From Grinder’s Son to Commercial Director: Dr. Bal’s Inspiring Career Path
12 May 2025
Published in: Member News
Celebrating three decades at Robinson Brothers Limited, Dr. Bal shares his remarkable journey from a working-class upbringing in Whitmore Reans to becoming Commercial Director. Discover how education, family support, and a passion for Chemistry shaped his inspiring career.
Dr. Bal’s journey from Whitmore Reans to Commercial Director at Robinson Brothers Limited is a powerful story of perseverance, education, and passion for Chemistry.
Celebrating 30 years with the company, he reflects on the people and experiences that shaped his career.
Dr. Bal Kalirai shares his journey:
I was born in 1966, the youngest of five siblings in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton. My parents immigrated from Punjab, India, in 1959. My father spent his working life as a grinder in various iron foundries, while my mother worked in a steam laundry. Growing up in a working-class family, my parents emphasised the importance of education to all their children. We all attended comprehensive schools, and the two youngest siblings, including myself, went on to university.
My love of learning led me to pursue a PhD in Chemistry. My career began in the fishing village of Grimsby, where I worked as a Development Chemist at Ciba Geigy Pyewipe for five years, focusing on pharmaceutical drug development and scale-up.
Later, I returned to my Black Country roots and joined Robinson Brothers Limited as a temporary Research Chemist, covering maternity leave for six months. Moving from the highly regulated GMP pharmaceutical environment to a specialty organic chemicals manufacturer was a breath of fresh air. It allowed me to implement process improvements from the lab to large-scale production more freely, which was incredibly rewarding.
This role soon became permanent, and for the past 20 years, I have led the R&D department as Head of Department. While I no longer work directly in the lab, I continue to apply my chemistry expertise through project management. A significant part of my role has involved visiting customers and exhibitions, which I have always enjoyed. I began managing some customer accounts commercially, especially those involving new products, which sparked my interest in sales. This passion led to my appointment as Commercial Director of Robinson Brothers Limited late last year.
As the 1st of May is my 30-year anniversary, I can say honestly that I have never lost the passion for Chemistry, knowledge, and innovation. I have had four sets of people who have been my inspiration within my career, and I wish to acknowledge and thank them; they are the ones who opened the doors for me.
Firstly, my late mother who always supported me at every avenue, my Mathematics teacher, Mr. Davies, who saw something special in me that even I did not know was there, my current Line Manager, who, through travelling with over the last 20 years showed me the power of working commercially with customers.
And finally, my lovely wife Sandeep and two sons, Ryan and Aiden, whose support has been unwavering throughout my career.
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