NISHAN MPR VEERA KUMAR

Executive Vice President & Partner

Managing Director of Perintis Akal

A pioneer with a soft spot for humanitarian causes

From fighting for the rehabilitation of prisoners to championing eco-friendly, breakthrough methods for solid-waste management, Nishan MPR Veera Kumar makes it a point to ensure that the work he does always serves a greater purpose.

Today, while an Executive Vice President and Partner of PEMANDU Associates, Nishan is also the Managing Director of Perintis Akal – a group company that provides tech and innovation-based solutions. He brings over 17 years of consulting and industry experience that has seen him adapt well in different cultures from various countries. Since joining the firm, he has been a part of the pioneering team, helping to break new ground and explore uncharted territory for the firm.

Nishan was part of the engagement team that facilitated Malaysia’s National Transformation Programme (NTP). The NTP team oversaw the implementation of over 55 initiatives that involved over 40,000 personnel. Nishan himself was also involved in the Reducing Crime NKRA, where he was key in driving the crime prevention agenda, running programmes like the World Class Policing 2020 Lab and the Royal Malaysian Police Technology Integration Workshop.

He was also one of the lead consultants for the Big Results Now! Programme in Tanzania – the firm’s first international project. To transform Tanzania into the transport hub for East and Central Africa, Nishan and his team worked on the transport and logistics sector to improve the turnaround time at the Dar Es Salaam Port by 50% and increase freight volume by 3.8% in three years.

In 2015, PEMANDU Associates organised the first Global Transformation Forum (GTF), a leadership platform for CEOs, policymakers, athletes and creatives to network and be inspired by some of the world’s most iconic movers and shakers. Nishan, as the forum’s lead, worked with a team to organise and manage a series of conferences that was attended by over 3,000 delegates from 76 countries, including icons such as Jack Ma, Sir Richard Branson and Usain Bolt.

As one of the leads of the NTP’s Programme Management Team (PMT), a role which he later reprised internally in PEMANDU Associates, Nishan deployed his own parameters and set his own Olympic goals to achieve big, fast results.

Nishan’s current role as Managing Director of Perintis Akal has allowed him to champion a whole new range of innovative solutions that give back to society. One of these solutions is KURINA – an eco-friendly waste management solution poised to create a ‘zero landfill’ and cleaner Earth for all.

Areas of Expertise

Public policy:

• During the NTP, Nishan was key in driving the crime prevention agenda as part of the Reducing Crime NKRA and organised capacity-building programmes for the Ministry of Defence such as the World Class Policing 2020 Lab and National Service Programme Lab
• As the engagement director for the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) Labs, he led a team assisting MINDEF to improve the socioeconomic and housing conditions of current and future non-pensionable veterans. The programme aimed to deliver 31,531 housing units for armed forces by 2030 and enable 170,581 non-pensionable veterans to benefit from welfare schemes starting from July 2017

Waste management

• Led labs on handling waste management as a city-related issue for the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia
• As the head of the team working on KURINA, he not only markets the technology but problem-solves and guides clients through the change management needed to adopt this new technology. Under his leadership, the team has installed units in over 10 locations around the world – for example, the units installed in St. Lucia will cover 40% of the country’s waste and enable the country to become the first Caribbean country with no landfills

Implementation, change management and governance

• As the overall programme lead for all key Ministerial Level Transformation, he managed activities such as KPI setting, mid-year and year-end reviews, and coordinated international panel reviews to ensure that progress under the NTP remained on track
• Provided advisory and capability building for six labs and 154 initiatives as the Programme Management subject matter expert (SME) on Oman’s Tanfeedh programme

Business quantum leap and turnaround

• Worked with private sector clients in sectors including education, transport and logistics, engineering and hospitality, to turn around ailing businesses or increase the current profits of a company
• As the Engagement Director for a turnaround project with an overseas engineering company, Nishan steered the team internally to identify business ideas and opportunities that could successfully diversify the company’s dependence on oil and gas
• Worked with a private education group seeking to deliver holistic education. As an Engagement Director, he and the team identified 59 initiatives to increase profit after tax by 178% and increase student enrolment in five years

Features

Articles:

• “You’re wrong about the Global Transformation Forum, Dr Ong“, Free Malaysia Today, 5 April 2017, Article.
• “Interactive system to track down suspects more effectively,” The Star, 26 June 2012, Interview.

Podcasts:

• BFM 89.9 – The Business Station, “You are the Government” (10 April 2012)