Achieving sustainable development goals - Kannan Kasilingam

In a tenure of 12 years in the oil and gas industry, I have taken many different roles in product development, subsea project management, and subsea supply chain management. I have also been able to gain international experience by working in both Norway and France.

The major challenges that the energy sector has faced in recent times triggered my motivation and interest in exploring the macroeconomic, geopolitical, and environmental perspectives of the industry. I was also curious to discover how energy policy mechanisms function. Deepening my knowledge in these areas will help me to make better decisions in my current job and also will guide me to a leadership role in the energy sector.

The major in energy 

The main reason I chose the Energy Major at HEC Paris as part of my EMBA program, was that the curriculum design enables participants to focus on these specific areas.

The strategic planning and organization of the two-week course were excellent. The first week in Doha, Qatar, focused on oil and gas subjects and was very enriching. The faculty had multidisciplinary experience and were all definitely energy savvy. All the workshops, group exercises, presentations, and assignments were really challenging and helped me to unlock my full potential. The industrial and museum visits were both spectacular and relevant.

The second week in Berlin provided a smooth transition from the past and current energy world to the new and future transformations in the energy sector.  Berlin is the hub for startups, with over 500 new startups per year. The visit to a self-sufficient village, which provides all the inhabitants with electricity from a renewable source and sells the excess to the grid, was an amazing experience. This village is impressive and is definitely a role model. In both Doha and Berlin, the hospitality of the HEC Paris team was exceptional and my overall experience of the Major was rich, rewarding and invaluable.

Program experience

Without a doubt, I would say that the Major has had a personal impact and changed my perception of the energy sector. Discovering and identifying a new business model for the carbon capture business is my capstone project. Every step of my Capstone was an opportunity to apply the frameworks and management tools I learned during the Major. I am now able to understand the broader perspectives and nuances of the actions and events in the global energy industry, thanks to the knowledge I gained from the energy Major.

For me, the real strength of the program was the rich mixture of relevant course content, eminent professors and distinguished guest speakers, emerging themes, the enthusiasm of a diverse group of participants and the professionalism of the pedagogical and program management team.

My classmates were very collaborative, motivating and culturally diverse. They all had broad experience and deep knowledge from different industries in the energy sector such as mining, oil, and gas, electricity, automotive, transportation, and logistics. Working with this dynamic group of people made the Major a rich and unique experience. We are always in contact with each other to share knowledge and to exchange on current affairs in the energy industry.

Looking to the future 

For me, the way in which the energy industry is moving away from traditional to innovative and sustainable business models is my key learning from this major. The 4Ds (De-regulation, Decarbonization, De-Centralization, and Digitalization) are totally disrupting the industry. This means that national and international companies are adapting their business strategy in order to synchronize and align themselves with the energy transition.

I therefore want to be actively involved in achieving sustainable development goals in the energy industry. My career goal is to take on a leadership role in an energy company, where I can capitalize on the work I carried out in my Capstone project on Carbon Capture Utilization Sequestration - a emerging and essential subject for net zero-emission.