Srinivasan Krishnan

Senior Manager Device Innovation Open Innovation Group at Unilever

Summary
ACCOMPLISHED R&D PROFESSIONAL
Dynamic, Results-Driven Professional offering 14+ years' of CPG experience in Research & Development,
Product Innovation, Cutting Edge Open Innovation and Project Management.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- Proven ability to manage complex cross-functional teams of internal and external partners while delivering
fast track projects with speed to market.
- Experienced Manager with consummate experience in managing global teams across cultures and time zones
- Distinguished "intrapreneurial" skills in pioneering new areas of product development and new business
opportunities.
- Strong business development expertise that includes, strategic planning, execution, negotiation, marketing and
sales skills.
- Effective Leadership skills - Goal setting, effective communication, mentoring, building cohesive,
performance-driven teams
- Demonstrated relationship management with global customers, vendors and multi-functional teams.
Specialties: Open Innovation
Scientific Research/Innovation
Strategic Planning & Execution
Visionary Leadership
Analysis/Problem Solving
Cross-functional team leader
Process Improvement
New Product Development
Project Management
Negotiations
Relationship Management
Chemical Engineering

Experience
Senior Manager Device Innovation Open Innovation Group at Unilever
May 2012 - Present (4 years 4 months)
Responsible for Strategic and Technical Leadership of Device Innovation Projects.
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 Lead cross-functional, multi-location teams through to successful OTIF delivery of project

Provide strategic and thought leadership in the area of electronics and sensors for continuous monitoring
Manager, Emerging and Disruptive Innovation at Unilever HPC
March 2009 - May 2012 (3 years 3 months)
Responsible for Diagnostics for Skin Care, Technology Scouting, Data Mining for novel insights.
Key member of Open Innovation team responsible for Managing Emerging and Disruptive Innovations.
Responsibilities include technology scouting, working with external vendors and internal project teams,
contract negotiations and deal architecture.
R&D Manager - Skin at Unilever
April 2007 - February 2009 (1 year 11 months)
Oversee Diagnostics for Skin Care. Manage business development functions including new product planning,
research, development, marketing and negotiations.
Managed and delivered several multi-million dollar research and development projects on time within budget
constraints.
Research Scientist at Unilever
June 2002 - April 2007 (4 years 11 months)
* Successfully led a cross-functional team of scientists, vendors, marketing and IT teams for the planning,
development and roll out of turn-key global face photography system. Delivered high quality system, which
is benchmarked as a Unilever Standard.
* Directed rollout of standard photography systems across diverse Unilever sites, such as Nippon Lever
(Japan), Hindustan Lever (India), and sites at Indonesia and China.
* Managed a team of global R&D scientists to develop an on-counter diagnostic device - project brief to
delivery in under four months at a savings of approximately $1M to business.
Scientist at Unilever
June 2000 - June 2002 (2 years 1 month)
Spearheaded international team of scientists (Japan, India, Indonesia, Germany, UK) for development of
perpetually-relevant measure of facial attributes; completed project in record 6 months despite cultural
barriers. Developed robust measurement methodologies to support product marketing claims.
Generated quantifiable measures of consumer perceivable concepts and attributes. Developed innovative
measurement techniques (relating to skin measures). Designed clinicals to measure product efficacy.
Collaborated with industry and academia to identify new science/measurement capabilities.
Research Scientist at Sun Chemical R&D
January 1999 - June 2000 (1 year 6 months)
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Key contributor in the research and product development and has devised various experimental techniques
* Project Leader for cross-functional team of international (US, UK, France, Germany) scientists in
understanding ink-water chemistry and predicting lithographic performance from lab tests.
* Led these teams through out the project life cycle and has delivered on time within budget. Provided
required escalation to the senior managers as required.
* Coordinated, Document Control for ISO Certification process.
* Collaborated development of new ink system enabling new product development.
* Standardized testing methods in several labs across the globe.
Summer Intern at S.C. Johnson Wax
May 1997 - August 1997 (4 months)
- Successfully developed protocol for characterizing surfaces modified with in-house formulations using
Atomic Force Microscopy and Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry.
- Maximized efficacy of cleansing formulations by characterization of surfaces
- Engineered surface properties of materials using diverse silanol surfactants

Languages
Hindi
Tamil

Skills & Expertise

Product Development
Cross-functional Team Leadership
Open Innovation
Chemical Engineering
Project Management
Process Improvement
Leadership
Negotiation
Relationship Management
R&D
Product Innovation
Innovation Management
Consumer Products
FMCG
Customer Insight
Technology Transfer
Process Simulation
Chemistry
Personal Care
Process Engineering
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Surfactants
Formulation
Medical Diagnostics
Product Management
Entrepreneurship
Business Development
Analysis
Management
Product Marketing
Commercialization
Polymers
Competitive Analysis
Characterization
Strategy
Business Strategy
Strategic Planning
Manufacturing

Education
The Graduate Center, City University of New York
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, 1996 - 1999
Activities and Societies: AIChE
City University of New York City College
M.S., Chemical Engineering, 1994 - 1996
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
B.Tech, Chemical Engineering, 1990 - 1994
Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan
LKG-12th grade, Science, 1976 - 1990

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Srinivasan Krishnan
Senior Manager Device Innovation Open Innovation Group at Unilever

13 people have recommended Srinivasan

"Srinivasan is exceptionally knowledgeable where matters of skin and skincare are concerned. Often, a few
ideas from Srinivasan are enough to obviate hours of research. In addition to his technical capacity, he has a
remarkable talent for getting things done in a corporate environment."
Jamie Nichol, was with another company when working with Srinivasan at Unilever HPC
"I have worked with Krishnan at on a number of market disruptive technology projects over several
years and always found him to be, insightful, proactive and efficient. His approach to business is extremely
entrepreneurial whilst maintaining the rigor required by a large international company. Krishnan has a wide
knowledge of technology and is keen to implement the best, relevant technology whatever the source."
Paul Earnshaw, was with another company when working with Srinivasan at Unilever HPC
"I have worked with Dr. Krishnan at Unilever on a wide variety of projects. There are many traits of Dr.
Krishnan that stand out as exceptional including his broad technology and engineering knowledge, business
acumen, and project management skills. As a manager within a very large company, Dr. Krishnan is highly
entrepreneurial and has a great way of accomplishing tasks quickly while garnering wide spread support
(quite rare in a large company). We have thoroughly enjoyed working with him!"
Mark Florence, was a consultant or contractor to Srinivasan at Unilever HPC
"I have done business with Krishnan at unilever for several years and always found him to be diligent,
proactive and efficient.His professionalism is beyond reproach and he sets a great example of how a front-line
liasion at a large corporation should act."
Gary Bracey, was a consultant or contractor to Srinivasan at Unilever HPC
"Krishnan is a very innovative and motivated project leader. We worked with him on a very interesting
advanced development prototype and found Krishnan to be very supportive and results oriented. When
problems arise, he is quick to collaborate on solutions rather than pointing fingers. Krishnan has a broad
knowledge that crosses the boundaries of various technologies and engineering disciplines. It was a pleasure
to work with him."
Mitch Maiman, worked directly with Srinivasan at Unilever HPC
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"I found Srinivasan an extremely driven and passionate colleague. His follow-up and ability to bring clarity
and structure to ambigious situations is amazing."
Divya Ahluwalia, worked with Srinivasan at Unilever
"The quintessential innovator. Constantly developing new inventions and useful gadgets. Enthusiastic,
optimistic, full of ideas - and able to develop them in the teeth of all obstacles - a great resource to have on an
innovation project team."
Reynold D'Silva, worked directly with Srinivasan at Unilever
"In the past two years we have worked on several projects with Srinivasan. He is a most agreeable business
partner. He is very thorough, creative, reliable, helpful and always friendly. He has a very deep knowledge
of skin testing equipment and he alsways shares this with others. We are looking forward to more projects
together with Srinivasan."
Diana Khazaka, was a consultant or contractor to Srinivasan at Unilever
"Krishnan is an excellent scientist, who got into a new area of research when he joined Unilever, but was
able to quickly contribute and drive this new initiative. He is not only very strong technically, but also has
excellent inter-personal skills, and ability to develop others and lead a group."
Srividya Ramakrishnan, worked with Srinivasan at Unilever
"Krishnan is an extremely competent scientist with excellent people skills. He quickly became well respected
as an expert in his subject area and was promoted to a position managing a research group. Krishnan is very
personable, productive, and dependable, and a pleasure to work with."
Marc de Mul, worked directly with Srinivasan at Unilever
"Srinivasan stands out as a scientist with unique capabilities to drive progress hard, at the same time
interacting appropriately and successfully at at a wide variety of connections: within the team, with partners,
and with management."
Robert Velthuizen, managed Srinivasan at Unilever
"It was a pleasure working with Srinivasan while we were employed at the Sun Chemical R&D. He was
the "go to guy" for surface science in the organization. Further his initiative in identifying suitable vendors
helped us get access to leading edge technology for analytical instrumentation. Over and above his technical
abilities, he is a pleasant and helpful person. I am happy to give a strong endorsement to the professional and
leadership capabilities of Srinivasan."
Tamal Ghosh, worked with Srinivasan at Sun Chemical R&D

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"An excellent and innovative scientist, with deep knowledge in Physical Chemistry, Srinivasan is also a
great person to work with for his ability to contribute and lead within a multicultural team environment.
Srinivasan always keep the end-user in mind when looking for innovative technologies to develop. When we
worked together at Sun Chemical, he was a young talent and was well respected by our R&D community. He
contributed a lot to some of my research programs by very innovative ideas."
Patrice Aurenty, managed Srinivasan indirectly at Sun Chemical R&D
Contact Srinivasan on LinkedIn

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