M. S. Unnikrishnan
Managing Director & CEO
M. S. Unnikrishnan took over as Managing Director on July 1, 2007. Earlier, as Executive Vice President, he had been the company's project business – captive power, boilers & heaters and air pollution control.
Mr. Unnikrishnan began his career with Thermax after graduating from the NIIT, Nagpur in 1982 in Mechanical engineering. He has also completed his Advanced Management Programme from the Harvard Business School, USA.
Joining Thermax as a graduate trainee, he went on to establish the marketing set up for the Energy division of Thermax in the Western Region. From 1987 and 1997, Mr. Unnikrishnan worked with EID Parry as the Head of Engineering Division and with Terrazzo Inc, U.A.E. as AGM heading the manufacturing, marketing and commercial operations.
After rejoining Thermax as General Manager in 1997, he headed the waste management and absorption cooling divisions of the company, turning around both these businesses and making them profitable. After an organizational restructuring in 2000, he became a member of the newly formed Executive Council in 2000. He led the human resource function of Thermax during its critical turnaround period and later established the Project Management Office, to spearhead the transformation initiative of the company.
Mr. Unnikrishnan is a passionate advocate of a sustaining ecosystem of innovation and technology for national resurgence. He co-chairs the National Committee for Capital goods of FICCI. 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 AICT Jury Committee for annual ranking of technical and management institutes of the country.
Mr. Unnikrishnan has been honoured with the ‘Asia Innovator Award' at the 11th CNBC Asia Business Leaders Awards, held in Bangkok in November 2012. Earlier in 2010, he was also awarded the ‘Distinguished Alumni' of NIIT, Nagpur.
Mr. Unnikrishnan is known for his strategic and human relations skills and is a champion of green technologies.