Nikki O’Brien
Head of Global Business Development, Collano
Nikki OBrien graduated from Furman University in 1994 with a dual degree in Philosophy and Asian Studies. She began her career in the adhesives industry in 1995 with National Starch & Chemical, focusing on technical sales. In 2000, she joined the Swiss-based KMU Collano/nolax in the United States, marking the beginning of a 25-year journey dedicated to innovation in adhesives.
After relocating to Switzerland in 2009, Nikki led several start-up initiatives within nolax, driving the development and commercialization of disruptive solutions across diverse adhesive applications. In 2020, she was appointed CEO of nolax, where she continued to foster strategic growth and technological differentiation.
Following the 2024 merger of nolax with Collano AG, Nikki assumed leadership of global business development. In this role, she is responsible for spearheading international market entries and scaling pioneering Swiss adhesive technologies worldwide.
Silane-epoxy Adhesives: Bridging Challenges, Bonding Futures
The versatility of our silane-epoxy adhesives has made them a go-to solution for our customers facing complex adhesion challenges in diverse industries. Bonding of dissimilar materials, ranging from ski manufacturing to building long-lasting facade modules, multi-material lightweight elements for vehicles and even ballistic protection systems are some examples of the applications where the unique properties of silane-epoxy adhesives are used. Despite the excitement surrounding this product’s innovation and applications, our journey with silane-epoxy adhesives has not been without challenges. After a company merger, our team faced a steep learning curve marked by chemical compliance issues, supply chain complexities, and knowledge transfer hurdles. Adhering to varying global regulations during reformulation efforts to ensure safety and environmental compliance, managing logistical barriers for such a specialized product, and empowering new team members to quickly adapt to the technical nuances and revisit pilot-, scale-up, and large-scale production of the silane-epoxy adhesive portfolio tested our company’s resilience. However, these obstacles also inspired solutions and innovations. By fostering collaboration across the technology and business development team and prioritizing customer communication, we turned these challenges into opportunities for growth, further cementing the position of our silane-epoxy adhesives as a versatile and indispensable solution in the adhesive industry.
A joint presentation with Raphael Schaller, CTO, Collano
Breakout X- Industry Outlook & Technologies – 12 September 2025 – 9:00 – 9:30 – Room 2