Boris Miksic, FNACE, shared his remarkable story with leaders in the corrosion industry in the Middle East at NACE Corrosion UAE 2015.

His inspirational talk “Nuts and Bolts of How to Build a World-Class Global Company and Have Fun in Life” kick started NACE’s first corrosion conference in the UAE. He shared his journey starting with his daring escape from his home country to the United States where he built one of the industry’s leading companies.

In his speech Boris addressed young entrepreneurs encouraging them to reach out to their dreams and recognize that the sky’s the limit. He shared his belief in the importance of perseverance in achieving success. He also shared practical tips on how to adopt bold missions, invest in innovation and protect intellectual property. Most notable was Boris’ focus on the global trend of adoption of biobased corrosion inhibitors in corrosion protection.

Boris’ keynote speech was a departure from the mostly technical talks given at NACE events. After a discourse on his professional journey, he shared how he entered politics with no background, party-affiliation or external financing. He was simply driven by his wish to contribute to the recovery of his home country Croatia from a devastating war.

Underlying most of his talk was the importance of having fun in what one does. This extends far beyond the world of corrosion to touch on classic cars, tennis, fishing and good time with loved ones.

Immediately after his talk, Boris signed his book “American Dream” to many of the eager attendants at the Cortec booth in the conference. With something to touch everyone, Boris’ talk will surely stay with the attendants and dignitaries.