Christina Spalding

Title: Americas Marketing Manager Automotive Refrigerants and Specialties

Company: Chemours

Educational Experience: B.S. in Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina

Industry Work Experience: I began my working career as an engineer and then operations leader before transitioning into refrigerant sales. My first role in the HVACR industry was in sales for the refrigerants aftermarket distribution network, covering the western half of the U.S. I worked with wholesale distributors, contractors, and end users in both a/c and commercial refrigeration, helping to transition away from ozone-depleting substances. In 2018, I moved into a national accounts role to focus on the transition to lower-GWP refrigerants. After almost 20 years in sales roles, I shifted to marketing in a business development role to focus on commercial refrigeration and retail.
In 2021, I made a bit of a shift within marketing to focus on the automotive a/c market. The great thing about HVACR is that comfort cooling is needed in multiple applications, and I was able to leverage my skills to jump in and learn about the mobile side of our refrigerants business. Today, I am the Americas Marketing Manager for Automotive AC (OEM & Aftermarket), and I support both North and South America as the mobile industry transitions to ultra-low-GWP refrigerants.

What caused you to/when did you enter the HVACR industry?

Prior to my first HVACR sales role, I was an account manager in our specialties segment. I had already established strong skills and experience in sales, and when an opening came up to shift to refrigerant sales, I jumped at it. Entering the HVACR industry has been one of the best decisions that I have made in my career.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in HVACR?

Hands down the most rewarding aspect is the people that I have been privileged to work with over the course of my career. In my 30-plus-year career, over 25 of those years have been supporting HVACR. This industry has exceptionally talented, dedicated, and knowledgeable people supporting it. There are many professional accomplishments that I could point to, but in reality, those accomplishments are achieved by working with stakeholders throughout the value chain — internal to Chemours and external as it relates to customers and end users.

Describe the proudest moment in your career.

I think I am most proud of my career arch. When I graduated from college with a degree in chemical engineering, I imagined that I would work at a plant site for most of my career. Stepping out of my comfort zone and moving into customer-facing roles opened a wealth of opportunities and exposure to different career paths. From there, I moved into HVACR and contributed at very high levels in sales, marketing, business development, marketing communications, etc. Having those experiences with a focus on refrigerants, I have been able to partner with industry stakeholders to transition away from ozone-depleting refrigerants and help move the industry to lower and lower-GWP refrigerants. I think we all want to leave the world in a better place than we found it, and that has been a very rewarding aspect in my career.

What challenges do women face in this profession?

I think the challenges that women face in HVACR are not totally unique to this industry. When I started out over 20 years ago on sales calls, industry shows, and conferences, I was often the only woman in the meeting. I am very pleased to say that things have changed, and while that is not the case these days, it is still a field where women tend to be in the minority. For me, it was critical to become a content expert and bring value to my customers — whether discussing market conditions, regulatory changes, product performance, or general training and awareness.

How can we increase the number of women in HVACR?

That is a great question. I think awareness is a big piece of that puzzle. There are so many career paths in HVACR open to women — everything from technician to wholesale distribution, equipment manufacturing, aftermarket support, technical service, etc. I get so excited when I work a trade show or do an open house at a distributor and the trade schools come through because I am seeing more and more women actively learning to become HVACR technicians.

What does your day-to-day job entail?

At a strategic level, I help set the direction for our business and am responsible for market sizing, marketing support, new product development and communications. In the U.S. and Canada, over 95% of the light duty fleet has transitioned to the ultra-low-GWP refrigerant R-1234yf for a/c use in new vehicles. Beginning in 2025, the industry will see that transition move to medium and heavy duty vehicles and off-road vehicles as well.

What remains on your HVACR bucket list — what do you aspire to do that you haven’t accomplished yet?

As a refrigerants professional, I feel like I have hit the trifecta — stationary air conditioning experience, commercial refrigeration experience, and automotive (mobile) air conditioning experience. Throughout my working career supporting our customers and the industry, I’ve always wanted to obtain my EPA 608 and 609 certification, so that is actually on my bucket list.

What words of advice do you have for females who are considering entering the HVACR field?

Well, I think if they are already reading this article, they are starting out on the right path. There are so many different job opportunities for women in this industry. I also will plug mentorship one more time. It is a great way to learn about opportunities in HVACR — trade organizations as well. I am always willing to mentor and help women with a passion for HVACR. Finally, I can’t emphasize how much I have learned over the years through trade publications like ACHR NEWS. It was the very first trade journal I subscribed to when I first started my career in this industry and an excellent resource to keep professionals current, up to speed, and aware of industry activity.