Pumps and Water Technologies firm EKKI has announced the appointment of Sujit Banerji, Emeritus Professor, WMG, University of Warwick, UK, as Chief Advisor of the company.

Banerji will hold responsibility for strategy at the group level. In addition to this, he will lend his expertise in globalisation and operations management. The Warwick professor, who has been acknowledged as a leading advisor and thought leader, is expected to help the Coimbatore-headquartered EKKI design and execute strategy, said a company statement.

‘Sustainable water technology company’

“We are very fortunate to associate with Banerji, who will play an important role in guiding us in our future growth. EKKI is making a strategic transition to a sustainable water technology company and we are currently focused on creating multiple platforms that will accelerate our growth,” said Kanishka Arumugam, CEO of EKKI.

Sujit Banerji has been a powerful advocate of manufacturing for more than 5 decades. His wisdom, passion, and advocacy of the importance of globally competitive manufacturing, technology, research teaching, and training have helped guide national and international leaders, business figures and policymakers, he added.

Before The University of Warwick, Banerji spent more than 30 years with IBM. With the boom in the economy of the Asia-Pacific region, he spent the latter years spearheading IBM’s Strategic Outsourcing business, first as CIO and Vice-President of IBM India, and then at the company’s ASEAN headquarters in Singapore.

While with IBM, he published 80 major internal papers and won numerous lifetime achievement awards for his work. He switched to full-time academia in late-2004 when he retired from IBM. Banerji has worked with Fortune 500 companies in several countries and has served on boards of top companies, the statement said.