Member Spotlight: Camille Sematiski
Meet Camille Sematiski, a Business Development Manager for North America at Berkem, working at the intersection of cosmetic ingredients, chemistry, and commercial strategy. With a background in chemistry and a passion for building meaningful industry relationships, she focuses on driving sustainable growth and supporting innovation across the personal care space. Her career path reflects both technical expertise and a global perspective shaped by international study and hands-on experience across multiple markets.
Career milestone: A defining milestone in Camille’s journey was joining Silab as a West Coast Account Manager, where she deepened her expertise in cosmetic raw materials and learned from seasoned industry leaders over three years. This experience strengthened her commercial skill set and reinforced her long-standing passion for the beauty ingredients sector. She later advanced her career by stepping into her current role at Berkem, expanding her responsibilities across North America and further building her professional network.
Key Advice: One of the most impactful pieces of advice Camille has received is that “sales is like a rollercoaster, you have to be in for the ride.” This mindset has helped her stay grounded through both wins and challenges, emphasizing resilience, adaptability, and the importance of consistency over time.
Mentors: My previous managers and directors have had a major impact on my career by sharing their knowledge, experience, and passion for the cosmetic industry. Their mentorship helped me grow professionally and gain confidence in my abilities. One of my former directors was especially inspiring through the way he motivated and encouraged his team — his words and leadership left a lasting impression on me, and I hope to one day inspire others the same way he inspired me.
Five-Year Career Goal: Looking ahead, Camille aims to move into a leadership position where she can manage and mentor a team while continuing to grow within the cosmetic industry. She is also interested in transitioning further into product development, combining her chemistry background with her commercial experience to help drive innovation.
Best Networking Convo Starter: “What are you building next?” is Camille’s go-to networking starter because it quickly moves the conversation beyond surface-level introductions and into real ambition, direction, and opportunity. It tends to open up more meaningful, forward-looking dialogue right away.
