Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Attributes
Total Professional Experience
Publications
References
Languages
Websites
Timeline
Generic

Varun Aggarwal

Ottawa,ON

Summary

Collaborative and successful Technical Program Manager with with career spanning 11 years in the not-for-profit technical space. Experience working independently as well as leading teams to conceptualize and develop innovative multi-stakeholder programs for climate mitigation and sustainable development.

Creates cross-functional partnerships to drive holistic change and impact. Top performer with a results-driven mindset and passion for working collaboratively to advance market-based mechanisms for climate change.

Overview

11
11
years of professional experience

Work History

Technical Manager

Verra
09.2022 - Current
  • Manage and support the Plastic Waste Reduction and Voluntary Carbon Standard Program, which enables robust impact assessment of new or scaled-up projects in energy and industrial efficiency and plastic waste collection and recycling projects across the world
  • Conduct 3-4 technical project reviews and approvals and provide technical guidance and support to project developers, third-party auditors, methodology developers, and other stakeholders using the Plastic Program.
  • Develop strategies to align with program objectives, driving growth and innovation within the organization.
  • Mentor 3 junior staff members, fostering a supportive environment and promoting professional development.

Associate Director-Sustainable Business

World Wide Fund for Nature- India (WWF India)
01.2019 - 09.2022
  • Managed climate & business (corporate renewable electricity procurement, science-based targets initiative, and sectoral decarbonization) and plastics portfolio.
  • Spearheaded the development and launch of new programs, leading to increased market penetration and stakeholder satisfaction.
  • Developed and maintained strong working relationships with 100+ key business and policy decision-makers.
  • Established strong relationships with key industry partners, creating mutually beneficial opportunities for collaboration (e.g., engaged 40+ large corporate and industrial groups as members of the REDE platform and 20+ large FMCG companies as members of the India Plastics Pact).
  • Collaborated with the fundraising and partnerships teams to progress funding strategies- successfully fundraised $5 million for climate and business and plastics portfolios.
  • Led and contributed to leadership efforts through research and publications for corporate renewable energy procurement, decarbonization in heavy industries, and circular economy.
  • Developed strategies for shaping local markets (policy frameworks for corporate renewable energy procurement, Extended Producer's Responsibility framework for plastic waste management, mandates, market mobilization, etc.).
  • Assisted senior leadership in managing all aspects of programs.
  • Led teams of up to 12 personnel, supervising daily performance as well as training and improvement plans.
  • Improved team efficiency by streamlining program management processes and implementing new collaboration tools.

Associate Counsellor

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
03.2015 - 12.2018
  • Executed energy efficiency and decarbonization studies for corporate clients and multilateral agencies and donors.
  • Conducted over 60+ detailed energy efficiency and decarbonization studies in various industrial sectors, including hard-to-abate industrial sectors such as Cement, Metals (Aluminum and Iron and Steel), Power, and others including but not limited to, Buildings, Automobile, Sugar, MSME, Textile, and Engineering clusters.
  • Gained familiarity with various industrial production pathways and sector decarbonization opportunities for sectors such as Cement, Iron and Steel, Thermal Power, Buildings, Sugar, Paper, etc.

Section Leader

Spray Engineering Devices Ltd.
01.2015 - 02.2015
  • Feasibility analysis of 2-3 Greenfield integrated sugar plant projects per week and marketing of consulting services for greenfield projects.
  • Proposal preparation, submission, client and vendor interactions, and coordination.
  • Detailed project report preparation.

Project Engineer

Uttam Sucrotech International Pvt. Ltd.
01.2013 - 12.2014
  • Conducted 20+ techno-commercial feasibility studies for integrated Sugar plants (Sugar mill, power plant, and ethanol distillery) for domestic and international clients
  • Designed heat and mass balance for 30+ integrated sugar, ethanol, and co-generation plants as per the highest energy efficiency standards.
  • Conducted research for the improvement of process and energy efficiency in integrated sugar plants.
  • Designed process flow for 20+ integrated sugar plants and retrofitting in existing units.

Education

Executive Program - Sustainability Leadership And Innovation

University of Toronto
Toronto, ON
04.2023

Certificate e-course - An introduction to Sustainable Finance -

Oxford University
London
2021

PG Diploma in General Management -

Narsee Monjee Instutute of Management Studies
Mumbai, India
07.2020

E-course - Climate Related Risks And Opportunities

FSB Task Force On TCFD
Online
2020

Bachelors in Technology in Chemical Sciences (Honours) -

Guru Nanak Dev University
Amritsar, India
07.2013

Skills

  • Strategy Development
  • Policy Advocacy
  • Techno-economic Analysis
  • Fundraising
  • Partner Management
  • Stakeholder Management

Attributes

  • Passionate for working collaboratively to advance market-based mechanisms for climate change.
  • Strong analytical skills, financial analysis skills (e.g., IRR, NPV, Simple Payback methods etc.), and monitoring & verification skills for evaluation of decarbonization projects.
  • Excellent public speaking skills; moderated high-profile panel discussions, speaker on international webinars and conferences, and delivered capacity-building sessions to the C-suite audience on sustainability topics.
  • Exemplary written and verbal communication skills.
  • Experience working across multiple geographies and emerging markets.

Total Professional Experience

11+ years

Publications

  • Net Zero Roadmap for Corporates in India in January 2023
  • Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) for C&I consumers in India in June 2022
  • Green energy can change India’s development trajectory. Climate change also an opportunity in May 2022
  • Green Recovery through Renewables in March 2022
  • Championing a decentralized approach on India’s path to net zero in January 2022
  • Building the future of renewable energy procurement in India in September 2021
  • Global Corporate Renewable Power Procurement Models: Lessons for India in December 2019
  • Renewable Energy Demand in India: A Buyers’ Perspective in May 2019

References

  • Bhavna Prasad, Global Climate and Business Lead, WWF, bprasad@wwfint.org
  • Nisha Jayaram, Principal Counsellor, CII, Nisha.jayaram@cii.in

Languages

English
Full Professional
Hindi
Native or Bilingual
Punjabi
Native or Bilingual

Websites

Timeline

Technical Manager

Verra
09.2022 - Current

Associate Director-Sustainable Business

World Wide Fund for Nature- India (WWF India)
01.2019 - 09.2022

Associate Counsellor

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
03.2015 - 12.2018

Section Leader

Spray Engineering Devices Ltd.
01.2015 - 02.2015

Project Engineer

Uttam Sucrotech International Pvt. Ltd.
01.2013 - 12.2014

Executive Program - Sustainability Leadership And Innovation

University of Toronto

Certificate e-course - An introduction to Sustainable Finance -

Oxford University

PG Diploma in General Management -

Narsee Monjee Instutute of Management Studies

E-course - Climate Related Risks And Opportunities

FSB Task Force On TCFD

Bachelors in Technology in Chemical Sciences (Honours) -

Guru Nanak Dev University

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