Alumni Profile: Pietro Di Tondo

Chemistry in the real world 27 January 2020

What is your name and age, and where are you from?

My name is Pietro Di Tondo, I am 32 years old and I am from Chieti, a small town in central Italy, on the Adriatic coast.

Can you tell us a little about what you studied at The University of Manchester?

I studied Chemistry at the University of Manchester for both my undergraduate BSc(Hons) and postgraduate (MPhil) degrees where I specialised in X-Ray Crystallography .

What did you enjoy most about the course?

The facilities at the University of Manchester were and are incredible; working in such state of the art lab was inspiring,

And the wider University?

There are so many things going on at the University of Manchester that is hard to keep track at times, but what it really stayed with me was how helpful everyone was.

The staff at University including the Lecturers and personal tutors were always there to help and always accessible.

What are your thoughts on Manchester as a city?

Manchester is amazing!

It is a big city but is very easy to get around and there is always something happening from a concert to sporting events.

Can you tell us a little about your career post-university, and the role you’re in now?

My career post-university really started at the University itself to be honest.

Just few months away from completing my Masters, a Swiss Chemical company emailed the School of Chemistry asking students with a chemical background to apply for a Product Stewardship position. I had no idea what Product Stewardship was but after going to the interview, I got offered the job so my role started in September 2012.

From there I learnt that there is a side of chemistry that not everyone is aware of; Product Stewardship and Regulatory. In a nutshell this is the legal side of chemistry. Before a product is implemented in the market, the material has to go through a legal procedure, which includes the creation of a dossier in order to be able to prove its safety.

I was in my first role for almost three years and this made me realise that I really enjoyed this area of Chemistry. I then moved to a consultancy firm where I helped small to medium companies worldwide with their Regulatory and Product Stewardship needs. Following this experience, in March 2016 I joined the company I am currently working with; a US company specialising in  polymer materials and services where I have worked as a Regulatory specialist and now a Senior Regulatory specialist.

In my role, I am responsible for ensuring the compliance of all company products, both new and existing, with the relevant chemical safety, chemical inventory, labelling, and food contact laws. This involves compilation of technical dossiers, including the interpretation of analytical and toxicological data, for submission to regulatory authorities to gain approval for use. As part of the role I am responsible for tracking legislative changes, maintaining information on legal compliance for all raw materials, and preparing the necessary paperwork to communicate compliance to end customers.

How did your time at The University of Manchester help with this?

The skills I learned at the University of Manchester helped me greatly. The Chemistry course is designed to give you the skill set to remain in academia, and to work in industry. During my time at Manchester I was able to take courses from outside the Chemistry Department, including Leadership and Communicating courses that in the long term have prepared me for life after university.

What would you say to people considering coming to The University of Manchester to study?

Manchester is the perfect city for someone living away from home for the first time!

Manchester is a city in continuous development it just gets better and better every time I come back and visit!

And outside university… what do you get up to in your spare time?

I love to travel and see new places with my wife, who I also met at University; she also graduated in Chemistry at the University of Manchester the same year as me! We particularly love visiting the U.S.A. Our last trip was to San Francisco and our goal is to visit every state in the U.S.A. one day!

Another hobby I love to do in my spare time, is playing squash, another passion I discovered while at University. I have continued to play since leaving and compete at amateur level in the National County League!

Thank you for your update Pietro. We’ll be catching up with Pietro’s wife Philippa in our next Alumni Profile. 

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