Mallika Mukundan has established herself as a distinguished professional in the field of low-carbon and hydrogen solutions. Since 2023, she has excelled as the commercial manager for hydrogen at Chevron New Energies, where she has been instrumental in advancing the company’s initiatives in decarbonization and climate change mitigation. With more than 15 years at Chevron, she has made significant contributions to the company’s strategic direction, particularly in addressing climate change.
From 2021 to 2023, Ms. Mukundan served as the senior strategy manager for marine sustainability at Chevron, playing a pivotal role in enhancing emissions reporting within Chevron’s shipping sector. A highlight of this role was establishing a partnership with Sea Cargo Charter to include emissions data from third-party chartered vessels, which led to contract changes and improved environmental accountability. Ms. Mukundan also held the role of program manager for carbon management and carbon markets at Chevron from 2019 to 2021. Her work focused on developing strategies to manage carbon emissions and explore market opportunities for carbon credits. She also managed carbon markets in California from 2018 to 2019, navigating complex regulatory environments. Prior to that, Ms. Mukundan was a senior analyst for strategy planning and business reporting at Chevron from 2014 to 2018 and an analyst for advanced vehicles, fuel, and energy sustainability from 2012 to 2014. She started her Chevron career as an engineer in fuels and advanced combustion technology from 2009 to 2012.
Before Chevron, Ms. Mukundan worked as a senior gas performance development engineer at the Cummins Engine Company from 2007 to 2009 and as a research and development engineer at Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd. from 2004 to 2005. Laying a solid educational foundation, she earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in 2004, followed by a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University in 2007, followed by a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2022.
Actively involved in civic organizations, Ms. Mukundan serves on the advisory board for the Women in Leadership Program at the University of San Francisco and volunteers with Engineers Without Borders. She has also contributed to the field by co-authoring “Connected Strategies for the Hydrogen Value Chain” in 2022 and “Flame Aerosol Synthesis of Phase-pure Monoclinic Y2O3 Particles via Particle Size Control” in 2009.
Reflecting on her path, Ms. Mukundan considers the Indian oil and gas sector an exciting area with a growing demand for clean, affordable energy that does not contribute to the climate crisis. For her, achieving low-cost, sustainable energy solutions is challenging but essential work. Her most notable accomplishment to date is earning a patent for fuel modifiers for natural gas reciprocating engines in 2016. Ms. Mukundan attributes her success to curiosity, resilience, and a strong work ethic, which she inherited from her parents. She believes that showing up, asking questions, and being dedicated will lead to success in everything.
Born in Gujarat, Ms. Mukundan is a mother of two and balances her family life with her career. Looking to the future, she is committed to addressing climate change by providing innovative solutions and connecting people and resources to drive progress in this critical area.