Celebrating a Culture of Innovation in Sustainable Technology

In this episode, we highlight the culture of innovation at KBR’s Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) business. Host Lubna Salim speaks with Gautham Krishnaiah, vice president of Innovation and Technology for STS, about how KBR solutions are helping customers meet their sustainability objectives and where those technologies and innovations are headed in the near future.

Transcript

IN ORBIT A KBR PODCAST

Season 2, Episode 12

Celebrating a Culture of Innovation in Sustainable Technology

INTRODUCTION

John Arnold

Hello, I'm John.

Lubna Salim

And I'm Lubna, and this is In Orbit.

John Arnold

Thanks so much for joining us. We're glad you're back. Lubna, how's everything going with you?

Lubna Salim

Very well thank you, John. Do you want to roll out the question that I ask you every time, to me?

John Arnold

Well, yeah. Why don't you tell us about what's happening in your orbit?

Lubna Salim

Well, in my orbit, things are very calm and collected. And we just wrapped our series of webinars, which is centered around the Sustainable Technology Solutions that keeping up, which went very well. We got a lot of interesting topics and a lot of amazing attendees this time, as always.

John Arnold

Excellent. That's wonderful. What were some of the highlights?

Lubna Salim

So I think a lot of our technologies, John, are getting a lot of interest with people, in that we are deploying a very sustainable approach. Our technologies help our clients meet their decarbonization objectives. So that I think is a huge, huge focus at the moment, which is also linked in a way to this episode, which is about innovation — the culture of innovation at KBR.

John Arnold

Definitely. I was very excited to hear that we were going to be doing another Sustainable Technology Solutions episode, and this one definitely didn't disappoint. So instead of me just talking and yammering about it, why don't we just dive right in and listen to you and go to talk about some of the innovations at KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions.

Lubna Salim

Absolutely.

TRANSITION

Lubna Salim

Hello everybody. I am extremely excited to have with us on this episode of In Orbit, KBR's vice president of Innovation and Technology, Gautham Krishnaiah. Gautham Krishnaiah is vice President for KBR’s Innovation and Technology, and he joined the company in 2012 to lead the FCC [fluid catalytic cracking] technology business. But in December of 2016, he took over as the vice President for KBR’s Refining Technology Solutions. But prior to joining KBR, Gautham was director of Technical Services for Rife Technology Inc, where he served on the leadership team. He has over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry in companies like, W.R. Grace, Caltex Petroleum Corporations, Stone and Webster and more. Gautham was also co-founder for Vorbeck Materials called in 2006. And he has a B.Tech in chemical engineering from Osmania University in Hyderabad, and a M.S. in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, and an MBA from Wharton School of Management, Philadelphia. A very warm welcome to you, Gautham. How are you this morning?

Gautham Krishnaiah

I'm fine. Great. You so much, Lubna. First of all, I must thank you for the opportunity to discuss Innovation at KBR. Especially it seems like a watershed moment where the industry is going through a lot of changes, and it's not just specific to one particular industry like refining. It's across the board.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

So I'm really looking forward to the discussion today.

Lubna Salim

Likewise, and which is how I've linked my first question, which we are very, very curious to know about. It's that before stepping into the role of vice president of Innovation and Technology at KBR, you were responsible for the refining technology portfolio, during which you launched and commercialized as many as 10 process technologies. So could you just walk us through your journey at KBR?

Gautham Krishnaiah

Thank you for that. I think you give me a lot of credit. I really appreciate it. It's been going on 10 years for me at KBR. And prior to that I had spent about 20 plus years in refining.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Primarily in FCC — process design, operations, startup, commissioning, publish shooting. During my journey with KBR, my team and I have introduced several state-of-the-art FCC technologies, whether it's feed injection, rise termination, stripper designs, or regeneration technologies like, Regionmax. As you mentioned, we also introduced a number of process technologies. MAXOFIN™, which is the high-olefins, FCC technology. It's directed at maximizing olefins.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

K-SAAT™, which is a market-disruptive solid acid alkylation technology.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

MAX-ISOM™, which is a catalytic distillation-based isomerization technology, aeromedic extraction, selective hydrogenation technologies and others. I was also granted a couple of patents for our propane dehydrogenation technology, K-PRO℠, and a few more are in the — under development. I must admit it has been an incredible and fulfilling journey for me so far. The highest honor I've received to date is being named a [ONE] KBR Technology Fellow. This honor and my new role have given me a new direction and purpose at KBR. I think it's really exciting time.

Lubna Salim

Absolutely. It sounds lovely and excellent, Gautham. But tell us something about the culture of innovation at KBR's Sustainable Technology Solutions business unit. What's that like?

Gautham Krishnaiah

Well, you know, entrepreneurship, resilience, comradery, and a competitive nature embody KBR's culture. So it is very natural for the innovative spirit to surface when we are confronted by an opportunity that's created either by the market demand, or a customer preference, or a competitor response. It is in our DNA. So whether the opportunity is a revamp or grassroots, or even a solution that KBR does not currently offer, our teams develop or integrate a solution either organically or from external sources. And we not only innovate in technical solutions, but commercial solutions also.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

So it's not just a technical side that we are strong at. We think outside the box, and we come up with really interesting and innovative solutions.

Lubna Salim

But these days we've also noticed that our clients are a lot more focused towards meeting their ESG [environment, social and corporate governance] objectives. How do you think is KBR helping them realize this very crucial goal that all the stress is being laid on?

Gautham Krishnaiah

No, in the very opening statement, I alluded to the challenge that we are facing in the global industry.

Lubna Salim:

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

And it's a next-zero commitment by 2050, which is driving all these ESG objectives, and as you transition, you name it. The opportunity is very complex, and there is no single solution or a silver bullet to address the solution. The situation, I beg your pardon. Therefore, we require a multitude of solutions, ranging from energy optimization, carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS), renewable energy, circular economy, alternate fuels such as hydrogen ammonia, biofuels, et cetera. We at KBR are taking a two-pronged approach.

Lubna Salim

Okay.

Gautham Krishnaiah:

First, we are evaluating our current solutions that we provide and identifying means to minimize the carbon footprint of our current solutions through digitalization, energy optimization and proactively evaluating our own technologies.

Lubna Salim

Right. Okay.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Second, we are also investigating technologies that are outside KBR. I'll speak to it a little bit further as we go down, that to address the customer's needs going forward.

Lubna Salim

Were do you see KBR headed in terms of innovation and technology in say, five years from now?

Gautham Krishnaiah

When you look at the net-zero commitment by 2050, the state of the technologies today, or the technologies that are available today, are not sufficient to address the complete goals. So we need newer technologies to achieve this goal.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Some of these technologies are in the very nascent stage and will be developed, I must admit, to a commercial readiness over the next two to five years.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

So we are evaluating and identifying these technologies that can successfully address the net-zero challenge. Of course, we can't be in all spaces and all technologies. That's a given. So we are selecting those technologies based on the maturity of the technologies, the adjacencies and competencies to our own technologies, in prioritizing the spaces and the technologies for spending our resources. An example of this technologies in our portfolio currently is Hydro-PRT® for plastics recycling.

Lubna Salim

Yes.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Over the next five years, we will be introducing new solutions for addressing the energy transition.

Lubna Salim

Right. So it sounds like we have a lot of promising and exciting times ahead in terms of innovation.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Yeah, absolutely.

Lubna Salim

So a lot to look forward to. Speaking of which, the electric vehicles, which are set for a huge, huge growth, which will also result in reduced transportation fuel demand, I would like to also know from you, Gautham: with refiners moving towards petrochemicals, recycling of plastic, sustainable hydrogen, and the like, what are some of the macro trends that you see emerge?

Gautham Krishnaiah

That's a great question, Lubna. I think this is one of the challenges that the refiners are facing. It is clear that over the next 30 years, we expect to see a decline in the fossil fuel demand.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

But despite the decline, fossil fuels are still expected to remain part of the energy equation along with alternate energy sources to address the net-zero requirement. So when you look at refiners in general, they're taking three different positions. Some refiners are completely converting their facilities to bio refineries, while some others are continuing to consolidate and maintain their fossil fuel operations, because they're looking at the trend for the next 20, 30, maybe even 40 years.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

But still others are positioning themselves as energy suppliers, right? Whether it is renewable energy like wind or solar power, or to provide a hydrogen energy infrastructure. So you're beginning to see these trends shaking out over the next five, 10, 15 years.

Lubna Salim

Right. That's very interesting. That's something that I'm sure a lot of our clients would be inclined towards.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Yeah, absolutely. I think we are beginning to see some of the major players who are taking certain positions, and some of the traditional players wanting to stick in their current roles, or current positions. And still others making a complete shift into bio.

Lubna Salim

Right. Gautham, you yourself have worked across geographies during your almost four-decade long career. So what advice would you give to young engineers who are aiming to make a mark in the downstream industry?

Gautham Krishnaiah

That's an interesting question. But one thing I can say is that over my career, right, I've seen many changes to the industry, and if anything is true, it will continue to change and evolve.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Right. As the saying goes, right, change is constant.

Lubna Salim

Correct.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Right. But what has worked for me during my career is the ability to adapt and learn about new technologies and having the opportunity to learn from others in my field. I have some really great tutors — my peers, my colleagues, you name it. If I were to give any advice to those that would follow in this field, would be to be grounded in the fundamentals.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Be passionate about learning. Keep an open mind. And evolve your skills according to the industry states. Don't stand still, keep moving, keep changing, keep adapting, keep evolving. But all an open mind.

Lubna Salim

I think this is great advice, not just for engineers who are aiming for downstream. I think for all of us, because like they say, it's so important to first listen before you speak. Or like you said, to be a great learner. I think that's what evolution and, in a sense, innovation is all about.

Gautham Krishnaiah

No, I completely agree with you. I think keeping an open mind, willing to learn will always keep you open to the next opportunity, the next idea that forms in your mind that can create to be the next revolution or the next change in, or even evolution as how we would approach different challenges.

Lubna Salim

Absolutely. Now that we have the formula for success from you, we are moving towards the end of the podcast. I have a very surprised Q&A for you, a bit of a fun Q&A route so that people within and outside of KBR get to know a little more about you.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Sure.

Lubna Salim

So, Gautham, in a word, window seat or aisle?

Gautham Krishnaiah

Aisle.

Lubna Salim

What are your binge watching right now?

Gautham Krishnaiah

Oh, I watch a wide variety of shows, whether it's historical documentaries, like, “The Age of the Samurai,” or “The Last Kingdom,” or detective stories … Yeah, just for a moment my mind is going blank. I know I just saw one that was quite interesting. I'm sure it'll come to me as soon as I get off the podcast. But yeah, it's detective, science fiction, fantasy, documentaries. Everything. All of them, yeah.

Lubna Salim

All of that. Very cool. And when you are not working, you are?

Gautham Krishnaiah

I like to run. I like to work out.

Lubna Salim

Okay.

Gautham Krishnaiah

To me it's a state of Zen that I get into when I'm running.

Lubna Salim

Okay.

Gautham Krishnaiah

It's a great feeling.

Lubna Salim

Right.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Whether I'm … it's on the treadmill, whether I'm just running outside on a track, or just running through the streets. I'm listening to my music, and it's … when I come back, I'm completely refreshed. One would think you're exhausted. Yes, physically exhausted. Mentally I'm quite refreshed.

Lubna Salim

Very lovely. And the final question. One thing that nobody at KBR knows about you, but now they would by means of this podcast. What is that one thing?

Gautham Krishnaiah

There are so many things. Safest one. I'm an introvert. The toughest thing for me is to stand up and speak.

Lubna Salim

Oh, okay. Thank you for being so candid with us and for your valuable time. It was an absolute pleasure interviewing you for this podcast. I'm sure a lot of youngsters are going to benefit by just listening to the advice that you have to offer. And everybody in fact, I think everybody's going to benefit so much from this episode and learn about innovation and the approach KBR is taking through your personal journey and experiences. So thank you so much, Gautham, for your time.

Gautham Krishnaiah

Thank you so much, Lubna. I really appreciate it. And like you said, this is a topic that's closest to my heart — coming up with new ideas, innovating, developing new concepts, new technologies. It's what drives me. So I'm really looking forward to this role and going forward. Thanks again, really appreciate it.

TRANSITION

John Arnold

Well, Lubna, as always, you did a smashing job in this interview. It was very exciting to hear about all of the different kinds of sustainable technology solutions that KBR has to offer that are helping customers operate, obviously, more sustainably that are helping them to, sort of, refurbish their plants and refineries going toward more sustainable energy sources, and kind of getting another glimpse from a different angle of the energy transition that’s coming down the pike.

Lubna Salim

Yes, absolutely, John. Innovation — I mean, honestly, I myself learned how big a part of KBR culture it is. Although he outlines all our technologies, this episode helped it come to the fore, make it more pronounced, and also tell us how all the technologies are actually interlinked and in each other’s orbits, so to speak.

John Arnold

Absolutely.

Lubna Salim

It’s true, the common link of innovation. And I think Gautham, he is so humble, and he’s so … I’m just like … I’m falling short of words. He has such a humility about him that he makes it sound so simple, but he’s actually doing a big, big job out there.

John Arnold

Right, and gave some wonderful advice for young engineers and professionals in general for how to seek out new ideas, stay fresh, stay open. And I thought that was really valuable as well. Hopefully potential customers or people interested in engineering careers are listening out there, and gleaning some new information about some technology solutions that could really help them not only meet their business goals, but meet their sustainability goals as well.

Lubna Salim

Absolutely. And please, please, please feel free to write into us if you have any more questions about our innovative technology solutions. Please visit our website, www.kbr.com, to learn more about all our technologies.

John Arnold

If you are in that space and interested in starting an amazing career, more than a career, you can also head to, kbr.com and check out the Careers page. In the meantime, we would encourage anyone that has an idea for a show or any feedback — you can contact us at inorbitatkbr.com. And as always, we want to thank our wonderful producer, Emma for the hard work she does in putting this show together.

Lubna Salim

Yes, our unsung hero, our behind-the-scenes hero, Emma, thank you. And it's always lovely connecting with you, John. I will look forward to seeing you again with a brand-new episode of In Orbit super, super soon.

John Arnold

Absolutely. Thanks so much for listening.

Lubna Salim

And until next time, stay safe, stay innovative.