissions reporting.
Kearney said CREMER’s sustainability focus aligns with what she has observed through ACI, particularly in areas like transparency, renewable feedstocks and long-term environmental responsibility.
Looking ahead, Kearney hopes to deepen her involvement by moving from learning within the Future Leaders community to contributing more directly. She said she wants to stay engaged through collaboration, relationship-building, and long-term partnerships that support shared goals around sustainability, resilience and responsible innovation.
The American Cleaning Institute® (ACI – www.cleaninginstitute.org) is the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products Industry® and represents the $60 billion U.S. cleaning product supply chain. ACI members include the manufacturers and formulators of soaps, detergents, and general cleaning products used in household, commercial, industrial and institutional settings; companies that supply ingredients and finished packaging for these products; and chemical distributors. ACI serves the growth and innovation of the U.S. cleaning products industry by advancing the health and quality of life of people and protecting our planet. ACI achieves this through a continuous commitment to sound science and being a credible voice for the cleaning products industry.