Grit, Guts, and Growth with "Soma” Somasundaram

We sat down with Sivasankaran “Soma” Somasundaram, the distinguished 2024 GRIT Lifetime Achievement Award winner. As the President and CEO of ChampionX, Soma offered profound reflections on his journey, highlighting the resilience, courage, and vision that have driven his remarkable contributions to the energy industry.

What part of grit resonates with you most personally and professionally, and why? 

As I see it, GRIT is essential in both our professional and personal lives because it embodies the perseverance and passion needed to achieve long-term goals, helping us overcome obstacles and setbacks along the way. By continuously learning, striving for improvement, and maintaining a positive outlook, we build the resilience necessary to succeed in any endeavor.

At ALLY, we believe role models are important. Who in your work and life have been role models of GRIT? Can you tell us who they are and what you learned from them?

There have been many influences on my life, and I have learned lessons from many people – both directly and indirectly.  My primary role model has been my father. As an educator in a village in India, he dedicated himself to educating the poor children in the village. His humility, unwavering dedication to serving a bigger purpose that benefits others, and relentless hard work had a big impact on me. It shaped my servant leadership style and influenced how I approach my life in general with gratitude and positive intent. Along those lines another person who inspires me a lot was Mahatma Gandhi. He was a true servant leader who believed in the power of human potential. For example, his famous quote, "There go my people. I must follow them, for I am their leader."  highlights the idea of leadership through service, humility, and a deep understanding of the people one leads. In addition, my strong conviction in the power of human potential is shaped by Gandhi’s another quote, “the difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.” This points to the importance of the leader’s role in every organization to align, engage, and empower people around a common purpose to achieve extraordinary results. I strongly believe such a culture in an organization can be a sustainable competitive advantage.

The energy transition is the single most significant challenge of our lifetime. As a lifetime achievement award winner, if you look at the end of your career when you retire, what will you be most proud of in your quest for a lower carbon future? What does that look like for the industry? What does that look like for you? 

I believe the global energy demand will continue to increase in the coming decades driven by population growth and growth in data centers driven by the fast evolution and adoption of artificial intelligence technologies in all aspects of our life. The basket of global energy sources to support this increasing energy demand will continue to expand and evolve towards lower carbon future. As the world shifts towards more lower carbon energy sources, I believe we as an industry will continue to leverage our expertise in technology, engineering, and project management to support this important shift in the overall energy picture. This is already underway. We are continuously improving efficiency, environmental performance and reducing carbon emissions from existing energy solutions while actively innovating to create new low carbon energy sources. I am proud of being part of this journey.

I believe we as an industry are fully capable of adapting and innovating our business models to support the low carbon future. I believe in the potential of the people who work in the industry. I am optimistic and proud of the role we play in producing the essential energy the world needs while protecting the planet.

Rapid Round / Getting to Know You 

Favorite Band or Song and why?

My favorite song is “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver. To me the song reminds me that there is no place like home and regardless of where you are in your journey you should never forget where you came from.

The cost of gasoline when you got your first car. 

It was 74 cents a gallon in Oklahoma.

A person you would be keen to have dinner with (dead or alive) and why?

Mahatma Gandhi. I am inspired by his servant leadership.

Can you give us something about you that people wouldn’t know?

I used to sing in a band during my high school days.

Soma’s recognition with the Lifetime Achievement Award is a testament to his exceptional leadership, vision, and enduring commitment to fostering growth and sustainability in the energy industry. His journey is a powerful example of grit and determination in shaping a brighter future.