Meet our people: Puneet Kapoor

My name is Puneet Kapoor, and I work as a Senior Project Lead Engineer based in Switzerland.

Engineering has always inspired and attracted me. This is where it all begins! While some of my peers have moved into other functions, I’ve stayed, because this is where you first simulate and create the designs for a substation, a product, e-mobility. That’s what inspires me to wake up in the morning and do my job.

I’m originally from India, and my family moved around the country a lot for my father’s work. This really shaped the person I am today: adaptable, accepting of different cultures and viewpoints. I live in Zurich with my family, so Switzerland feels like home for me now, but I also enjoy that I get to manage projects around the world, like in Vietnam, Tunisia, and my current e-mobility project in Australia.

The Brisbane Metro Project is my first big project in e-mobility. We’re providing Grid-eMotion charging solutions for the electric fleet of bi-articulated Metro Vehicles. E-mobility is the future, and I’m so excited to work with our pioneering Grid-eMotion technology. It supports sustainable living through reduced pollution and noise and creates value for our customer. This really gives me a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

My team has a good mix of experienced people and new talent with lots of energy. They come from all parts of the world: Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Egypt, India, the US and Canada. There is so much trust and respect, and we support each other through knowledge-sharing. For example, I can share the lessons we’ve learned through the Brisbane Metro Project so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel with every new projects.

A lead engineer is a technical project manager. So being a good collaborator is essential: you need to build trust and maintain harmony among the stakeholders to achieve a common goal. You must also maintain a clear understanding of client specifications and requirements in order to deliver on-time and on-quality in a cost-effective way. And patience is part and parcel of professional life, especially for women.

When I started my career in 2002, I was the only woman alongside 22 male engineers. And I’ve had my share of challenges. Sometimes, as a woman, you put in twice the effort but get less recognition—or a male counterpart gets credit for your ideas. Sometimes there’s not even a women’s toilet on the worksite! But challenges are opportunities to learn and grow, and I’ve used them to build my strength, passions and commitments.

I am also surrounded by an amazing support system of family, friends, colleagues and line managers who encourage me to move forward. And I’m aware that I am a role-model for my son. So for other women considering this career path, it’s important to build strong, trusting, collaborative networks. Your peers will recognize your work and amplify your voice, and you can lean on your community for support. Believe in yourself, work hard, never give up or give in.

It goes hand in hand: build a diverse and collaborative culture and you walk toward a greener, cleaner and more sustainable future for our planet and people. Everyone wants to be associated with organizations who walk the talk. I’m proud to work at Hitachi Energy because this is what I see. My organization says they’re committed to a sustainable, carbon neutral future with a diverse work culture—and I’m living proof of that.

 #MeetOurPeople #ProudToBeHitachiEnergy