Page 26 - Climate Control News Dec-Jan 21

HVACR Leadership Awards
2020 HVACR LEADER of the Year, Vinney Kumar, is an executive living the dream.
He loves to inspire others, influence change and provide constructive leadership.
“I enjoy life and work in general and remind my- self daily that I am living the dream,” Kumar said. “Being a mentor is something I enjoy. I like to
inspire younger members of my team to be the very best they can be,” Kumar said.
“I also like to challenge my engineering team to design systems that take sustainability into account. Leaders should be willing to fail some- times but they need to be quick learners as well.
“The fantastic thing about the HVACR in- dustry is that most people are so unaware of the importance and widespread touchpoints it has on everyone’s lives,” he said.
“We need to give credit to HVACR profes- sionals for the support they provide and the
BEING A MENTOR IS SOMETHING I ENJOY. I LIKE TO INSPIRE MY TEAM TO BE THE VERY BEST THEY CAN BE.
contribution this industry continues to make to reduce our environmental impact.”
Kumar is Australia general manager and Oce- ania director of operations at Hussmann, a com- pany that has been a leader in refrigeration sys- tems for food retailers for more than a century.
He has extensive experience in the fast-mov- ing consumer goods market and has held execu- tive positions at Mildura Fruit Juice Australia and George Weston Foods.
In 2014 he completed the senior executive pro- gram at Harvard Business School.
Asked about the biggest challenges facing the refrigeration industry and Kumar listed two is- sues of concern. “The lack of young people enter- ing the industry is a problem,” he said.
“There is also very slow technology adoption in this industry which is a challenge.”
Once again Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA) sponsored the HVACR Leader of the Year Award.
When announcing the winner, RRA gen- eral manager, Kylie Farrelley, said this award is important because it recognises high achievers that have contributed to the in- dustry’s success.
“Winners of this award need to demonstrate vision, dedication and of course, leadership,” Farrelley said.
This year’s winner loves to lead and to inspire younger members of his team.
Living the executive dream
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