Ajithkumar Kesav : Delivering Strategies That Create The Best Results
Ajithkumar Kesav
Executive Directors
Ajith began his illustrious professional journey with Kerala State Electricity Board and moved on to being at leadership positions in various multinational companies including Indoasian Fusegear and ABB, handling a wide range of products and solutions from low voltage to high voltage and extra high voltage systems and dealing with different stakeholders and customers. Over the two decades, he has gained exclusive experience in handling multiple businesses across diversified divisions.
Besides being an expert in setting strategic goals, providing consultancy, making effective decisions, and enabling well-ordered business activities, Ajith is an inspirational leader who strongly believes in making a difference and setting examples through his actions and behavior. With such strong ideologies, he aims to continue as an effective leader positively impacting the business he is involved in, its customers, and the world around it. Let’s hear it from him.
Define Lucy Electric as an organization. How does the company help in facilitating sustainable growth while increasing liability and quality of life?
Lucy Electric is a leader in secondary power distribution
solutions with over 100+ years of industry experience. Specializing in high performance medium voltage switchgear for utility, industrial, and commercial applications, we enable the safe and reliable distribution of energy to homes and businesses worldwide. Based in Thame, Oxfordshire, UK, Lucy Electric also has offices in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and Malaysia, with manufacturing facilities in the UK, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, India, and Thailand. Through industrial partners and contractors, we have an established international network and local track record in over 50 countries.
Our best-in-class products are at the cutting edge of medium voltage design and innovation, providing switching, protection and automation solutions with reliability, safety, and value builtin as standard. We also offer bespoke engineering, comprehensive warranties and dedicated after sales support, meaning that customers get what they need throughout the product lifecycle.
How do you measure and understand the growth drivers for your company?
Our growth drivers have been our customer-first approach and bespoke technology leadership. We also believe in effective management of finance, and supply chain and demonstrate an excellent leadership style with accountability. Lucy Electric is firmly committed to managing its activities throughout the group so as to provide the highest level of protection to the environment and to safeguard the health and safety of its employees, customers, and the community with reliable products and services. We continue to strive to unify our best practices across all Lucy Electric facilities worldwide.
What are the traits that best define your leadership style?
My leadership style has always been to lead by example, delegating and guiding people through their own actions and behaviors. I have known myself to be a transformational leader who encourages others to go out of their comfort zone and redefine their new limits. I lead by facilitating open communication and trying to bring out the best in every team member.
I have known myself to be a transformational leader who encourages others to go out of their comfort zone and redefine their new limits
Our best-in-class products are at the cutting edge of medium voltage design and innovation, providing switching, protection and automation solutions with reliability, safety, and value builtin as standard. We also offer bespoke engineering, comprehensive warranties and dedicated after sales support, meaning that customers get what they need throughout the product lifecycle.
How do you measure and understand the growth drivers for your company?
Our growth drivers have been our customer-first approach and bespoke technology leadership. We also believe in effective management of finance, and supply chain and demonstrate an excellent leadership style with accountability. Lucy Electric is firmly committed to managing its activities throughout the group so as to provide the highest level of protection to the environment and to safeguard the health and safety of its employees, customers, and the community with reliable products and services. We continue to strive to unify our best practices across all Lucy Electric facilities worldwide.
What are the traits that best define your leadership style?
My leadership style has always been to lead by example, delegating and guiding people through their own actions and behaviors. I have known myself to be a transformational leader who encourages others to go out of their comfort zone and redefine their new limits. I lead by facilitating open communication and trying to bring out the best in every team member.
What are the best industry practices that reflect the implementation of programs in manufacturing and supply chain?
Our values define our organization, customer approach, and business methods. Our deployment & adaptation of the most effective business practices deliver results that include improved quality performance, lower supply chain costs, greater productivity, higher customer satisfaction and a boost in profitability. We have enabled various automation tools in manufacturing including the incorporation of robotics and process automation on the plant floor which has streamlined processes, minimized human error, and reduced overall production costs.
What are the major challenges you encounter as an industry leader and how do you overcome them?
There is a huge difference between the perspectives that we had about the market before Covid and what it is now after Covid. After Covid, every business activity is performed keeping finance and cash flow in consideration, and has become more conscious about not only today but the unpredictable future as well. Besides, after the pandemic, the commodities are going into very different challenging ways with unprecedented price impact on the market which is directly affecting the predefined sectors such as electricity and power. There are two fundamental keys to overcoming such challenges reducing the inventory and increasing productivity.
Another major challenge for my role is retaining top talent and enhancing skills at par with the market requirements which includes holding commitments at all levels and maintaining a smooth rhythm in the business with a proper delegation and avoidance of micro management.
Ajith kumar Kesav, ED, Lucy Electric
Having a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, a Diploma in ECE, and 21+ years of extensive experience, Ajith is holding directorships in three separate entities, namely Lucy Electric India, Lawson Fuses India Limited and LLIPL spearheading both organizations through strategic business management.
Hobbies: Reading Books
Favorite Book: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
Awards & Recognition: Global Performer Award by ABB in 2017, India CMC Award in 2008, The ABB Diamond Award winner in 2010, The Best Global Performer Award by Lucy Electric in 2021
Our values define our organization, customer approach, and business methods. Our deployment & adaptation of the most effective business practices deliver results that include improved quality performance, lower supply chain costs, greater productivity, higher customer satisfaction and a boost in profitability. We have enabled various automation tools in manufacturing including the incorporation of robotics and process automation on the plant floor which has streamlined processes, minimized human error, and reduced overall production costs.
What are the major challenges you encounter as an industry leader and how do you overcome them?
There is a huge difference between the perspectives that we had about the market before Covid and what it is now after Covid. After Covid, every business activity is performed keeping finance and cash flow in consideration, and has become more conscious about not only today but the unpredictable future as well. Besides, after the pandemic, the commodities are going into very different challenging ways with unprecedented price impact on the market which is directly affecting the predefined sectors such as electricity and power. There are two fundamental keys to overcoming such challenges reducing the inventory and increasing productivity.
Another major challenge for my role is retaining top talent and enhancing skills at par with the market requirements which includes holding commitments at all levels and maintaining a smooth rhythm in the business with a proper delegation and avoidance of micro management.
Ajith kumar Kesav, ED, Lucy Electric
Having a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, a Diploma in ECE, and 21+ years of extensive experience, Ajith is holding directorships in three separate entities, namely Lucy Electric India, Lawson Fuses India Limited and LLIPL spearheading both organizations through strategic business management.
Hobbies: Reading Books
Favorite Book: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
Awards & Recognition: Global Performer Award by ABB in 2017, India CMC Award in 2008, The ABB Diamond Award winner in 2010, The Best Global Performer Award by Lucy Electric in 2021