Established Consulting Practice

Clarity in complexity.
Precision in delivery.

Independent advisory at the intersection of industrial operations, surfactant chemistry, and strategic transformation — serving manufacturers, investors, and institutions across Europe and beyond.

Discover the practice
25+ Years experience
4 Languages
EU Industrial reach
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About
Francesco Di Filippo — Senior Industrial Consultant

Francesco Di Filippo

Senior Industrial Consultant

Francesco Di Filippo is a Senior Industrial Consultant with deep expertise in the specialty chemicals and surfactant industries. Founder and Managing Director of Surfactants Manufacturing Consulting, he brings more than 25 years of operating experience across R&D, plant operations, and the leadership of large-scale capital investment programs in the specialty chemicals sector.

His practice is built on firsthand knowledge of how industrial systems truly operate — from the laboratory to the boardroom. He brings an uncommon combination of technical depth and strategic perspective, enabling clients to make well-informed decisions with confidence.

Francesco operates as a trusted advisor, not as a vendor. His engagements are grounded in intellectual rigour, discretion, and a genuine commitment to the long-term interests of those he serves.

Base Europe
Focus Specialty Chemicals
Experience 25+ Years
Mode Independent Advisory
Where complex environments reveal their underlying clarity
Who We Support

Serving those who require
substance over surface.

Industrial Manufacturers

Mid-to-large chemical and process manufacturers seeking operational excellence, product portfolio rationalisation, or transformational change in production systems.

Private Equity & Investors

Investment firms and family offices evaluating acquisitions in specialty chemicals — requiring deep technical due diligence that goes beyond financial modelling.

Executive Leadership

C-suite executives and board members navigating strategic pivots, technology selection, or market repositioning in complex industrial environments.

Institutions & Regulators

Public bodies and industry associations requiring independent expert analysis on surfactant technologies, environmental compliance, or market structure.

Areas of Expertise

Built on decades of
direct operational experience.

01

Surfactant Manufacturing & 1,4-Dioxane Reduction

02

Process Engineering

03

Operational Strategy

04

Technical Due Diligence & Valuation Support

05

Executive & Board-Level Advisory

"The most consequential decisions depend on disciplined analysis and the right questions."
Francesco Di Filippo — Senior Industrial Consultant
Services

What the practice delivers.

Strategic Advisory Retainer

Ongoing, confidential advisory to senior leadership — providing a trusted sounding board for operational decisions, strategic planning, and complex problem-solving. Structured for long-term partnerships where continuity and deep contextual knowledge create compounding value.

Technical Due Diligence

Rigorous, independent technical assessment of chemical manufacturing assets, processes, and intellectual property for investors and acquirers. Covers process viability, asset condition, technology risk, regulatory exposure, and operational scalability — delivered with investment-grade precision.

Operational Transformation

Structured programmes to redesign manufacturing operations, reduce complexity, improve yield, and embed a culture of continuous improvement. Grounded in practical implementation — not theoretical frameworks — with measurable outcomes as the primary measure of success.

The Approach

How independent advisory
should actually work.

Every engagement begins by establishing clarity - enabling better decisions, higher efficiency, and more effective resource allocation.

01

Diagnosis Before Prescription

Every engagement begins by establishing clarity - enabling better decisions, higher efficiency, and more effective resource allocation.

02

Independence as a Non-Negotiable

Francesco Di Filippo operates without commercial affiliations to suppliers, technology vendors, or financial intermediaries. Advice is given solely in the interest of the client — always.

03

Precision Over Volume

The practice accepts a limited number of engagements at any one time. This is a deliberate choice: quality, attention, and genuine impact require focus. Clients receive a senior expert — not a project team.

04

Discretion as a Foundation

All matters discussed within an engagement are treated with absolute confidentiality. Sensitive commercial intelligence, organisational challenges, and strategic deliberations are handled with the highest professional standards.

05

Practical Implementation

Recommendations are designed to be implemented, not admired. Every deliverable considers the organisational reality, resource constraints, and change capacity of the client — ensuring that insights translate into outcomes.

Independent Advisory — Precision in Every Engagement
Education & Formation

Academic and professional foundations.

MSc
Master of Sciences in Industrial Engineering
HELMo Gramme College, Belgium
MA
Master in Economics
University of Liège, Belgium
Cert.
Advanced Training in Process Engineering
ENSIC, France
Prof.
Professional Memberships
DETIC — ESSENSCIA — CESIO
Contact

Begin a conversation.

Engagements are accepted by introduction or direct inquiry. Initial conversations are without obligation and held in strict confidence.

contact@surfactants-manufacturing.com

All enquiries handled personally