CU Boulder alumnus Mike McAtee wasn’t particularly interested in science as a high school student at Columbine High School. In fact, he reluctantly enrolled in chemistry his junior year only because he knew his preferred colleges would expect science courses on his transcript.
More than 30 years later, McAtee credits that class, and the dutiful instruction of teacher Wayne Vargo, for setting him on the path to success as a chemical engineer.
“It completely changed my perspective on what I wanted to do,” McAtee said.
The spark that ignited in that high school classroom has led McAtee to a rewarding 32-year career with BASF Corporation, opportunities to live and travel abroad, and now, recognition as one of the 2016 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipients. McAtee will formally accept the award at a banquet April 22.
The Boulder native graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1984 and began working for BASF Corporation the same year. Within five years, he was recognized as the BASF Corporation Employee of the Year and was promoted to his first managerial position.
In 1992, McAtee was named deputy plant manager of the world’s largest Oxo Alcohols plant in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Upon returning stateside in 1995, he served as operations director for BASF facilities in Freeport, Texas, Portsmouth, Va., and Wilmington, N.C., gaining experience in chemical plant design, operations, acquisitions and technology development for the multinational corporation.
In 2003, McAtee embarked on his greatest professional challenge to date: serving as general manager of a world-scale joint venture olefins and derivatives complex in Port Arthur, Texas. The facility was partially operational, partially under construction and facing severe reliability and environmental concerns.
“I walked into a pressure cooker that was losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year, but what I saw there was a phenomenal team, and within a relatively short period of time, we were able to really turn things around,” McAtee said. “Now it’s a showpiece within the global organization in terms of reliability, environmental performance, safety and profitability – on all fronts.”
Recognizing his dedication and leadership, BASF leaders promoted McAtee to his current position as senior vice president of engineering and maintenance for North America in 2007. From Houston, Texas, he manages all engineering, maintenance and support activities for more than 100 facilities in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The corporation’s annual capital and maintenance expenditures tally $1.5 billion, and its total assets exceed $22 billion.
While he’s now in a managerial role, McAtee said his technical knowledge helps tremendously with problem-solving in the business environment – even if he might struggle to compute a second-order differential equation these days.
“Engineers by training are problem-solvers, so from a leadership perspective, we’re always looking for opportunities to improve areas where we see deficiencies and putting practical solutions in place that can resolve them,” he said.
A lifelong learner, McAtee is fluent in German, Spanish and English and has basic knowledge of several other languages. He and his wife, Flora, have four grown children and several grandchildren. He hopes to retire in the next few years and move back to Colorado, where he’ll spend more time skiing, hiking, biking and traveling.
Outside of work, McAtee is active in numerous community activities, including his role as a founding board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Brazoria County and as co-founder of Rebuilding Together Southeast Texas, a Hurricane Rita recovery organization. He currently serves on the executive advisory committee of the Engineering and Construction Contracting Association and as a board member for CU’s Engineering Advisory Council and the Texas A&M Department of Chemical Engineering.
For more evidence of McAtee’s benevolence, look no further than the McAtee Family Research Lab in the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building, named following a gift from McAtee, his brother and his father – all graduates of CU chemical engineering.
“I think it’s a moral responsibility that we have, both as companies and as individuals, to find ways to give back and share your skills and your affluence and your time with people that don’t really have the same opportunities,” he said.
Department Chair Dan Schwartz said McAtee was an obvious choice to nominate for the DEA Award because of his extensive technical knowledge, proven leadership skills and desire to give back to his community and alma mater.
“Mike's success is a testament to what can be achieved by talented, ambitious engineers who embrace a global perspective,” Schwartz said. “He’s a wonderful example for our students, and we’re truly proud to call him an alumnus.”