In a world increasingly in need of innovative solutions to complex societal and environmental challenges, leadership skills have an edge over technical skills !
Kasee Sreenivas, our next pathbreaker, currently works as Program Officer with Tata Trusts, leading the Nutrition portfolio in Andhra Pradesh, with special focus on Cancer Care, Water Projects, Watershed Management, Sanitation & Hygiene interventions.
Kasee talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about completing his graduation/post-graduation in Civil/Construction Engineering, and gaining a deep appreciation for sustainable development and the principles of the circular economy, which led him to work with Tata Trusts, India’s oldest and largest philanthropic organization.
For students, focus on developing your skills in areas that help the society in building a better tomorrow !
Kasee,can you share your background with our young readers?
Hello there!
My name is Kasee Sreenivas. I was born in a very remote village in Andhra Pradesh but spent the first 22 years of my life mostly in Visakhapatnam. Except for the times when my papers got selected in IIT Bombay, IIT Roorkee, and IIT Madras, where I had to travel to these universities to present my papers, my exposure to other areas of our country was very limited in my first 22 years. Mostly restricted to Visakhapatnam and my maternal and paternal grandparents’ villages in Andhra Pradesh.
My father worked as an MPDO, which is equivalent to a block-level officer with the Andhra Government, and my mother is a homemaker. During my school days, I was not much interested in studies, but loved playing games, and won a lot of medals at the school level, and inter-school competitions. I loved playing table tennis, cricket, and basketball.
From my childhood, I actively volunteered for plantation drives in my school and had a concern for the environment.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation?
I wanted to be a cardiologist, but fate had different plans for me, I guess. So, with my family’s influence, instead of picking a science major in college, I went on to choose mathematics (which I hated to the core), physics (which I liked), and chemistry (which I loved).
Later, I chose Civil Engineering thinking that it was all about drawing, and not much mathematics would be involved. As fate would have it again, Civil engineering was more of Mathematics and physics, and less about drawing.
In My first year of engineering, I realized I can’t go back. So, I put in a lot of effort to learn mathematics properly, and by the third year, I got to a position where I was able to teach a few concepts involving mathematical models to my friends who couldn’t understand the concepts well in the class.
After completing my graduation, I went on to pursue my postgraduation in Advanced Construction Management in the National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR) IN Pune.
Can you share with us some of the key influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and unique career in Social Development?
In a world increasingly in need of innovative solutions to complex societal and environmental challenges, my journey has been shaped by a strong commitment to driving positive change.
Starting my professional career as an individual contributor in Hindustan Construction Company Ltd to managing a team of close to 100 people in Tata Trusts, my passion has always been to create a positive impact on society, and I have worked tirelessly towards this goal throughout my 10-year professional career.
After completing my Post Graduation, I had several chances to work in purely commercial sectors. However, I was particularly attracted to a LEED-certified green building project being undertaken by Hindustan Construction Company Ltd for the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at the Kalpakkam nuclear power plant. This project focused on minimizing the environmental impacts of construction by implementing innovative methods that integrated a life cycle approach in its design and execution. During my tenure on this project, I gained a deep appreciation for sustainable development and the principles of the circular economy. This experience led me to work with Tata Trusts, India’s oldest and largest philanthropic organization, to make a positive impact on society through several sustainable interventions in the fields of infrastructure, healthcare, sanitation, water projects, and nutrition.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path
Transitioning from a background in Construction Management to a career at Tata Trusts has been a transformative journey. Initially joining as a Project Manager tasked with establishing nonprofit cancer hospitals nationwide, I played a pivotal role in forming the Tata Cancer Care Foundation, a section 8 entity of Tata Trusts, and spearheaded the successful establishment of several cancer hospitals, notably in Tirupati. Over three years, my responsibilities extended beyond project management, as I actively engaged in village-level cancer screenings and awareness campaigns, demonstrating a commitment to holistic community health while adhering to the project timelines. Recognizing my dedication and adaptability, Tata Trusts entrusted me with leadership roles in Water, Sanitation, and ultimately Nutrition projects, where I drove initiatives from team building to ensuring sustainable outcomes. In three years, I cultivated a team of 95 consultants dedicated to social betterment, underscoring my passion for driving meaningful change.
My initial engagement with Tata Trusts was specifically for my knowledge, and expertise in construction and project management. I was the project manager for a cancer hospital in Tirupati, and centrally coordinated with all the cancer hospital projects across the country for design, tendering, project planning, and procurement. However, after completing the project in Tirupati, Tata Trusts’ leadership understood that I can manage the programs well, and allowed me to pivot into leadership roles in other themes which don’t require civil engineering or construction knowledge.
I had to learn about these new themes after getting into the roles. I do have a lot of technical support teams working with me. So, I can focus on other key areas like program management, stakeholder management, grants management, team management, and other collaborations.
How did you get your first break?
My interest in green buildings, and work experience in Kalpakkam nuclear power plant paved the way for my role in Tata Trusts, as they were looking for someone who has such work experience and has a working understanding of buildings under radiation parameters. Cancer hospitals need some radiation bunkers for treatment. That helped me crack my interviews, a 1.5 hour technical interview, and another personal interview in the Mumbai office.
One of my neighbours suggested me apply for a role with the Tata group. He hasn’t mentioned about Tata Trusts in particular, but he had given me an email ID of his son working in Tata Trusts. He said they are looking for someone who is experienced in construction management, and project management, and for someone who has some working understanding of radiation-resistant buildings.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
Challenge 1: When I first joined Tata Trusts, I was totally new to the ecosystem. I couldn’t understand a lot of terms my colleagues used during my initial days. Terms like KPI, KRA, LFA etc were regularly used. I had to familiarize myself with the terminology to be able to communicate with them. So, I put in some effort in learning all the terminology required for everyday communication. That happened through close association with my colleagues during social interactions, birthday meetings, team outings, and other mutual gatherings. Once I had access to everyone in the team at a personal level, my job became easy.
Challenge 2: My skills were limited to construction management, but to handle multiple projects and programs at a time, I had to upskill myself. So, I have undergone training at IIM Bangalore on Project, Program, and Portfolio Management. This helped me understand many aspects of Project Management which I was not aware of earlier.
Challenge 3: Managing multiple portfolios at a time was then a challenge. Then, I got through a rigorous selection process and completed two in-house Tata group leadership courses funded by Tata Trusts. This helped me navigate issues better. I learned the importance of empathy and compassion while working with teams. I also worked on Circular economy and sustainability problems across Tata groups.
Where do you work now? Tell us about your current role
I work with Tata Trusts.
Through the century, the Tata Trusts has constantly endeavored to achieve societal and economic development for attaining self-sustained growth relevant to the nation. They support an assortment of causes such as health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, livelihoods, social justice and inclusion, skilling, migration and urbanization, environment, digital literacy, sports, arts, craft and culture, and disaster management to name a few.
What problems do you solve?
I work on Nutrition related projects which are self-sustainable. I also work on reducing the malnutrition and anaemia levels in our country.
What skills are needed for your role? How did you acquire the skills?
Cross-functional team leadership, stakeholder management, team management, effective communication, and adaptability.
Few skills can be easy to inculcate, but a few need years of training and practice.
What’s a typical day like?
Iam involved in attending to issues at ground level, meeting government representatives, reviewing the project progress, identifying the concerning areas and providing solutions, documenting the work, and continuous process improvement within the team and organization.
How does your work benefit society?
In many ways. The current work I’m doing will help the society in building a better tomorrow. We advocate on diet diversity to pregnant and lactating women who are playing a crucial role in bringing up our next generation. In my earlier stint, I worked on a project which helped in the eradication of open defecation in a part of rural Andhra Pradesh. In my previous role, I played a pivotal role in building cancer hospitals across the country.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
I have presented the designs of a cancer hospital (SVICCAR) to Mr. Ratan Tata, and those designs are finalized by him for final approval. The hospital is now running well treating many cancer patients coming from far off places.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
Try to be adaptable. If you have a goal, keep working towards it. If not today, you’ll reach your goal tomorrow. That’s certain.
Future Plans?
My goal is to work on sustainability and the circular economy. My current work will help me get there soon. As I said, I’m working towards it. If not today, I’ll certainly do that tomorrow.