Hari Nair ’80
As a student at Bradley, Hari Nair’s most memorable Bradley hangout was Williams’ cafeteria where he worked as a dishwasher. His favorite professor, John McNabb, taught him to think beyond the little world of “engineering” and consider non-technical elements in support of an engineering solution. Twenty-seven years later, Nair now serves as President, International for Tenneco Inc., managing operations in Europe, South America, India and Asia Pacific (representing 58% of the company’s annual revenues) from Tenneco’s European headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Tenneco, a leading supplier of vehicle suspension parts and emission control systems, has played an important role in the auto industry’s globalization by establishing a significant position in every major market. Tenneco’s products are present on most of the world’s top selling vehicles.
Twenty years ago, Nair moved from General Motors Corporation to Tenneco. During his early years he was responsible for Tenneco’s expansion into several international markets. Being personally involved in leading Tenneco’s early globalization efforts exposed him to significant new business opportunities and allowed him to visit many new countries and meet many interesting people.
In 2001, Nair became Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Europe, South American, Africa/Mid-East, and India. In this role, he led the turnaround of Tenneco’s European operations, reversing a five-year profit decline and a major aftermarket revenue decline in the midst of an industry down-cycle. Nair also played a key role in Tenneco’s global integration initiatives for technology, customer relationships and program management, which better support customers as they expand in emerging markets and move to more global vehicle platforms.
Nair feels his Bradley experience was educationally rewarding, but also personally fulfilling. He found the atmosphere comfortable and the professors engaged, a place where he could make life-long friends. As an international student, the environment quickly made him feel comfortable and allowed him to grow at his own pace. The strong educational foundation he received supported his entry into graduate school after three years of work experience.
Nair received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Bradley University in 1980. In 1985, he received his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. He is married to Mary and has two children, son Anil (age 18) and daughter Tara (age 16). He has had the opportunity to travel around the globe constantly and his favorite past-time is driving fast on race tracks, especially Formula 1 tracks in Europe. When giving advice to today’s Bradley students, Nair indicates, “Look beyond the world you see around you. Keep your options open, because what you like and do today may have little to do with what you end up doing in life both personally and professionally. Always strive to do your best in whatever you do.”
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