What It Takes to Rise and Lead in Engineering

Adam Mendler is a nationally recognized authority on leadership, renowned for his unique ability to deliver perspective-shifting insights shaped by interviewing more than 500 of America’s most successful leaders. The creator and host of the top-rated business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, Adam regularly elicits insights from America's top CEOs, founders, athletes, celebrities, and political and military leaders. A keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations, Adam has written extensively on business and leadership, having authored more than 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc., and HuffPost. A Los Angeles native and lifelong Angels fan, Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA, serves on the board of UCLA’s Master of Applied Statistics & Data Science program, is an emeritus member of USC’s Board of Governors, and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders.

Viren Popli, as President & CEO of Mahindra Ag North America, has held P&L responsibility for the business operations of the Mahindra Group's Farm Equipment Sector in North America since 2018. In 2020, he added CEO and organizational leadership responsibility for Mahindra Automotive North America. Viren joined the Mahindra Group in 2009 and has served the company in a variety of leadership roles in marketing, sales and customer service, manufacturing, strategic planning, business development, and product development. Prior to his current roles, he was the CEO of Swaraj Tractors, India’s second-largest tractor brand and part of Mahindra, leading more than 5,000 employees and managing two assembly plants, a foundry, and an independent R&D department. Deeply committed to diversity and corporate citizenry, Viren spearheaded the introduction of women on the shop floor at Swaraj and was the Chairman of Diversity and CSR at the Confederation of Indian Industry. Viren also drove digital transformation, IoT, and Industry 4.0, and has two patents on digital processes for sales and customer service to his name. His experience includes leadership positions at Mahindra Two Wheelers. He also served as a board member for Gromax Agri Equipment, India. Since 2019, Viren has served on the Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ Board of Directors as a member of the Ag Sector Board, and in 2021, he joined the organization’s Finance Committee. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Manufacturers and sits on the CEO Council of the GBA. Prior to his time at Mahindra, Viren spent 10 years at Star TV. He also spent six years at the pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited as Country Manager and has worked in markets such as Myanmar, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries. Viren earned an MBA in Marketing from S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Bombay University, and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Nagpur University. Viren has also attended the Mahindra Universe program and the Preparing to be a Corporate Director Program at Harvard Business School.