Vignesh Gowrishankar
Currently working at McKinsey & Co. as Associate. PhD (solar cells) and MS in Management from Stanford University. Materials Engineering graduate from IIT Madras.
| Headline: | Startup Member |
| Work status: | Employed Full-Time |
| Skills: | Business, Electrical Engineering, Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Management |
| Interested in: | Employment opportunities, Joining a startup, Meeting new people, Professional opportunities |
| Tags: | alternative energy, clean tech, renewable energy, solar |
| Schools: | Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Stanford University |
WORK EXPERIENCE
| Employer: | McKinsey & Co.Florham Park, NJ |
| Position: | Associate |
| Time period: | December 2006 - Present |
| Description: | $5 B, leading management consulting firm.
Part of multi-member McKinsey teams serving Fortune 500 clients and industry-leaders focusing on: Marketing and sales • Recommended marketing and sales plan for Global Product Manager and CEO of major pharma company, in face of 50% market-share loss of ~$500 M market; tailored product attributes, optimized sales-force focus, renegotiated pricing contracts with payors • Devised branding, product positioning and SKU optimization plan for regional marketing head of leading packaged goods manufacturer Pricing and procurement • Designed & piloted pricing strategy for President & CEO of leading industrial goods manufacturer, to increase sales by $50 – 80 M (~10%); sized and verified quick wins and long-term pricing opportunities with VPs; trained 10 sales managers to pilot and implement new pricing structure; aided leading of Project Management Office • Identified opportunities to reduce ~10% of $160 M procurement spend for CPO of leading, metal components producer, by leveraging purchasing power, optimizing product specifications and employing more robust cost models Product development and strategic planning • Devised product development strategy for potential $4 B drug entering Phase III clinical trials for Lifecycle Leader of major pharma company; modeled profits of 3 launch options based on clinical, regulatory and market benefits & risks • Created action-plan to integrate IT with R&D to make product development more effective, for IT Director of leading consumer goods company • Analyzed potential private sector, midstream investments and government actions to stimulate ethanol-fuel supply Organization • Led creation of organizational model and roadmap for establishing interactive, online communities between leading client-services firm and its customers |
| Employer: | Applied Materials, Santa Clara, CA |
| Position: | Consultant (intern) |
| Time period: | December 2005 - November 2006 |
| Description: | Fortune 500 semiconductor manufacturer
• Led development of cost-benefit model to evaluate different market entry strategies for new solar-cell business venture, with team of 5 senior managers; assessed core-competencies vis-à-vis competitive environment |
| Employer: | Stanford University |
| Position: | Research Assistant |
| Time period: | December 2001 - November 2007 |
| Description: | Materials Science and Engg.
• Fabricated 2x higher efficiency nanoscale, polymer-based solar-cells, through independent & team-based research; invented non-toxic solar cell for environment-conscious markets by partnering with start-up company (Nanosolar) • Led collaborations with other universities & IBM to create novel nanostructures for solar-cells and memory • Managed X-ray lab for 3 years and trained over 100 lab-users; mentored junior researchers and undergraduates • Examined economic strategies & drivers, modeled prices for making solar-cells competitive with other energy sources |
| Employer: | IIT Madras, India |
| Position: | Yearbook Creator & Editor |
| Time period: | December 2001 - November 2002 |
| Description: | • Conceptualized first IIT yearbook; led team of 10 student editors, coders & artists; interfaced with Deans |
| Employer: | Economic Times |
| Position: | Columnist (world culture, current events) |
| Time period: | December 2000 - November 2002 |
| Description: | Indian national newspaper |
EDUCATION
| University: | Stanford University |
| Time period: | 2007 |
| Degree: | Materials Science and Engineering, PhD |
| University: | Stanford University |
| Time period: | 2006 |
| Degree: | Management Science & Engineering, MSc |
| University: | Indian Institute of Technology, Madras |
| Time period: | 1997 - 2002 |
| Degree: | Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, BTech |
INFORMATION
| Sports: | Varsity Basketball Team Vice-Captain (& Member): IIT Madras, India 1999 – 2002
• Won 6 gold & silver medals; participated in 15+ inter-collegiate tournaments; helped train team and host tournaments |
| Hobbies: | Other interests include playing soccer, traveling, history and cosmology |
Vignesh is Following (29)
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NiLA Inc.
Nila is a revolutionary new lighting solution for the entertainment industry with unprecedented environmental benefits and performance standards. Nilas have been used on James Bond Quantum of Solace, Ron Howard’s Angels & Demons, by CNN, and Oprah.
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ElectronVault
Smart energy storage for electric drivetrain vehicles, renewable generation and the Smart Grid
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Nanosolar
Founded in 2002 by two former Stanford PhD candidates, Nanosolar produces solar energy technologies that look to create greater efficiency by increasing yield and throughput of solar cells
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SoCore Energy LLC
SoCore Energy LLC is a solar developer changing the world by making solar power more flexible, accessible, and affordable to more business owners.