Battelle Energy Technology (Battelle) has appointed Mani Vadari as vice president of its energy infrastructure business. Vadari possess more than 20 years of experience delivering strategic solutions to the electric utility industry focusing mainly in transmission/distribution (T&D) grid operations, generation operations, energy markets, and smart grid. Vadari will be responsible for its general management and direction, a key element of Battelle’s global business.
Vadari has written more than 25 articles in a variety of areas from Dispatcher Training Simulator (DTS) development to artificial neural networks to electricity utility deregulation and the Smart Grid.
Vadari’s experience spans the regulated as well as de-regulated arena for utility and energy companies. His roles have mainly involved serving as business architect, focusing on process, technology and organizational impacts for many leading utility companies in North America and around the world. Vadari is believed a Smart Grid subject matter expert, offering much sought-after perspectives on the entire value chain of an electric utility from generation to consumption. He has also provided subject matter expertise in setting the strategic technical direction for developing key aspects of the Transmission/Distribution grid of the future. Earlier to joining Battelle, Vadari was a partner at Accenture where he was one of the lead partners in their global T&D practice.
Previously Vadari also served as a lead engineer at ESCA (Areva T&D), focusing on power system and deregulation applications and their delivery. While at ESCA, Vadari developed ESCA’s Transient Stability application and also led the industry’s leading DTS product team responsible for development, project support, training, marketing and sales support.
“We’re delighted to have a person of Dr. Vadari’s experience and reputation at Battelle,” said Don McConnell, president of Battelle. “He brings the right mix of technical insight, business insight and practical experience in implementation to address the emerging opportunities of grid management.”
As vice president, Vadari is responsible for maximizing the programmatic and commercial returns from Battelle investments to support the increasingly robust “pipeline” of innovations in the Energy Infrastructure business. Vadari will direct Battelle’s investments to build on the portfolios of the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories and associated partnering institutions and lead the development of a major segment of Battelle’s portfolio of commercial energy business.
Vadari received his Ph.D. and MS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle. Vadari and his family will continue to reside in Seattle, Washington and he will work out of Battelle’s Seattle research center.