Sean W Ross

About Sean W Ross

Energy moves fast. So do expectations. In oil, gas and chemicals, what lasts is less about speed and more about execution, trust, and the discipline to do things right the first time. I am a mechanical engineer by degree, an instrumentation & controls engineer/Department Manager by choice, now serving as Vice President and Global Practice Manager for the Oil, Gas, Chemical business at Burns & McDonnell India. I have also been Engineering Manager on an interim basis in two instances. From our Global Capability Center in Mumbai, I work with teams that support midstream, refining, and chemical projects for our clients. My career has taken me from South African roots to years in Kansas City and Houston and into a long term expat assignment in India. That mix has given me a front row seat to how different cultures build projects, manage risk, and grow people. Our work is technical, detailed, and time-bound. Underneath all of it runs a deeper current: what does it really mean to take ownership of an outcome, from the first concept sketch through to the day someone starts up the unit and lives with our decisions? I have seen that the strongest teams do more than follow procedures. They notice small signals. They fix what is broken before it becomes an incident. They speak up when a shortcut risks quality or safety. That mindset sits at the heart of employee ownership, and it is the reason I have committed my career to Burns & McDonnell. I began with a field mindset, close to the work, and I still think like someone who has to stand in front of the equipment once the project team has moved on. Today I coach lead engineers, subject matter specialists, and managers, help knit together multi office delivery, and support work that stands up under real-world pressure. I care about leadership that is patient, project execution that is grounded in reality, and systems that respect the people who run them. Here on LinkedIn, I share reflections on engineering and project delivery, talent development, manager coaching, global team growth, and choosing tools that sharpen judgment rather than replace it. If this approach to work resonates with you, I am always open to connecting.

Experience

1. Vice President, Gp Manager - Oil, Gas, Chemical, Mumbai, India Part 2

   Burns & McDonnell

   Sep 2021 — Present

   continued from Part 1Talent development and successionA significant share of my effort is directed toward leadership pipelines and career growth. Much of my week is spent in conversations with managers about their teams, their own development, and the paths available to them. I stay active in programs such as Sankalp, Future Leader Academy, and EPC lead training, with a strong emphasis on developing managers who coach well and think systemically. I support succession plans for critical roles, strengthen technical career paths for subject matter specialists, and use attrition and recruiting data to build longer, more stable careers within the practice.Enterprise and officer responsibilitiesAs a Burns & McDonnell India officer, I share responsibility for the tone, standards, and long term health of the Mumbai office. I contribute to strategic retreats, promotion and compensation reviews, and enterprise level initiatives in employee ownership, CSR, and inclusion. I also represent the firm at selected industry, academic, and consular forums, with the intent of building trust in our India based teams and creating opportunity for the next generation of engineers and project professionals.Across all of this, I try to keep project work, strategic decisions, and people development connected. I still read the details when it matters, and I place a high value on coaching conversations, clear feedback, and quiet recognition that helps people grow over time.

Education

• The University of Kansas

  BS, Mechanical Engineering

  1988 — 1991

• Greenhills Primary School - Johannesburg, South Africa

  _, _

  1979 — 1981

• Johnson County Community College

  Associate's degree, pre-Engineering

  1987 — 1988

• Shawnee Mission West High School

  High School Diploma, General Studies

  1985 — 1986

• Hyde Park High School - Johannesburg, South Africa

  Classic Curriculum, General Studies

  1982 — 1985