Leading Worldwide, Rooted in Louisiana: How LSU Helped Shape BASF President Christian Aucoin’s Leadership Style

His journey began at LSU, where he earned his chemical engineering degree in 2001. 

“LSU as an institution, it's a force in Louisiana, so it really was the only college I applied to,” Aucoin said.  

At LSU, Aucoin found an educational experience that balanced theory with practical application—an approach that would later shape his leadership style. Below, he reflects on his path from Baton Rouge to BASF and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Answers have been edited for clarity and brevity. 

How did your experience at LSU prepare you for your career and leadership roles? 

I think what was really important about my curriculum at LSU was that it put together the theory of engineering, with the practical side of it. That was really formative for me. I think the strong industry in the area, co-op opportunities, internships, that really helped put real world examples to the theory learned in class. So, it really made me understand the purpose of engineering, why we were doing it, which I think helped me understand the point of what I wanted to do with my career. 

There was also the hands-on experience, which was really important to me. I was able to do research in both the chemistry and chemical engineering departments, which later made me want to consider a PhD. It also made me, when I became more in leadership roles, again, focus on the purpose—why are we doing what we’re doing? Not just running through processes or steps without really thinking about the reason behind it. 

What does your role as president of Global Engineering at BASF entail? 

The engineering unit in BASF supports all of our businesses in two areas. One, we support the running operations with technical expertise like automation, mechanical, materials science, process development and optimization, maintenance, and reliability. On the other side, we design and build all the new chemical plants that BASF makes around the world. My team is the heart of engineering for BASF, which is a lot of fun. You get to see all the different chemical processes that BASF does, all the different countries that we operate in. I think it’s the best job at BASF. You get to build our production plants, and that’s really special—especially for an engineer. 

How does BASF’s work bring value to Louisiana? 

In the last few years, we’ve invested around a billion dollars in capital expenditures in Louisiana. That’s construction jobs, permanent jobs, material we bring in—it’s an investment for the future. When we build our chemical plants, they’re meant to run for 50 years. That’s really putting a stake in the ground that we want to be here for a long time. We also invest in people and communities. Our Louisiana facilities employ around 2,000 people who live in the local communities where we operate, and we contribute a considerable amount through taxes and charitable donations.

BASF and LSU have a strong partnership. How do you collaborate with the university? 

We do lots of things with LSU. It’s one of our core schools, so it's something we put a lot of time and effort into. Each summer, we host interns from various engineering disciplines, and that internship can lead to full-time jobs through our Technical Development Program. Through this program, LSU students can remain close to home while growing their career with a global company. We also provide site tours for engineering clubs and other student groups scholarships, class visits from our subject matter experts, mentorships, and fund research to support our operations teams. For us, it’s that interaction of bringing in talent from LSU because that’s our future—our workforce is the key talent here. But also giving LSU students a chance to see what engineering looks like in the real world… That way they have a little bit more insight into what they want to pursue careerwise. Do they like it? Do they want to specialize in certain things? Giving a student a chance to work in a production unit helps them understand better why they want to do what they do. 

BASF also supports LSU through the BASF Innovation Lab in Patrick F. Taylor Hall (PFT Hall). How did that partnership come about? 

The lab came to be because when LSU was building this new, beautiful building, the PFT Hall for engineering, we were trying to figure out how we can be involved because LSU is so important to us. We thought the lab was important because it shows what's core to BASF, which is innovation, which is chemistry, and helps students understand how we do what we do. 

What makes LSU graduates stand out? 

What makes them stand out, I think, is they come ready to work. They're not only based in theory; they have a very strong underpinning of the various engineering disciplines, and they often know more than just their core disciplines because LSU’s curriculum forces you to take some mechanical, some civil, some electrical, and chemical. So, you come a little bit more well-rounded because of the hands-on curriculum and the labs are intensive. They’ve seen distillation columns, compressors—they’re ready to do the work. 

What advice would you give to current students preparing to enter the workforce? 

I would say first is to ask lots of questions of your professors, ask the why, not just remembering things for the tests. Get a deep understanding.

Secondly, if you really want to go work in the workforce, get practical experience during school. Work in a lab, do a co-op, do an internship, get in the field. Get hands-on! That’s going to tell you if you really like engineering, if you’re going to enjoy it for a career. And when you get into the workforce, you already have that practical understanding—it makes for a much faster learning curve. 

How does it feel to continue supporting LSU and Louisiana through your work? 

It’s honestly humbling. I come from Louisiana. LSU is so important to the state and is the fabric of our community. So, for me to be able to be a part of it, I have to say it’s special. Partnering with LSU brings that talent, those ideas, and that right mentality into our company. That’s why LSU is integral to our success and Louisiana’s future. 

I work overseas and I will say the LSU people are very proud to wear the purple and gold. And if you do see them, you do often get a “Geaux Tigers.” It’s always an immediate response. So, if you see me in Germany and you’re wearing purple and gold, give me a “Geaux Tigers.” 

Next Steps

Let LSU put you on a path to success! With 330+ undergraduate programs, 70 master's programs, and over 50 doctoral programs, we have a degree for you.

Experience LSUFind Your MajorBecome a Tiger