In this episode of The Brand Called You, Guru Madhavan, Sr. Director of Programs at the National Academy of Engineering, discussed his career trajectory and key influences. He highlighted three inflection points: his early morning discipline from assisting his grandfather in a village temple, his engineering education emphasizing systems thinking, and a transformative anthropology course in grad school. Madhavan's diverse experiences include working in various industries, developing biomedical instruments, and leading vaccine development during crises like Ebola and Zika. He emphasized the importance of systems engineering, interdisciplinary thinking, and addressing "wicked problems" through a holistic, generative approach.

00:51- About Guru Madhavan

• Guru Madhavan is the inaugural Norman R. Augustine Senior Scholar and senior director of programs of the National Academy of Engineering.

• He is also founding director of the Forum on Complex Unifiable Systems (FOCUS).

• He has served as a technical advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the European Union Malaria Fund.