Ravi Kekre: Shaping The Project Execution Culture Of The Company To Be Customer-Centric
Ravi Kekre
Project Director
Ravi Kekre (Project Director, Heurtey Petrochem India) is a results driven Mechanical Engineering PMP certified specialist with 25 years of experience in EPCand Contracts Management of significant Oil and Gas, Power, Steel, and Chemicals projects for Boilers and Heaters. CEO Insights interviewed Ravi, wherein he enlightened us about his professional expedition and the challenges he faced on his way to becoming a leader.
Give us a brief detail about your professional background before Heurtey. And how is it helping you in moulding the company's operation?
I began my career with Thermax as a Construction Manager on the job site, then moved to the Commissioning department after three years, and then to the Project department after 2.5 years. This‘Hands On' site/field experience has been instru mental in providing an insight into the actual on-field experience, allowing for a faster knowledge of all aspects of Project Management. In my 25 years with Thermax, I've worked on diversified projects with a variety of customers in 27 countries spanning the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and North America, covering a wide range of industry sectors like Oil & Gas, Food Industry, Steel, Chemicals, Refineries, Glass, Fertilizers, and Automobiles.
This varied experience is helping me shape-up the Project Execution culture of Heurtey to be more customer specific, understanding their needs and also ensuring the project is delivered as per the commitments within the specified time frame, within the budget, and as per agreed quality norms and scope. Finally, we are in business to ‘Earn Money' for our shareholders and their trust is sacrosanct. Today's world is more focused towards modularization which helps
in ensuring better quality,faster installa tion time. We are building India's first modularized heaters for a refinery in Vizag. My previous experience in modula rizing such boilers and heaters at Mundra is helping in taking proactive steps to ensure faster assembly of heater components.
What different roles &responsibilities have you been undertaking at Heurtey Petro chem India and how does the project vision relate to the vision and goals of the company?
Heurtey is dedicated to completing the projects to our customer's complete satisfaction. As Project Director, I ensure that the organization's energy is channeled toward meeting the project's deliverables. It is very important that the performing departments work in a synchronized manner and do not become segmented, else it may lead to project failure in the worst case scenario. I make certain that each individual is given defined assignments and that the project tasks are carried out according to the agreed upon timeline. I'm also in charge of the project's budget, and one of my main responsibilities is to keep the execution costs under control. For a Project to succeed, the team must perform in sync. We are targeting to be a global base for modular units.
How do you develop your project strategy to ensure that it meets the vision and goals of the company?
I believe in and strive to achieve sustainable operations that deliver the requisite commercial results to the satisfaction of majority shareholders, while also meeting the contract's customer requirements. Each deliverable is split down into tasks, which are assigned to personnel. With proper monitoring of the progress of these tasks, the project's final goal is accomplished.
Customer satisfaction helps in ensuring we have a repeat customer base, which aids in brand building and trust. We are in business due to our customers and it is equally important to have vendors' support in fulfilling customers' expectations.
How do you connect new ideas to your business strategy? Can you share a lesson from the last project
Though project execution is an ancient,tried-and-truesubject, it is always evolving, with creative minds injecting new vigor into the process
What different roles &responsibilities have you been undertaking at Heurtey Petro chem India and how does the project vision relate to the vision and goals of the company?
Heurtey is dedicated to completing the projects to our customer's complete satisfaction. As Project Director, I ensure that the organization's energy is channeled toward meeting the project's deliverables. It is very important that the performing departments work in a synchronized manner and do not become segmented, else it may lead to project failure in the worst case scenario. I make certain that each individual is given defined assignments and that the project tasks are carried out according to the agreed upon timeline. I'm also in charge of the project's budget, and one of my main responsibilities is to keep the execution costs under control. For a Project to succeed, the team must perform in sync. We are targeting to be a global base for modular units.
Though project execution is an ancient,tried-and-truesubject, it is always evolving, with creative minds injecting new vigor into the process
How do you develop your project strategy to ensure that it meets the vision and goals of the company?
I believe in and strive to achieve sustainable operations that deliver the requisite commercial results to the satisfaction of majority shareholders, while also meeting the contract's customer requirements. Each deliverable is split down into tasks, which are assigned to personnel. With proper monitoring of the progress of these tasks, the project's final goal is accomplished.
Customer satisfaction helps in ensuring we have a repeat customer base, which aids in brand building and trust. We are in business due to our customers and it is equally important to have vendors' support in fulfilling customers' expectations.
How do you connect new ideas to your business strategy? Can you share a lesson from the last project
launch and how do you measure the success of a new launch?
Though project execution is an ancient, tried and true subject, it is always evolving, with creative minds injecting new vigor into the process. For ordinary shutdown projects, it's critical to understand the customer's require ments, and despite the present pandemic's challenges, how human follow up at every work front can be done, and how acceleration costs may be applied to ensure that timelines are fulfilled. We are functioning in a highly technical niche market. Hence, it is of paramount importance to ensure that all technical specifications are understood and at the same time, turn around time for approval of documents from consultant/ customer is maintained at reasonable levels. These points are key to the success of a project.
During a new project launch or 'Kick-off meeting',it must be ensured that documents requirement and their approval cycles are frozen based on available information.
In your professional journey so far, which are the milestones that bestowed you with utmost satisfaction both as an indi vidual and as a Project Director?
Amongst the many, during my career so far, the latest I recall is the earned appre ciation from the refinery team for design, manufacture, erection, and commission of essential heaters for BPCL, Mahul within the specified period. It was critical for the delivery of BS-VI fuel to Mumbai.
Another one to mention is the building, leading and mentoring a young Project Team for Oil & Gas SBU was a challenge, but my field experience and support of peers helped in collating a strong Project Management Team.
How do you stay fresh on new techno logies and how would you describe your product roadmap process?
Learning is a continuous process and always donning the learning hat helps. Keeping in touch with the outside world at all times, reading and continuous contacts help in keeping up with the latest technical developments in the sector. I believe that one should always keep your feet on the ground, have an open mind, and never dismiss an idea. Follow up is essential, as is attention to details and planning ahead of time.
Ravi Kekre, Project Director, Heurtey Petrochem India
Ravi completed his graduation in Mechanical Engineering from Government Engineering College, Bilaspur. While working with Thermax, he also did his Post Graduation in ‘Operations Management' from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. Ravi is a certified PMP professional by PMI. In his vast profes sional journey, Ravi has executed several diversified projects across geographies like Malaysia, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Algeria, Kuwait, Oman, Morocco, UAE, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Qatar, Thai land, Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt, Cameroon, Canada and India.
Though project execution is an ancient, tried and true subject, it is always evolving, with creative minds injecting new vigor into the process. For ordinary shutdown projects, it's critical to understand the customer's require ments, and despite the present pandemic's challenges, how human follow up at every work front can be done, and how acceleration costs may be applied to ensure that timelines are fulfilled. We are functioning in a highly technical niche market. Hence, it is of paramount importance to ensure that all technical specifications are understood and at the same time, turn around time for approval of documents from consultant/ customer is maintained at reasonable levels. These points are key to the success of a project.
During a new project launch or 'Kick-off meeting',it must be ensured that documents requirement and their approval cycles are frozen based on available information.
In your professional journey so far, which are the milestones that bestowed you with utmost satisfaction both as an indi vidual and as a Project Director?
Amongst the many, during my career so far, the latest I recall is the earned appre ciation from the refinery team for design, manufacture, erection, and commission of essential heaters for BPCL, Mahul within the specified period. It was critical for the delivery of BS-VI fuel to Mumbai.
Another one to mention is the building, leading and mentoring a young Project Team for Oil & Gas SBU was a challenge, but my field experience and support of peers helped in collating a strong Project Management Team.
How do you stay fresh on new techno logies and how would you describe your product roadmap process?
Learning is a continuous process and always donning the learning hat helps. Keeping in touch with the outside world at all times, reading and continuous contacts help in keeping up with the latest technical developments in the sector. I believe that one should always keep your feet on the ground, have an open mind, and never dismiss an idea. Follow up is essential, as is attention to details and planning ahead of time.
Ravi Kekre, Project Director, Heurtey Petrochem India
Ravi completed his graduation in Mechanical Engineering from Government Engineering College, Bilaspur. While working with Thermax, he also did his Post Graduation in ‘Operations Management' from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. Ravi is a certified PMP professional by PMI. In his vast profes sional journey, Ravi has executed several diversified projects across geographies like Malaysia, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Algeria, Kuwait, Oman, Morocco, UAE, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Qatar, Thai land, Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt, Cameroon, Canada and India.