Shankar Kumar Email & Phone Number

Chicago, Il, Us

Pittsburgh, Pa, Us

With a unique and innovative magnetics technology that is 10x (yes, 10 times) lower in weight, 4x lower in volume, 50% higher in efficiency, NO rare earth materials, and US manufacturing capability, CorePower Magnetics' electrical component portfolio aims to the transform the 100 year old magnetics space.As an acting Chief Commercial Officer, I am responsible for all revenue-side functions including sales, marketing, pricing, partnerships and channel development.

I founded a consulting practice to help businesses drive from 'slide packs' to 'green backs' - rapidlyMost clients engage us on Growth, Transformation, Turnarounds and Managing Uncertainty, across Automotive, Manufacturing, Technology and Energy Sectors1) We advised a PE-backed manufacturing firm based in Western Europe by identifying a value creation opportunity with a 25% upside, that can be realized within the next 1 year2) Advised the Board of an energy tech startup on product-market fit, business strategy, pilot design and customer acquisition3) As a mentor at the Chicago Booth Polsky Center of Innovation, I coach young entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas on how to move from slide-packs to green-backs

London, England, Gb

Umbrex is a selective, global community of top-tier independent management consultants. The mission of Umbrex is to create opportunities for independent consultants to meet, build relationships, share lessons learned, and collaborate.

New York, Ny, Us

As a GLG Expert Member I bring 20+ years of first-hand executive experience in capital intensive industries to help leaders make high quality strategic decisions with confidence and without stress.GLG is the world’s insight network. It connects decision makers to the right experts so they can act with the confidence that comes from true clarity and have what it takes to get ahead. Its network of experts is the world’s largest and most varied source of first-hand expertise.

Irving, Texas, Us

EXECUTED FLAGSHIP SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE - Proactively addressed company-level climate and sustainability concerns by collaborating with C-suite executives to navigate stakeholder pressures. Conducted benchmarking and due diligence on 75 companies, prompting the CEO to disclose scope 3 aggregated emissions data for thousands of products sold in 170 countries thereby aligning Caterpillar with industry standards. Improved management's reputation with the Board and institutional investors, resulting in the elimination of climate-related shareholder proposals in 2022. LED STRATEGIC RESULTS IN A MATRIXED ENVIRONMENT: Employed a highly structured approach to effectively solve challenging, multi-disciplinary problems in a complex matrixed organization. Built high-performing teams, managed project pipelines and staffing, and secured a multi million $ annual budget to drive results. Leveraged executive-level skills to navigate tough discussions, resolve conflicts, building relationships with influential leaders, while overseeing 80 projects that have contributed to significant organizational growth and a 9x dollarized benefit compared to external consultants. IMPROVED CLARITY IN ENTERPRISE ENERGY STRATEGY DECISIONS - Shaped initiatives for decarbonization and energy transition, including electrification, distributed generation, green hydrogen, carbon capture, and fuel flexibility. Employed "real options analysis" to navigate uncertainties in battery vehicle adoption, hydrogen choices, and energy options. Supported a pivotal multi-billion $ investment proposal to Caterpillar board, fostering data-driven decisions aligned with emerging trends. Instilled confidence in seamless energy transition, impacting M&A, product investments, and competitive strategies.

Irving, Texas, Us

PIONEERED THE STRATEGY FUNCTION OF A $50B BUSINESS – Co-led the creation of the corporate strategy function, overseeing 32 projects on growth, technology disruption, cost management, competitive response, and resource allocation. Developed team mission, led portfolio analysis, created inorganic development and strategic planning frameworks, and fostered a high-performance culture among 70 dispersed and matrixed employees. Drove organizational success through forward-thinking mindset, gap identification, and effective disruption management across 25 x ~$2B revenue industrial businesses. LED THE TURNAROUND OF AN UNPROFITABLE $1B BUSINESS IN ASIA - Revived an unprofitable business through a strategic shift towards higher-margin, faster-growing products exported from India. Implemented measures like integrating IT systems, establishing a robust retail channel, introducing tailored financing for construction clients, and sourcing locally. This led to a significant increase in market share to 14% and an 8% rise in profitability within 18 months, despite COVID. ORCHESTRATED THE STRATEGIC RESPONSE TO DISTRIBUTED ENERGY GENERATION – Formulated an innovative approach for navigating the changing energy landscape by targeting key end markets, such as mine sites, to expand the product portfolio, and build key business capabilities. Prioritized digital energy management solutions that propelled Caterpillar's distributed power generation strategy, enhancing market competitiveness and a resulting profit increase of $100 million. FORMULATED A COMPREHENSIVE M&A FRAMEWORK - Revamped existing M&A workflow to a proactive pipeline strategy, leading the development of a strong framework and executing strategic evaluations worth $1B. Evaluated 5 potential acquisitions, analyzing customer needs, synergies, channel advantages, and brand compatibility for strategic fit.

Raleigh, North Carolina, Us

Advisory Board Member at the North Carolina State University Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Initiative. Share best practices and frameworks from the 11 month turnaround of that function at Caterpillar - to make risk management functions across industries less process-oriented and more strategically-oriented.

Columbus, Indiana, Us

COFOUNDED STARTUP IOT COMPANY – As Chief Commercial Officer and interim CFO, led the establishment of an innovative IoT startup in the automotive sector, incubated within Cummins. Drove digital connectivity in the $50B US heavy-duty truck market, meeting regulatory telemetry and data requirements. Created independent company for Cummins' full-service vision, leading strategy, finance and business innovation. Navigated startup challenges, achieving remarkable results in a 6-month startup journey. Formalized competitive strategy, go-to-market plan, and efficient operations in a dynamic environment. COMMERCIALIZED AND DROVE GROWTH THROUGH STRATEGIC BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS – Drove the business development and execution of win-win business partnership models, spearheading direct discussions with 30 companies. Oversaw strategic initiatives, business operations, and sales development, engaging with 100+ customers and strategic partners. Demonstrated exceptional negotiation and relationship-building skills, securing a lucrative multi-million $ data-exchange contract with America’s #2 auto-insurance company.

Columbus, Indiana, Us

DROVE COMPANY GROWTH STRATEGY - Led two crucial workstreams to support a resilient 10-year growth strategy, to maintain high shareholder returns while defending core markets, and entering new, technology-centric markets – in a way that is aligned with the company's vision. Developed the strategic thesis for a business critical joint venture deal that has delivered $2B revenue between 2017-2022. Also, devised a competitive strategy safeguarding market share for a vital business segment responsible for 40% of the company's revenue. DESIGNED STRATEGIC PORTOLIO MANAGEMENT MODEL– Assessed the company's entire $20B revenue portfolio to identify strategic and financial attractiveness. The model informed subsequent investment decisions including the divestment of two non-value adding product lines thereby maximizing long-term company performance.

Columbus, Indiana, Us

- Launched a new product at 40% lower cost vs. benchmark leading a 23 member cross-functional team- Spearheaded timely introduction of a new product feature resulting in a 25% gain in product reliability- Created a financial model for a capital investment that generated positive NPV and rapid (6 month) payback

Columbus, Indiana, Us

- Authored 6 technology patents for fuel-efficient, greener, lower cost products- Directed global, cross-industry project teams to develop technologies resulting in aggregate savings of $3 million; one of these programs was awarded Cummins’ ‘Chairman's Quality Award’- Authored a multi-million dollar research proposal for the U.S. Department of Defense on behalf of Cummins- Led a joint program with BP and U.S. Dept. of Energy inventing a new fuel with better (6%) vehicle mileage- Managed a collaborative project with an academic partner developing fuel flexible vehicle technologies

Columbus, Ohio, Us

One of the 30 global students out of 100s of applicants that was awarded the University Research Fellowship Award

- Generated annual budget plans of up to $20 million in collaboration with the VP of Operations- Revamped operations planning (production and quality tracking, capacity assessment, costing analysis)- Headed a customer-facing function building and managing relationships with 5 global automotive OEMs- Supervised an internal team of 30 quality engineers to achieve a 10-fold improvement in customer-end manufacturing defects (5% to 0.5%) over a period of 2 years

Master Of Business Administration, Strategic Management, Finance

Master Of Science, Mechanical Engineering

B.E. With Honors And Distinction [Summa Cum Laude], Mechanical Engineering