With a professional graph spanning more than 25 years, Shrinivas has been central to robust businesses across industries and countries. Reimagining possibilities and recalibrating new horizons, he has led diverse teams in different functions. Be it process automation in the late 90s of India or advanced process controls in the Gulf in 2000s, he has headed projects that would set international megatrends later. He points out, “there have been some really tough decisions to navigate and moments of truth. It is not always a success. Many a time, the urge to implement learnings of your failure keeps you going.”
An electrical engineering graduate from Karnataka University in India, Shrinivas began his professional journey at Bell Electronics as a customer support executive. “Customer service role is where you learn industry context. A leader’s overall vision or any strategic move has to translate into a happy customer”, Shrinivas remarks. Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was his forte for years. “I got to lead projects that are now iconic and infrastructure-wise inspirational. There is nothing more satisfying than to see a new value being created.” Shrinivas beams. He later moved to South Asia operations leading key acquisitions, integrations, and new business models. “My focus has been aligning opportunities with collective strength. Paths kept changing but my guiding principle has been a constant,” he says. An honorary member of several strategic bodies and a guest speaker at the top business management institute of India, his hands are full.
Shrinivas started his global career looking forward to experiences and exposure — to cultures, to practices, to people. Progressing into a role that coalesces social purpose and business value, he signed up for Himel. “In my role with Himel, I get to serve the world markets for a business with a vision to make safe electricity accessible to 4 billion people — playing a part that makes a real-life difference. Coming from Asia, I have been part of the evolution and appreciate how every consumer in emerging economies deserves a great quality product within the budget! Indeed, there is fortune on the other half of the pyramid,” Shrinivas makes a point. Himel is a multinational manufacturer and provider of electrical products. Founded by a Spanish entrepreneur in 1958, the company pioneered in exporting quality electrical enclosures, establishing its brand globally. The brand stands for the best combination of affordable and reliable offers for Low Voltage Power Distribution, Final Distribution, Power Management, Motor Control and Protection, Industrial Components, and Home Electric to customers in over 50 countries.
FOSTERING GROUND-UP SUCCESS THROUGH TEAM EXCELLENCE
Under Shrinivas’ leadership, Himel has grown to be a purpose-led business in its segment. Leveraging on-ground distributor network, streamlined supply chain and agile regional teams — he has steered Himel ahead, including two tough years of the pandemic. “The journey hasn’t been simple”, Shrinivas explains, “Emerging economies are fast evolving and have very deserving markets that are sensitive about the value of their investments. These markets are quick to welcome global brands but also want reliable quality, best-in-class service, and local accessibility — all fitting into their budgets.” Shrinivas has relentlessly focused on crafting Himel’s brand niche for emerging markets with continuous customer education, market communication, and engaging extensively with the channel ecosystem — a feat that has made Himel a synonym of quality, value, and reliability. “The brand has been built, sustained, and grown by teams that deny the premise of compromise due to lower cost. We are not just another economic brand, our goal is to extend the benefits of Value Engineering for All,” Shrinivas underscores that Himel is looking beyond the profit axis.
BUILDING A PEOPLE’S BRAND
For any forward-looking economy, ease of access to safer electricity is the foremost enabler. “Himel is a people’s brand. It has a legacy of 60+ years that has held its place in people’s homes and businesses. I always see Himel as a bridge to high quality and affordability. We make sure that these two virtues are not exclusive, rather integrated into every aspect of our every product,” Shrinivas remarks. Under his leadership, Himel has become a front-runner in eCommerce, products being sold through Amazon UAE, Shopee, Jumia, and Lazada. With 6500+ resellers and 100+ distributors — Himel has been instrumental in several key projects across residential, industrial, commercial and utilities sectors.
ENABLING LOCAL SUCCESS THROUGH GLOBAL PRODUCTS
“Social housing, manufacturing, small-medium businesses, and agriculture are close to my heart. They are the engines for economic growth and better livelihoods. COVID pandemic has been a major setback and we want Himel products to become a catalyst in spurring growth and jobs. With value-engineered products, we are amplifying the access,” Shrinivas makes a point. He explains, “My job is to ensure a healthy distribution ecosystem so that we can tap markets where we are required. If a business or a school has profitable and safer operations due to Himel products, my task here is done right”.
TRANSLATING VISION INTO REALITY
Shrinivas’ goal is to make Himel the brand of choice of the masses to build safer homes, safer industrial facilities, & safer community infrastructure thus reducing the impact on assets and life due to the poor quality. “We will continue building upon Himel’s vision of affordability, accessibility, & value engineering. We want to create a robust ecosystem where for each person — be it a customer or retailer, Himel should bring success in their lives and businesses,” he says. “Expanding our channel network, building strategic partnerships with local players serving value markets, further building the brand, and creating a world-class dream team that realizes our vision on the ground — my to-do list is long”, he smiles.
