Meet a #futureshaper: Vivek Kalyan

Vivek Kalyan knows buildings have a purpose.

Whether the structures exist to heal people, to house school children or to support manufacturing, they must be made safer, more secure and energy efficient.

“We identify the purpose of the building, install the appropriate systems, monitor and maintain those systems and make them better through understanding of the building’s data,” Vivek said. 

Based in Bengaluru, India, here is his #futureshaper story:

Did you think you’d end up in a job like you’re in now?

Absolutely not! The work that I do at Honeywell is unique. It allows me to build a holistic understanding of a system. It allows me leverage to propose solutions that have a long-lasting impact.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a child, I had multiple ambitions: To grow up to be a doctor, engineer or an architect. In my case, my parents also encouraged me to pursue applied arts such as drawing, painting etc. Little did I know that I would choose design as a career!

What do you do?

I’m making buildings safer, smarter and better every day. I design these products that help people who operate the building; to provide fire safety and security for the people who use, reside or work in a building. 

What gets you excited about coming to work every day?

The fact that we work for a greater purpose of providing safety and security to the world. We get to innovate on these areas, the fact that there are amazing people who work along with me who help deliver this to the world.

What do you wish people knew about Honeywell?

Honeywell has a very important role to play in how a building operates. Its technologies and products are making peoples’ lives safer, more secure and enabling energy efficiency. Honeywell is not a boring industrial tech company. There are exciting things that happen and it also provides a lot of growth to its employees. Entrepreneurial ideas are encouraged.

How has Honeywell changed since you began working here?

Honeywell is always changing and the world around us is changing so fast. Change is adopted properly with full steam. One can see how a process is implemented, grows, matures and improves.

Why is the future important?

The future offers a lot the past cannot provide. The world population is slated to grow. Technology innovations are not going to stop. New buildings are going to come up around the world. Demand is going to increase in the part of the world, which is seeing unprecedented development in the recent time. Honeywell is well position to tap on this transformation.

What qualities do you think a #futureshaper should have?

Be open minded and able to work with little information. Do not shy away from trying new things or be afraid of failure. Help inspire others and always respect others for who they are and their circumstances.

If you were a fortune reader, what would you predict as the future of your industry?

All the safety and security equipment today will become completely invisible in a building. The building will have its own consciousness and will be able to take autonomous decisions to help provide safety and security to its occupants.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

User Experience Designers have a great future. The demand for such jobs will not go away as long as technology needs to be tamed and made more humane. Go through the right academic channel and build a good portfolio. Communicate and clearly articulate ideas; story telling is important.

What do you for fun?

I like to spend time with my family and at leisure like to catch-up on TV shows and travel whenever I can!

Learn more about what it is like to be a #futureshaper.