Coatings
Beyond SurFACES – Kristen Bruley
"My passion is transforming data to tell a story"
When five generations of a single family all work for the same company, you can just feel their passion. Kristen Bruley, Data Analyst for People & Culture at BASF – and a fifth-generation BASF employee – uses scientific methods to analyze people data and provide data-based solutions.
A career in Human Resources was never in Kristen’s career plan. A Michigan native, she studied chemistry and coatings technology. That changed in 2019 when she was faced with a fork in the road of her BASF career. Discover her passion for going beyond, and her passion for photography, in this edition of Beyond SurFACES.
Beyond SurFACES – Get to know our winning team
At BASF Coatings, we are driven by passion and science to always go beyond the surface. In our new series, Beyond SurFACES, we introduce you to the talented individuals who make it happen. From developing innovative coatings to creating sustainable solutions, our winning team is at the heart of everything we do. Meet Kristen Bruley, Data Analyst for People & Culture at BASF, and discover how she works and her passion for photography. Want to be part of the journey? Join us in going beyond!
How did your career begin at BASF?
I spent two summers working as an intern in the Industrial Hygiene labs at BASF Wyandotte while I was completing my undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. After a short time working in a waste treatment facility, I got the job as a Senior Technician, and later a Chemist in the Dispersions division (ED). I synthesized resins and began a long relationship with printing inks. I did a lot of problem-solving and application testing for our ink customers.
While working, I earned my Master’s Degree in Polymer & Coating Technology from Eastern Michigan University. When ED moved its operations to Charlotte in 2019, I looked at other Chemist roles within BASF, but then settled into my current role as Data Analyst for People & Culture, formerly known as Human Resources. HR was never in my career path, but I was familiar with analyzing chemical data, so I translated that knowledge to analyzing people data.
Overall, I have 16 years and two internships with BASF, and it’s been a great ride.
Sounds like it. How does one make the switch from chemistry to People & Culture?
This sounds nerdy, but my passion is solving problems and transforming data to tell a story. When you break it down like that, there’s not as much difference between the two career fields.
Excel really is my best friend. My tasks range from managing headcount, to facilitating changes within our organizational structure, to providing organizational or diversity metrics, to working with colleagues within Coatings to provide data-based solutions. Give me numbers and a computer, and I can slice and dice things in Excel to provide you with the data and vision you need to make the right business decision.
The biggest challenge is to keep the data “clean.” We have thousands of employees, and each data point is an opportunity to mess something up. We really need to pay attention to having clean data so we have a complete picture.
Excel is really my best friend. We need to pay attention to having clean data so we have a complete picture.
You spoke of a vision for business decisions. You have another vision that drives you – in photography.
I do. I am passionate about photography and love to capture memories for people through photographs. If you come to our P&C office on the first floor in Southfield, you’ll see a few photos that several members of our team have taken of various nature scenes, framed and hung on our walls. My photo is of a beautiful flower. Whenever I need some serenity and balance when I look away from the computer screen, I look at those photos.
I’ve snapped headshots for colleagues, our sites, and even nature scenes like the eclipse that happened in April of 2024. I was able to get a shot right when the moon moved completely in front of the sun, leaving just a wispy ring where the sun used to be. That was an amazing display of the awesome power of nature and science.
I also photograph events, and I volunteer on my church’s photography team. For me, it’s really a great way to relate to people, practice my art, and relieve some stress.
We buried our lead. You’re a fifth generation BASF employee?
I AM! When I started as an intern at the Wyandotte site, I didn’t know that four other generations of my family had also worked there.
My great-great-grandfather, Charles Warschefsky; my other great-great-grandfather, D. Coon; his son A.I. Coon; my maternal grandmother, Delores Livernois, whose maiden name was Coon; my great uncle, Jerry Coon; and my mother's brother, Christopher Livernois, all worked at the plant in Wyandotte from the time it started out as J.B. Ford and became BASF. My cousin, Matthew Livernois, works there now in the maintenance department, and is also a fifth generation BASF employee.
I have always been very proud to work for BASF, but I am even more honored to know the history of people in my family who have gone above and beyond to contribute to the success of the company today.
And who knows? My son or daughter might choose to continue the scientific legacy. We’ll have to wait and see. I’m not going to push them either way.
