Long-term Player — Mr. Arvind Mehra’s interview with The Machinist

S. P. Shukla,
Chairman, Mahindra Aerospace Pvt. Ltd.

SP Shukla is a Member of the Group Executive Board of Mahindra Group. As Group President, he is responsible for the aerospace, defense, and steel sectors. This makes him the Chairman of the Board of several companies engaged in designing and producing aircraft, armored vehicles, radars, naval systems, and specialty steel.

After studying at the Indian Institute of Technology — Banaras Hindu University and the Indian Institute of Management — Ahmedabad, he has spent the next 38 years managing large projects and operations. He has gained expertise in the field of automotive tires and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) sectors in India.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Shukla served as President of Group Strategy and Chief Brand Officer of the Mahindra Group. He oversaw and orchestrated a complete makeover of the visual identity of the Mahindra Group. It was during this period that the Group Strategy Office launched and institutionalized the Rise Prize (with prize money of one million US dollars), which aims to foster and develop the innovation ecosystem in India. In his capacity as Chief Brand Officer, he was also responsible for the Mahindra Racing portfolio – both MotoGP (motorcycle) and Formula E (electric cars) .

Mr. Shukla served as Chairman of Group Brand Council and member of the Investment Committee of Mahindra Partners, where the portfolio included retail, solar energy, logistics, and boats. He has also served as a director on the boards of Group companies such as Bristlecone, USA and Mahindra First Choice Services, India. Additionally, he is a director on the boards of CIE, Spain and Mahindra CIE, India.

In addition to his other responsibilities, Mr. Shukla is also serving as Chairman of the Group Sustainability Council of Mahindra Group, which drives initiatives related to sustainability and environment across the businesses of the Group.

Mr. Shukla is also affiliated with several renowned industry forums. He is a member of the Indo-French CEOs Forum, Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the India-Israel CEOs Forum, the India-Germany CEOs Forum, and the India-Spain CEOs Forum. Additionally, he has served as a member of the Technology Development Board, Department of Science & Technology, Govt of India.

Keith Douglas
Chief Executive Officer — Aircraft Division

Keith Douglas is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mahindra Aerospace’s aircraft business. He brings with him over 30 years of experience in managing multi-million dollar business enterprises in dynamic, competitive, and turbulent environments. He has extensive practical experience in business transition, restructuring, and integration, and has worked in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand in the manufacturing and support industry across electronics, telecommunications, and, more recently, aviation. Prior to his current role, he led the turnaround of two privately owned Australian companies in the telecoms and electronics industry.

As the CEO, Mr. Douglas is responsible for the implementation of strategic growth plans at the aircraft division of Mahindra Aerospace. Prior to this, as the company’s COO, Mr. Douglas was responsible for optimizing day-to-day operations of the aircraft division and led the business transformation in aircraft manufacturing, service, and support. He is the current Chairman of GippsAero Pty Ltd.

Mr. Douglas has a diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, a diploma in Management and Financial Studies (both from Borders College, Scotland), and has attended the Mahindra Universe Leadership and Management Program at Harvard Business School, USA.

Outside of work Mr. Douglas is a strong supporter of athletics. He is actively engaged in the coaching of athletes and has served on the board of the Victorian Athletic League (Australia).

Karthik Krishnamurthy
Director-Operations — Aerostructures Division

Karthik Krishnamurthy is Director-Operations of the Aerostructures business of Mahindra Aerospace. In this capacity, he is responsible for the overall operations of the Aerostructures manufacturing plant at Narasapura, near Bangalore, India.

This large, modern facility started serial deliveries of metallic parts and assemblies in 2015 and has since then achieved 9x growth in revenues, 10x growth in throughput, and delivery performance that meets the demanding standards of global OEMs and their Tier 1s.

Mr. Krishnamurthy has been with the Mahindra Group since 2006 and has been associated with Mahindra Aerospace since inception. Prior to his current role, he was the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Mahindra Aerospace, where he helped shape and implement the strategy of the Mahindra Aerospace enterprise across both business verticals – utility aircraft and Aerostructures.

Mr. Krishnamurthy has worked in the global aerospace industry for 20 years, including more than a decade in the USA before joining the Mahindra Group. His career arc has spanned aircraft design, fabrication, structural and flight testing, sailplane prototyping, as well as the development and testing of advanced airborne systems.

Mr. Krishnamurthy holds B. Tech and M. S. degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology – Madras and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the Texas A&M University. He also obtained a Private Pilot’s Licence during his undergraduate days.

Mr. Krishnamurthy has been a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). He has also authored and presented over 20 technical papers at various international forums.

Arvind Mehra,
Executive Director & CEO, Mahindra Aerospace Pvt. Ltd

Experience:

Over 30 years of experience in senior leadership positions across large reputed organisations

Current Position:

Executive Director and CEO- Mahindra Aerospace

Conceived and built Aerospace strategy for the $19 bn multinational Mahindra group, culminating in the decision to enter utility aircraft and aerostructures markets with a globalised focus through a mix of organic and inorganic growth
Led the identification and acquisition of two aerospace companies in Australia- GippsAero (Utility aircraft OEM) & Aerostaff Australia (airframe components manufacturer) in alignment with the aerospace strategy, and integrated both acquisitions into the Group
In the utility aircraft business, created a structured sales & support global network. Obtained Group’s support to expand the utility aircraft portfolio with new options & features for the existing product Airvan 8 (Piston single engine) and fund development of new product Airvan 10 (Turboprop single engine)
In the aerostructures business, secured funding from the parent Board to invest about $70 mn and led the subsequent definition, creation, and operationalization of a comprehensive 25,000 sq m aerostructures manufacturing facility in Bangalore, India. In parallel, built strong technology partnerships and business relationships with major aircraft OEMs and their key suppliers, resulting in rapid ramp up and becoming a Tier 1 within two years of commercial operations.
Selected among 34 executives from Group for Future Leadership Programme (FLP) in partnership with Yale and IMD-Lausanne

Past Positions:

CEO- Private equity funds
COO- Airtel- India’s largest Telecom Company
CFO- Airtel
Director and CFO for the region- Caltex Oil Corporation (Chevron Texaco)

Other positions of interest:

Member- Civil Aviation Aeronautics Promotion Advisory Council (CAAPAC) – Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India
Member FICCI Committee on Civil Aviation
Member CII Committee on Civil Aviation and CII CEO Forum
Member- Indo-US High Technology Group
Past Member- American Business Council
Past Member- The Economist, CEO and CFO Forum
Past Member- ICSI- Expert Advisory Committee

Qualification:

Fellow Chartered Accountant
Fellow Company Secretary
Executive Management – Harvard Business School

Right Popup-Airvan 8 Page

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These terms and conditions (“Terms”) govern the Mahindra Flies Referral Program (“Program”) initiated by GippsAero Pty Ltd. (“Mahindra Aerospace”). By submitting this registration form you agree to be a “Participant” of this Program and agree to these Terms which constitute a binding contract between you and Mahindra Aerospace.
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Long-term Player -- Mr. Arvind Mehra's interview with The Machinist