Krishnan Karuppaiah is lead functional and solutions consultant at Principia Consulting Pte. Ltd.
In this week’s “My Career in Energy,” we meet Krishnan and learn about his first job in energy, where he thinks the industry is heading, and what excites him about his current role.
What was your first job?
Financial engineer in a consulting firm specializing in banking trading and treasury systems.
What was your first job in energy?
I started my career in the energy industry when I joined Caltex Singapore as a middle office risk analyst. At that time, Caltex was building its middle office team and I was invited by my ex-manager from my first job to join his team. I have never looked back since.
What is your current role?
As the lead principal, I provide consultancy services to clients from the energy and commodity sector, as they migrate to a CTRM platform. This involves working with different stakeholders, from senior management to users from the front, mid and back offices and system admin.
In the area of business development, I work closely with my managing director to identify potential solutions to prospective clients, create proof of concept and engage with potential vendors to demonstrate these solutions as part of the vendor selection process.
Who is your inspiration at work?
My queen and two lovely children.
What is the first thing you do when you start work in the morning?
I pray and seek blessings for a productive day with the client I am engaged with.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in this career?
My dream was to be a professional soccer player but that ended as a dream — with a big beer belly now.
How do you relax?
I play soccer and badminton with my friends and run and cycle with my kids.
What was your favorite school subject and why?
Mathematics as it is governed by logic. I was good at it early on and stuck to it.
What advice would you give someone entering the energy industry today?
The key is to be willing to learn and take ownership of the tasks that have been assigned to you, without any apprehension. It doesn’t matter if you do not have prior knowledge, as that can be picked up along the way.
What do you think the energy industry will look like in 10 years?
Sustainability is the buzzword of the century. There is a clear shift toward green solutions — clean fuels, solar power and electric-driven transportation systems.
What book has helped you most at work?
I don’t read many books, but the one book that sticks to my mind is “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom.
If you could travel back in time 10 years, would you do anything differently?
I don’t typically look back at the paths that I have chosen. But what I would really love to do is to educate clients on the importance of investing time and effort in selecting a solid, scalable system that best fits their needs and can withstand the test of time. I have seen some companies change numerous systems over the years due to incompatibility issues as their business evolves.
I would also like to create more risk analytical and reporting tools which are often lacking in a CTRM system. The system should be intelligent enough to support a company’s operations, without the need for external BI tools.
What excites you about your job?
Problem solving, people management and dealing with clients and their varying moods daily. Some of my past clients have become my soccer or drinking buddies — something which I am thankful for.
Want to connect with Krishnan? You can find him on LinkedIn here.
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