BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Meher Pudumjee
CHAIRPERSON

Meher Pudumjee
CHAIRPERSON
A postgraduate in Chemical Engineering from the Imperial College of Science & Technology, London, Meher joined Thermax as a trainee engineer in August 1990. A year later, along with her husband Pheroz Pudumjee, they took over the responsibility of turning around a Thermax subsidiary company in the UK.
After her return to India in September 1996, she was appointed on the Board of Directors. With her newly acquired interest in Finance, she worked closely with the treasury and working capital management functions of Thermax. She was involved with overseeing a Joint Venture Company in the area of drinking water as well as the Air Pollution Control businesses of the company. In January 2001 she became a non-executive director and was appointed Vice Chairperson in 2002. During this period she played an active role in the turnaround of Thermax.
She took over as Chairperson on October 5, 2004, after the retirement of Mrs. Anu Aga.
Ms.Pudumjee represented India at the Asian Business Women’s Conference in Osaka in 2006. The World Economic Forum in 2008 selected her as a Young Global Leader for her professional accomplishment, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. She was selected CEO of the Year, 2009 by Business Standard.
Ms. Pudumjee served as the Chairperson of Pune Zonal Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). When a member of CII’s Young Indians, she chaired the National Employability initiative.
Meher has a keen interest in music, especially western classical and is a member of a Pune based choir. She lives in Pune with her husband and has two children.

Pheroz Pudumjee
NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Pheroz Pudumjee
NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
He managed Thermax’s overseas venture in UK and facilitates the company’s international initiatives including the incubation and development of new business and relevant organisational changes.
Mr. Pudumjee was the Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Pune. He was also a member of CII’S national committee on Export and a member on the Maratha Chamber of Commerce’s International panel.
He has a Masters in Business Administration and a diploma in Automobile Technology from Stanford University.

M S Unnikrishnan
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO

M S Unnikrishnan
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO
Mr. Unnikrishnan began his career with Thermax after graduating in Mechanical engineering from VNIT, Nagpur in 1982. He is a graduate in Advanced Management Programme from the Harvard Business School, USA.
He worked with the EID-Parry group for 5 years as the Head of its Engineering business and with Terrazzo Inc, U.A.E from 1992 to 1997 as its Assistant General Manager.
He re-joined Thermax as General Manager in 1997. Since then, he has headed the Waste Management and Absorption Cooling divisions of Thermax. In 2000, he became a member of the newly formed Executive Council. He has also led the human resources function of the Company and spearheaded the transformation initiative of the Company.
Under Mr. Unnikrishnan’s leadership, Thermax has grown to be a billion dollar company in 2010-11. During the period, Thermax extended its reach through two acquisitions in Europe. It also positioned itself as a leading supplier of power systems and equipment through two joint ventures, one of them for the niche area of supercritical boilers.
He Chairs the CII National Committee of Industrial Relations. He has chaired the Capital Goods Skill Council Committee under the National Skill Development Corporation. He also chaired the Skills Working Group of BRICS Business Council in 2016. He is Member of the Development Council constituted by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, to create strategies for the industrial development of the country.
Mr. Unnikrishnan is actively involved in initiatives for the improvement of technical education in India. He is a member of the AICTE Jury Committee for annual ranking of technical and management institutes of the country. He Co-Chairs the Apex Council to implement the ‘Prime Minister’s Fellowship Scheme for Doctoral Research’, a joint initiative from the government and industry to encourage industrial research and nurture talent.

Harsh Mariwala
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Harsh Mariwala
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
He is the Chairman of Marico Limited, and is also Chairman & Managing Director of its wholly owned subsidiary, Kaya Limited. Mr. Mariwala has transformed Marico, a traditional commodities driven business into a leading consumer products and services company in the beauty and wellness space. From a turnover of Rs. 50 lakhs in 1971, Marico’s products generated a turnover of INR 6,132 crores during 2015-16. The company has won several awards and recognition under his leadership. He established the Marico Innovation Foundation in 2003 to fuel innovation in India. He started ASCENT in 2012, a not-for-profit and unique peer-to- peer platform for high potential entrepreneurs to exchange experiences and ideas.
Mr. Mariwala was the President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in 2011. He has been a part of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), held the position of YPO Education, Membership and Chapter Chair for the Bombay Chapter, and was a member of the International Forum Board of YPO International. He is now a part of the World Presidents Organization (WPO).

Dr. Valentin von Massow
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Dr. Valentin von Massow
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
Dr. von Massow received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Georgia Augusta University, Göttingen (Germany) in 1983. After initial 2-years work experience in Africa, he practiced for almost 20 years as a Management Consultant with The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Europe, US and India; in 1993 he was promoted to Vice President and Director of BCG Inc. During his tenure with BCG he held a number of senior positions, including Managing Director, India, and a member of the firm’s Asia Pacific Management Team.
Since 2006, Dr. von Massow has been working as an Independent (non-executive) Director, based in London and Berlin. His board mandates have included companies in the (renewable) energy, environment and agriculture sectors in India, Germany and UK, as well as start-ups and not-for-profit civil society organisations. He has been involved with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) for many years, and currently serves as Chairman of WWF Germany and as Vice President of WWF International, based in Switzerland. He is also on the Board of Ritterschaftliches Kreditinstitut Stade, Germany. He brings with him a rich global experience of strategy, business models, governance and operations.

Nawshir Mirza
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Nawshir Mirza
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
He is Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India having qualified in the year 1973. He spent most of his career with Ernst & Young and its Indian member firm, S. R. Batliboi & Co., Chartered Accountants, and its predecessor firm, Arthur Young, being a partner from 1974 to 2003.
He has contributed to the accounting profession, being a speaker or the chairperson at a large number of professional conferences in India and abroad.
As a philanthropist, he is actively involved with Childline, an all-India NGO for abused and distressed children. He is also Honorary Treasurer of the Indian Red Cross, Maharashtra and a trustee of the Narielvala Fire Temple in Mumbai.
Since 2003 Mr. Mirza has been involved in the movement for improved governance in the corporate sector. He is also involved in propagating knowledge of the threat to humankind from climate change and an appropriate response.

S. B. (Ravi) Pandit
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

S. B. (Ravi) Pandit
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
He is the co-founder, chairman and group CEO of KPIT Technologies Ltd. His vision has steered the company from product engineering, IT consulting and services, to three industries namely automotive & transportation, manufacturing and energy & utilities.
He is a gold medalist and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, an associate member of the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India, and holds a master from Sloan School of Management, MIT, Cambridge, USA. In 2014, Tilak Maharashtra University decorated him with an honorary D.Litt.
Having run a Chartered Accountancy firm for close to a decade after finishing his master’s studies, Mr. Pandit decided to venture into information technology consulting and services, thus setting up KPIT with his co-founder in 1990.
For his commitment to conducting business in an ethical manner and for the value KPIT partnership has brought to Cummins, Mr. Pandit was honoured with the J Irwin Miller Award of Excellence by Cummins. He has also been conferred the Rotary Excellence Award, Maharashtra Corporate Excellence (MAXELL) Award and the Samata Award.
Ravi is a founder trustee of NGO Janwani which focuses on improvements in urban India. He is a founder trustee of the Pune International Centre, a national level think tank working on policy issues. Mr. Pandit was a member of the Government of India’s Automotive Research Program Committee and on DST’s Technology Development Board. He has served as the president of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture and has been on the NASSCOM executive council twice.

Dr. Jairam Varadaraj
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Dr. Jairam Varadaraj
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
He is also Managing Director of Elgi Equipments Ltd. and is also on the Board of Elgi Rubber Company Ltd., Precot Meridian Ltd., Magna Electro Castings Ltd, Elgi Sauer Compressors Ltd, Elgi Ultra Industries Ltd., Elgi Ultra Ltd., Dark Horse Portfolio Investment Ltd. and ATS Elgi Ltd.
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from George Washington University, USA and Ph.D. in International Business from the University of Michigan, USA. He has varied experience covering textiles, polymers, mechanical machines and consumer appliances.
Dr. Varadaraj has spent about four years in teaching and research in the United States, studying computerized marketing simulation as well as researching Euro-bond markets. He has also conducted research studies on international financial markets, joint ventures, corporate strategy and technology transfers in the United States. He was the Chairman of the Tamil Nadu State Committee of CII.

Rajani Kesari
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Rajani Kesari
INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR
She is a commerce graduate, Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant and Certified Public Accountant from the USA.
She joined Lafargeholcim in January 2018 as Regional Finance Head – Asia (India, SEA & Australia). Rajani had two distinct stints at Schneider Electric and Dr. Reddy’s ltd. She has diverse experience across internal audit, compliance, treasury, M & A, driving transformation. She has also played a very meaningful role in driving business impact both in India and Overseas. Working with Dr. Reddy’s in Germany, she had to tum the business around and across many fronts: legal, supply chain, using licenses to get more business, change the model from ‘Doctor selling’ to engaging with retailers, an experience of great learning.
She has a very good understanding of Audit and Compliance and comes across as a very focused CFO who clearly drives for making an impact, speaks her mind, while at the same time she understands the need to drive the business as well.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

M S Unnikrishnan
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO

M S Unnikrishnan
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO
Mr. Unnikrishnan began his career with Thermax after graduating in Mechanical engineering from VNIT, Nagpur in 1982. He is a graduate in Advanced Management Programme from the Harvard Business School, USA.
He worked with the EID-Parry group for 5 years as the Head of its Engineering business and with Terrazzo Inc, U.A.E from 1992 to 1997 as its Assistant General Manager.
He re-joined Thermax as General Manager in 1997. Since then, he has headed the Waste Management and Absorption Cooling divisions of Thermax. In 2000, he became a member of the newly formed Executive Council. He has also led the human resources function of the Company and spearheaded the transformation initiative of the Company.
Under Mr. Unnikrishnan’s leadership, Thermax has grown to be a billion dollar company in 2010-11. During the period, Thermax extended its reach through two acquisitions in Europe. It also positioned itself as a leading supplier of power systems and equipment through two joint ventures, one of them for the niche area of supercritical boilers.
He Chairs the CII National Committee of Industrial Relations. He has chaired the Capital Goods Skill Council Committee under the National Skill Development Corporation. He also chaired the Skills Working Group of BRICS Business Council in 2016. He is Member of the Development Council constituted by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, to create strategies for the industrial development of the country.
Mr. Unnikrishnan is actively involved in initiatives for the improvement of technical education in India. He is a member of the AICTE Jury Committee for annual ranking of technical and management institutes of the country. He Co-Chairs the Apex Council to implement the ‘Prime Minister’s Fellowship Scheme for Doctoral Research’, a joint initiative from the government and industry to encourage industrial research and nurture talent.

Sharad Gangal
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - HR, IR, ADMINISTRATION

Sharad Gangal
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - HR, IR, ADMINISTRATION
Sharad joined Thermax from HDFC Standard Life Insurance where he headed Human Resources with focus on employee engagement, talent retention, career planning and structured communication across the organization. He brings in 26 years of rich experience in the areas of human resources and industrial relations from a career spanning Cadbury India, Asian Paints and Boehringer Mannheim.
A Master of Labour Studies from Mumbai University, Sharad also holds a graduation degree in law and commerce.

Pravin Karve
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - BOILER AND HEATER GROUP

Pravin Karve
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - BOILER AND HEATER GROUP
He joined Thermax as a Graduate Trainee Engineer in 1984 and has worked in various functions like sales, proposals, field sales, international marketing, sourcing, operations, etc. He was part of the core team leading the company’s transformation initiatives. Before taking over the current role, he was the Business Unit Head for Boiler & Heater, and prior to that, he headed the Air Pollution Control (Enviro) business.
Pravin completed his Mechanical Engineering from Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli in 1984.

B C Mahesh
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - POWER

B C Mahesh
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - POWER
He joined Thermax as a graduate trainee in 1988 and handled the Materials function for various businesses including global sourcing till 1996. He moved to Power division and grew to the position of Sales Head and subsequently Head of Projects. He took over as the Head of the SBU for Medium Power Plants in 2009 and finally as Head of Power business in 2012. Mahesh has been involved in shaping the strategy and growth of Power in the EPC and O&M businesses.
Mahesh completed his Mechanical Engineering from Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering, Nagpur in 1988.

Hemant Mohgaonkar
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - COOLING & HEATING

Hemant Mohgaonkar
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - COOLING & HEATING
In a career spanning 21 years, Hemant worked with Knorr Bremse India, Tata Toyo Radiators Ltd., FAG Precision Bearings Ltd., Indian Seamless Metal Tubes and Bharat Forge. His vast experience encompasses strategic planning, marketing, sales, engineering and technology development.
Hemant joined Thermax from Tata Auto Comp Systems (TACO) where he was President and Head-Business Group II, overseeing Interiors and Plastic division, Automotive Composite business and Tata GS Yuasa battery business. Earlier, as head of engineering service business of TACO, he was responsible for setting up engineering centres in Japan and China.
A BE Mechanical from Nagpur University, Hemant is also an MBA from Symbiosis, Pune and has completed a Diploma in General Management from Netherland’s Maastricht School of Management.

Rajendran Arunachalam
CFO AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Rajendran Arunachalam
CFO AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Starting his career with Thermax as a Management Trainee in 1993, he had worked for 15 years till 2008 across departments and businesses, including the role of Finance Controller for Chemical and Power businesses. He worked with Tata AutoComp Systems from 2008 to 2013 and subsequently moved to Gabriel India Ltd., where he was the CFO heading Finance, Secretarial, Legal & IT functions before rejoining Thermax.
A Certified Public Accountant, Rajendran has completed his Masters in Management Studies (MMS), Integrated Program of Engineering & Management from BITS Pilani and Advanced Management & Leadership Program from the Oxford University in the UK.

Dr. R R Sonde
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Dr. R R Sonde
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
A Ph. D. from IIT, Mumbai, Dr. Sonde comes to Thermax after an illustrious 25-year career with the Department of Atomic Energy.
He was awarded the Dr. Homi Bhabha Gold Medal by the Prime Minister in 2006, for his outstanding contributions in the field of nuclear energy. A Member of the Department of Science & Technology’s Scientific Advisory committee, Dr. Sonde continues to serve as member on the IIT Senate Committee. Since 2004, he had been heading the R&D and Energy Technologies Centre of NTPC.
At Thermax, Dr. Sonde is currently developing and nurturing the Research, Technology & Innovation Center (RTIC).

Prosenjit Sengupta
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER

Prosenjit Sengupta
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER
Prosenjit joined Thermax from the Volkswagen Group, where he was heading the digitalisation initiative for India, apart from heading its Steering and Governance for Asia Pacific. He also had a 14 years stint with Tata Motors, where he successfully created the Customer Relationship and Dealer Management systems.
He brings in 20 years of enriching experience of digitising multi-country, multi-portfolio operations across organisations apart from creating governance strategies and integrating social media platforms.
A graduate in Electronics Engineering, Prosenjit has also done his Business Management degree from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.

Bill Shukla
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & GROUP BUSINESS HEAD - ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS

Bill Shukla
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & GROUP BUSINESS HEAD - ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS
Bill joined from Martin Engineering India where he was the Managing Director for five years.
Before this, in a career spanning over 20 years, Bill has worked with Terex, Konecranes and Kone Elevators including assignments in Australia for several years. Bill brings to Thermax his varied experience in greenfield startup, sales marketing, project management, business strategy and operations, apart from an experience of working with stakeholders in multiple geographies.
A B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the Manipal Institute of Technology, Bill has also completed a Senior Leadership Program from IIM Ahmedabad.

Shekhar Kashalikar
Senior Vice President - TBWES

Shekhar Kashalikar
Senior Vice President - TBWES
Shekhar joined Thermax as a Graduate Trainee Engineer in 1992 and has worked in various functions like sales, proposals, field sales, international marketing, operation etc. He has extensive international experience and has been responsible for developing markets for various Thermax products in countries such as Indonesia, Brazil and Thailand.
Before Thermax, Shekhar had a stint with Caterpillar group company for a few years. In 2007, he rejoined Thermax to head the Small Power Plant performance unit. He helped to implement lean EPC model and successfully grew the performance unit into a full-fledged Strategic Business Unit (SBU). After this, he headed the Cooling SBU, followed by the large Boiler-Utility SBU. Before his current role, he headed the largest SBU of Thermax – Boiler & Heater.
A Mechanical Engineer from the College of Engineering Pune, Shekhar has also completed the Leadership Development Program from Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad.