Over a three-decade career, Mariyam M. Pybus has distinguished herself in the industrial gases sector, most recently serving as the bulk pricing and profitability director at Airgas Inc. since 2025. In this capacity, her responsibilities have included developing energy training programs, collaborating with global teams, and identifying process improvements and synergies across Airgas Inc.’s parent company, Air Liquide. Ms. Pybus manages cross-functional projects, pulling together efforts from colleagues in Europe, Asia and the United States. She has been widely recognized for her expertise in business and engineering solutions, contract negotiation, energy and project management, and strategic development.
Ms. Pybus has been affiliated with Air Liquide throughout her professional journey, first joining the company in 1996 as a plant engineer. From that origin, she progressed through roles of increasing responsibility, including account manager, energy services manager, carbon dioxide sourcing manager, energy commercial manager and business manager of cogeneration activities. Further demonstrating her leadership, Ms. Pybus held the role of energy operations and financial manager from 2010 to 2015, followed by six years as the director of marketing and development. Prior to her current position, she was the senior director of atmospheric gases at Air Liquide from 2021 to 2024, overseeing critical operations within the company’s healthcare division and spearheading the launch of a medical oxygen cylinder in the U.S. market.
Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Ms. Pybus grew up in the United Kingdom before immigrating to the United States to pursue higher education, beginning with a Bachelor of Science in biology from Montana State University Billings in 1993. She initially considered pursuing medicine before being encouraged by a friend to explore engineering. Ms. Pybus obtained a second Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Montana State University’s Bozeman campus in 1996. While establishing herself in the early years of her career, she earned a Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Dallas in 2000.
As a member of several important organizations, Ms. Pybus remains aware of developments affecting her field. Most notably, she has served as president of Air Liquide’s Women’s Initiative Network and maintains a connection to Women’s Energy Network Houston. Ms. Pybus attributes her success to the opportunities she has had to showcase her skills, as well as the support of mentors, colleagues and family members who have encouraged her. She emphasizes that having a strong support system has been fundamental to her achievements.
Equally committed to civic engagement, Ms. Pybus prioritizes making an impact on her community. She founded the Women Empower Women Initiative Network at Airgas in 2025, showcasing her dedication to uplifting other women. Ms. Pybus has also contributed time and resources to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity International and the March of Dimes. She regularly takes part in Earth Day community events.
Reflecting on significant milestones in her life, Ms. Pybus is drawn to a mix of professional and personal accomplishments. She takes great pride in graduating with both her bachelor’s degrees and in being hired for her first job. But Ms. Pybus is equally proud of her 20-year marriage to her husband and giving birth to her first child despite not expecting to ever be a mother. The couple is raising five children — including two sets of fraternal twins — ranging in age from 7 to 17. When their second set of twins was born, Ms. Pybus’ husband left his career to manage the household, illustrating the strength and mutual support that defines their relationship. Her personal narrative is shaped by each of these events and the ways in which they intertwine, making it impossible to separate and view from just the perspective of her career.
In late 2024, Ms. Pybus was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer, a development that influenced her decision to begin shifting toward retirement after many years of professional success. She is currently undergoing targeted treatment that has prevented further disease progression thus far. Grateful for advances made possible by clinical research, Ms. Pybus hopes to devote more of her time to family while exploring opportunities for nonprofit work focused on lung cancer awareness, support or research. She hopes her legacy of perseverance and determination inspires her children and others to recognize they can accomplish anything if they set their minds to the task and don’t give up.