Sreeram Madhumohan, a multiskilled chemical engineer and a postgraduate in management, holds over 30 years of professional experience in the industry and is presently the Director of ESG Solutions at Trans Euro Group. He has a never-dying passion for environmental projects and is committed to including innovative ideas and creating sustainable business models. We had the opportunity to interview him recently and learn many interesting facts about his journey. Learn more through the interview below.
Career Pathway
We were intrigued to learn about the incredible journey that led Sreeram Madhumohan to this position. We asked, “Which career path led you to where you are today?”
Sreeram says, “It’s been a long journey of curiosity and an urge not to follow the beaten path. My trip focused on the environment and resource recovery field, developing and honing my skills in India and later moving to the Middle East.
New ideas and concepts triggered my interest from the start. After my post-graduation in Industrial Management after a degree in chemical engineering from a leading institute in India, I gave up a lucrative offer from Tata administrative services to follow my passion for introducing new technologies in the sugar industry in India.
This was followed by a stint of developing and selling new solutions for drying technologies for several products, which involved the design and execution of various custom-built drying systems for unique applications through pilot plant studies and subsequent design and engineering of such systems. The pleasure of seeing such systems commissioned and operational was immense.
During late 1987, I was introduced to a German company looking to introduce recycled paper processing technologies in India. Again throwing up an established job where I was doing well, I took up the challenge of setting up their operations in India and growing the organization from a one-person office to one of the leaders in the industry.
The Indian recovered paper industry was nascent in the late 80s and early 90s when India opened up to the world market. I was involved in several major recycling projects from the concept stage as the latest and modern technology provider working with global leaders in technology transfer and local manufacture with leading European companies like Lamort (now kadant), Cellier (now ABB), Solaronics, Freiria, etc.
I was also involved in setting up a Joint venture with AKZO NOBEL and introducing modern sizing chemicals to the paper industry in India. The company grew in the next 10 years when I was heading it to be the leading new and latest technology provider in India’s recycling Paper industry.
Working on these paper recycling technologies and projects drove my interest further into waste recovery, recycling where I realized many wastes generated are not waste in their genuine sense but valuable resources which can be recovered and reused.
Therefore, once I moved to the Middle East in 1997, my focus was again automatically on the recovery and recycling field. The market here was very virgin with few players and a lot of wastage of resources.
I soon found myself cleaning over 40,000 tons of sludge at ADNOC with oil recovery. The process also introduced new technologies like Bioremediation with TERI and Indian Oil corporation and won an environmental award from ADNOC in 2006 for Bioremediation of oily wastes.
Many firsts followed this in the environmental field, pursued and executed in Abu Dhabi, like Non-man entry tank cleaning operations, the first used engine oil refinery, and the first PPP project in recycling with the government authorities, handling of hazardous wastes for ADWEA, etc.
From 2012 until 2014, back to India was again focussed on technology transfer and projects related to waste to energy in India and other recovery projects in the oil and gas sector.
I was invited back to the UAE to head one of the leading waste management companies in Dubai in 2014 and tasked to turn this from just a waste transporter. During the past 8 years with this company and with my passion for addressing solutions for resource recovery, I initiated, conceptualized, and executed several unique recycling projects, including waste segregation, recovery of recyclables, C&D waste recycling in the northern emirates, Marine slop and sludge recycling project in Jebelali, RDF, hazardous waste management, spill managements besides focussing on WTE, energy savings, etc. and related resource recovery projects and contributing to the circular economy goals of the region. I was also instrumental in establishing concepts and solutions for achieving the 85% waste diversion targets from EXPO 2020, which we handled. This ensured the company was recognized as one of the pioneers among waste management companies in recycling and recovery and diversion of wastes from landfill in the region.”
He further said, “Working with local government agencies who supported such initiatives helped implement many such projects. This gave me a ‘GCC personality of the year’ award in the waste and recycling awards 2018.
During this period have also been an active participant in all the waste management and sustainability forums and contributed to the UAE circular economy policy.
Moving on further in my career, and having been out in the field and working over the years on these tangible solutions for sustainability and environment protection, now as Director of TransEuro Group, I am focussed on providing solutions to Clients’ needs to meet their ESG goals.
ESG is becoming a significant driver for business growth and funding, and appropriate technologies and solutions are the need of the hour for companies to meet their ESG commitments and also to be in line with the country’s vision of net zero and the circular economy objectives.”
Inspiration And Business Priorities
There lies a specific inspiration behind the set-up of every business. Besides that, the priorities of the industry tend to change over time to adapt to fresh trends. We were intrigued to learn about his inspiration behind developing the company. So we asked, “What inspired you to develop the idea of your company?”
“ESG is the buzzword today, and companies in the region need support and guidance to set goals and objectives and implement their ESG program. Our company is focused on providing specific solutions to clients in the area.
The years of on-field exposure to address environmental issues, the passion for the same, and the current need of the hour to focus on environment and sustainability have prompted me to serve this sector.” He replied.
“How have your priorities in terms of business evolved since you first started?”
Sreeram Madhumohan shares, “Over the past 3 decades from when I started working on the recycling and recovery, etc., which in those days was just one more business, today it has become a social responsibility and necessity in all walks of our life to ensure we have a sustainable future.
Therefore the environmental field and sustainability, circular economy, climate change, etc., are all the new kids on the block, which are the main focus of every society and government. To be able to play a role and contribute to this journey is our core business focus and priority.“
Overcoming Challenges
At a certain point, businesses experience extreme pressure under challenges, and how they move ahead matters the most. We asked, “What are the most challenging situations that your company overcomes?”
“Challenges to address specific issues of clients and provide sustainable and appropriate solutions is the adrenaline on which the company and our business thrive.” He replied.
“What’s the key strength to overcome it?”
“A dedicated team of experts both in-house and associates with years of experience and expertise bring in the right mix of proven expertise to provide these solutions.” says Sreeram Madhumohan.
Unique Features Of The Company
Every company works uniquely to stand out amidst the competition. We were interested to learn about the same. So, we asked, “What makes your company stand out from all the other businesses in your industry?”
Sreeram shares, “We are making all efforts to provide the most appropriate solutions and evolve as the reliable partner for our clients in addressing their environmental and sustainability challenges and providing the appropriate and affordable solutions.”
He added, “We are responsive, reliable, and committed to offering prompt client services. We believe that appropriate solutions engineered suitably considering all the local factors rather than a cut and paste approach of systems from other markets are the key to success in this market.“
Measuring Success
“What KPIs do you use to measure your business success?”
He shared, “Repeat customers and the trusted partner of choice of any customer are the main elements which we believe measure our success.”
Current Services To Look Out For
We wanted to learn the fresh trends the company is working on.
“Tell us something about your services. What are you working on now?”
Sreeram Madhumohan shared, “As explained earlier, our ESG solutions activity focuses on providing a dedicated one-stop service for clients to address their needs. We cover all the areas as under:
The ESG SOLUTIONS AND PROJECT CONSULTANCY umbrella in the group focuses on appropriate technologies by a team headed by technically competent industry experts with proven and demonstrated expertise in the following areas.
Environmental and sustainable projects/waste management/ resource recovery/innovation in sustainable solutions / turnkey EPC management in critical sectors.”
He further added, “The group is focused on the concept to commissioning single window consultancy solution for the stakeholders by having alignment with the following key partners and associates who realize the value added of the local expertise brought by the TransEuro team to ensure their areas of expertise are provided in the region:
- International specialists and experts for specialist needs, including preparation of feasibility reports, environmental assessment, EA and ESG reports, carbon capture, and renewable energy.
- Appropriate and proven technology from around the world focused on environmental and sustainable solutions.
- Strong engineering network capable of designing and detailing regional projects at the most competitive cost.
- Regional solid manufacturing base to design, engineer, and manufacture systems as needed for their associates and partners per global standards.
- Competent regional service team for deployment in the region for installation and commissioning of specific projects.
- Team for maintenance, site supervision, shutdowns, and troubleshooting as required to keep these established projects fully operational.
- Project financing commitments from green funds against long-term stakeholder commitments.”
Building Trust With The Team
Teamwork is one of the essential elements behind a successful business. So we asked, “How do you build trust with your employees and boost productivity without causing burnout?”
He replied, “We believe in Ownership of their activities and work as the key foundation for a committed workforce. Appreciation and rewards where it is due right upto the lowest level of the workforce ensure a healthy working atmosphere without any stress or burnouts.”
Adapting To The Latest Trends
“How do you stay on top of new technologies and trends in your industry?”
Sreeram shares, “Continuous learning efforts through journals, publications, exhibitions, seminars, etc. related to the field we are active in, ensures that we are updated on the latest technologies and trends and can associate with best-in-class technology providers.”
Advice To Young Entrepreneurs
Young and starting entrepreneurs get inspired by professionals like Sreeram Madhumohan. So we asked, “What advice would you give starting entrepreneurs?”
He replied, “Believe in yourself and be focussed on what you have set to achieve, and you will succeed. They should study, evaluate, and learn from entrepreneurial success stories to understand the ticking factors for success.”
Connect with Sreeram Madhumohan on LinkedIn.
Have a look at ESG Solutions at Trans Euro Group or connect on LinkedIn.
