Gaurav Agrawal

Experience

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  PPG

  Jan 1994 - Jan 1999

  Product Development Research Scientist

  ■ Automotive / industrial coatings (paint) products development. Received prestigious R&D100 team award for introducing new powder paint technology at BMW that enabled increase in production with no incremental environmental emissions.■ Developed new analytical techniques and modeling software in partnership with national labs and independent research institutes. Initiated and managed several large external research contracts.■ Led internal audit teams that enabled ISO9001 site certification. The team received ‘Gold-Q’ the highest internal quality award for effective change management. Show less

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  Air Products

  Jan 1999 - Jan 2000

  Sr. Principal Applications Chemist

  ■ Project Team Leader – Commercialized polymeric intermediates for paint, coatings and adhesive applications. Assisted in conducting voice of customer surveys and developing a market launch plan.■ Fast cycled a new product development from concept to prototype resulting in highly successful launch of Airflex® EF-811 environmentally friendly resin for architectural paints. Product received mention in the 2002 Air Products annual report.■ Led ASTM Subcommittee on low emissions coatings.

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  Lucent Technologies Bell Labs innovations

  Jan 2000 - Jan 2003

  Member of Technical Staff

  ■ Project Team Leader – Commercialized fiberoptics based optoelectronics components for Telecom applications. Design wins from Nortel, Lucent, Alcatel and other major telecom companies. Developed and customized manufacturing and automation systems.■ Technical expertise in Fiberoptic, Electronics Packaging, Polymeric Adhesives, Reliability Testing and Contract Manufacturing■ Responsible for identifying off-shore manufacturing, streamlining global supply chains, and monitoring and enforcing supplier quality. Show less

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  Berkshire Hathaway (Johns Manville)

  Jan 2003 - Jan 2007

  Global R&D Manager

  ■ Rebuilt and Managed global R&D Group. Created a portfolio of branded and patented new products in roofing and non-woven segments. An example - Ceiling Tile used in the Denver Art museum. Achieved the highest employee engagement rating within R&D. Received ‘Best Organization Improvement’ citation.■ Established and sustained key customer relationships. Assisted in formulating Go-To market and pricing strategies. Participated in acquisition evaluations.■ 6-Sigma Black Belt. Standardized new product development and manufacturing processes globally. Implemented Balanced Score Card and Stage-Gate project management system.■ Completed MBA-Finance while managing global travel and execution responsibilities.■ Technical expertise in Fiberglass, Thermoset Polymers, Fire retardant materials, Process Development and Manufacturing. Show less

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  Corporate Executive Board (CEB)

  Jan 2007 - Jan 2009

  Strategy Manager

  ■ Led Washington D.C., London and India based consultants to advise the heads of Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and R&D/Innovation on various issues to enable them to be better prepared to deal with the market shifts and internal strategy implementation.■ Assisted business executives with devising strategies and developing quantitative cost/profitability impact models in weeks following 2008 markets meltdown. Received excellent client feedback.■ Developed business best-practices cases, ‘Voice of Experience’ speaker series and led roundtables for manufacturing executives. Developed and deployed survey and benchmarking tools. ‘Cost-Effective Agility in Manufacturing’, was the highest rated Operations executive meeting series in 2008. Show less

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  Baker Hughes, a GE company

  Jan 2009 - Jan 2018

  ■ End-to-end operations responsibility of the Saudi technology center serving Middle East and Asia-Pacific customer base. Member of Baker Hughes Technology Leadership Team. Sustained external visibility through executive relationships with Saudi Aramco, SABIC, US-Saudi Business Councils, SAGIA, Saudi business conglomerates and others.■ Setup strategic direction, recruitment channels, portfolio selection in fluids, geoscience, corrosion mitigation and digital technologies. ■ Commercialized patented new products developed entirely in Saudi tech center - such as ‘MaxLock’, a new loss prevention fluid ideally suited for cost effective - drilling of porous formations - winner of 2019 World Oil award. ■ Managed continuous increase in local content and IKTVA reporting.■ R&D center selected as the flagship facility for the combined Baker Hughes – GE post integration.■ Implementation of Digital and Automation technologies to transform manufacturing and supply chain based in Houston. Show less ■ Led first corporate global R&D group within Baker Hughes after seven independent business units merged under one Baker Hughes brand name and organization. Created strategy & roadmaps. Launched new stage-gate process for long-term platform technologies developments. Implemented first companywide university collaboration strategy.■ Led Science & Technology Leadership Program that transformed young hi-potential PhDs. The program and the trainees were profiled three times in Baker Hughes ‘Connexus’ public magazine. Show less ■ Led R&D group for Baker Hughes Completions product line. Setup analytical labs. Group filed 40 patents in two years. Commercialized industry first nanotechnology products such as IN-Tallics® dissolvable metal completions tools which were profiled on the cover of October 2011 issue of Journal of Petroleum Technology (JPT) and also in 2012 Baker Hughes annual report. Team presented achievements and investment plan to the Board of Directors.■ Introduced a new IT system to manage Chemical Lifecycle Management. Project selected as one of the best lab management practices internally by Baker Hughes CIO office. Show less

  • Vice President Technology

    Jan 2013 - Jan 2018

  • Director, Enterprise Research

    Jan 2011 - Jan 2013

  • Sr. Engineering Manager

    Jan 2009 - Jan 2011
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  Newpark

  Jan 2018 - Jan 2024

  Sr Vice President – R&D, New Products & Technology, Technical Service

  CTO equivalent role at Newpark Resources (NYSE:NR) - a leading global provider of DURA-BASE™ composite matting products and oilfield drilling fluids. Responsibility of both divisions. Comprehensive knowledge of Data Science, application space, suppliers, and competitive products. Enhanced external stakeholder relationships – customers, suppliers & investors. Expanded product portfolio increased customer satisfaction, lowered internal costs, and positively impacted Scope 1-3 emissions. Responsibility for Product Roadmapping, Portfolio Rationalization, and Go-to-Market commercialization strategy. Active in Industry professional societies – Society of Petroleum Engineers, Society of Plastics Engineers. Organized multiple workshops, conference sessions, and webinars on Energy Transition, Digital Transformation, and new Science & Technologies.■ Transformed and diversified DURA-BASE™ matting products - New products commercialization, increased competitiveness, cost reduction, greater supply chain resiliency, and High R&D ROI. ■ Established Technical Service function - Increased Sales, Operations Support, and Customer Brand enhancement.■ Upskilled talent and competency – Hired, Mentored, and Promoted subject matter experts. Reestablished Thermoplastics R&D. Introduced advanced digital and statistical tools for product development and technical services. ■ Multiple new products – Newpark President’s Team Innovation award in 2020. Lighter weight 800-Series™ matting commercialized in 2023. Expanded recycling. New products had a positive impact on Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions reduction. Filed new patents.■ Major emphasis on Value Engineering to reduce product cost and increase supply chain options.■ Identify, collaborate, and negotiate with new large-volume resin & chemical vendors.■ Proficiency in Sustainability, Decarbonization, and Circularity / Life-Cycle analysis, tools, and technology-regulatory perspective■ Expert in Data Analytics & Statistics Show less