Ranjith Nair

Sam: Hello Ranjith, let’s start with a high-level overview of your career journey. Could you walk us through your background and education?

Ranjith: Of course. I’ve been with Air Liquide for nearly 15 years and prior to that, I started my career with a large regional conglomerate; one of the largest in the Middle East for industrial gases, which later had a JV with another global player in our field of activity. My time with Air Liquide included roles in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Korea, and Singapore, covering Asia Pacific, India and Africa, which called for extensive travelling across the globe.

I started my education in India, where I completed my engineering degree, followed by an MBA. I also did a postgraduate diploma in business excellence from the UK. Later, I attended the London Business School for leadership training as part of a company program from Air Liquide. I’ve been in the field of gases, specialty chemicals, hard goods, and safety equipment for nearly 25 years. Recently, I’ve moved into the electronic business.

I was born and raised in India but left for Dubai in 1997, which is when I began my industrial gas career.

Sam: In your early career, you transitioned from a technical role as a maintenance and project engineer into more commercial roles in sales and business development. What motivated that change?

Ranjith: It wasn’t a pre-planned move for me. For example, while executing a project in Oman for a fiber optic company—the first of its kind in the Middle East—I was involved in many aspects of the project. During that time, I started interacting with customers on the commercial side as well, primarily due to the “remoteness” of the project site and the need for a SPOC (Single Point of Contact) for the customer for effective implementation and decision making at site. My management at the time acknowledged and recognised my active involvement in the commercial front in addition to the technical aspects and offered me a sales role, upon my return from Oman.

It wasn’t about a strong desire to move into sales; it was more about seizing an opportunity to try something new. I was open to experimenting and, over time, I found I enjoyed the commercial side of the business and was keen on having a holistic approach to management.

Sam: In a technology-led organisation like Air Liquide Advanced Materials, how do you foster and drive collaboration across multicultural teams, especially in R&D?

Ranjith: I would rather comment on a generic note and not specifically about R&D, but on a generic note from a leadership perspective. First and foremost, having a clear purpose is essential. You need to explain why you’re doing what you’re doing and what’s in it for each team. Clear communication about expectations and deliverables is crucial. Make sure to reconfirm understanding with the teams and be open to their feedback. Effective communication is key and ensuring that everyone understands the goals and their role in achieving them helps drive collaboration and therefore innovation. ”Trust, but Validate”.

Sam: Has there been a particular working culture or habit in any geography that has surprised you?

Ranjith: I wouldn’t say I’ve been surprised, but I have been quite impressed and I have imbibed different traits from different cultures, whether it is from my Chinese colleagues or Australian, or Indian or American colleagues. I have learnt to adapt to the different contexts better with time and manage expectations and communication accordingly.

Sam: If you had to offer three pieces of advice to someone moving from a regional or national role into a global executive position, what would they be?

Ranjith: I have three pieces: firstly, be authentic, be yourself. Authenticity helps in building trust and credibility with your global teams. Second is Cultural Sensitivity: understand and respect the cultural differences. Each region has its own nuances and it’s crucial to adapt your approach accordingly. And finally Hard Work: there’s no substitute for hard work. Success in a global role often requires a strong commitment and the willingness to put in the effort.