Joseph Robert currently heads Global Business Teams at Klüber Lubrication India Private Limited, a world leader in the manufacturing of speciality lubricants. Robert has been in the lubrication industry for more than 12 years. Over these years, he has handled different roles and responsibilities, which include sales, marketing, product management, channel management and application engineering. At present, he is responsible for the automotive, bearing, wind energy and compressors business units of the company.
Speaking about the most exciting part of his role, Robert says, “Whether in personal or professional life, nobody likes to have friction. What we do best at Klüber Lubrication is to prevent friction. When we are able to reduce friction on machine elements with our lubricants, we not only make machines run better but also help the industry to perform more efficiently. A major objective of ours, which also excites me a lot, is our goal towards a sustainable future. We at Klüber Lubrication not only reduce our carbon footprint, but also actively contribute towards improving the carbon handprints of our customers, thereby working towards the goal of a more sustainable future. The latest Ecovadis Gold rating for Klüber Lubrication is a testimony of the same.”
Robert believes that opportunities for speciality lubricants are enormous in India. “We feel the wind energy sector in India will grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years. Klüber Lubrication has been a proud partner to the wind industry’s growth in India over the last few decades. We as an organisation have not only partnered with original equipment manufacturers to develop more efficient lubricants for the growing demands of the wind industry but have also been closely associated with ISPs and IPPs to understand the current issues in the market. On top of the global R&D expertise that Klüber Lubrication has, the Indian R&D team is now playing a major role for developing customised solutions for the Indian wind energy industry.”
In terms of management style, Robert believes in using simple yet effective techniques. “The biggest assets we have are people. Keeping them motivated is a great priority, and working towards a common goal and having new challenges to work on, indeed helps to keep the team motivated,” he says.
Going forward, Robert hopes to see industry stakeholders become more focused on sustainability. He says, “There is no single solution for being sustainable, it should be our endeavour to seek sustainability in every opportunity. Sustainability is a continuous journey we need to take, for a better tomorrow.”
