Syamal Poddar is the founder and President of the consulting company Poddar & Associates. His 40+ year industrial career includes working for two global companies — Exxon Research & Engineering and Bechtel Corp. — where he held diversified professional, management, and leadership responsibilities. He also maintained his teaching interest as an adjunct faculty member for several years at the Univ. of Houston (Clear Lake and Downtown campuses). As a part of his consulting activities, he offers several technical, project and business development, and leadership courses in the U.S. and internationally.
Syamal has been active in AIChE for many years. He has served as chair of the Fuels and Petrochemical Div. and the South Texas Local Section, director of the Management Div., and has also served on the Societal Impact Operating Council (SIOC). He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the AIChE Foundation. Syamal is a Fellow of AIChE and is currently Chair of the Fellows Council. He enjoys mentoring young professionals. As a passionate volunteer, he is driving the expansion of diversity and inclusion, and encouraging leadership roles for young professionals by attracting and motivating them within AIChE.
He earned Bachelors and Masters degrees in chemical engineering (with honors) from Jadavpur Univ. (India), and his PhD in chemical engineering from the Univ. of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). He is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Texas.