An Electrical Engineer from BITS Pilani, with a Post-graduate degree in Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Kris started his career with the Tata Administrative Service (TAS). The major part of Kris's career has been with two Companies: fourteen with Philips Electronics and seventeen with Voltas, a Tata Group Company, and his experience has been across a wide range of assignments. He is currently engaged with the Aditya Birla Group as an Advisor for the Group's Higher Education Projects.

His 17 years with Voltas were in technology intensive businesses in the power electrical industry, and spanned manufacturing, marketing, sales and project management before he headed the Electrical Business Group as Business Head and General Manager (Operations) in which assignment his major contribution was in turning around the business.

Kris accepted Philips' invitation in 1993 to head its Human Resource function for India (with an 11,000 strong workforce). He was instrumental in successfully addressing a large number of legacy people practices and dysfunctional trade unionism, and in effecting a major transformation in installing a strong performance culture, and performance driven people policies and practices. In 1998 he was appointed the first Indian Vice Chairman & Managing Director for Philips Electronics' Indian operations, and was given additional responsibility as CEO for the Indian Subcontinent (SAARC) in 2006.

Philips Electronics in India is an established market leader and a household name in Lighting, Consumer Lifestyle, and Healthcare (Medical Equipment). During his nine years at the helm, he steered the Company through a challenging restructuring phase to profitable growth. He left behind a leaner, stronger, debt-free Philips India: an INR 29 Billion company with Pre-Tax earnings of INR 2.9 Billion, a cash reserve of INR 6.7 Billion and a leaner, more skilled workforce of just over 3000. Building a performance and business excellence culture, knitting a cross-business management team consisting of five Business Heads and four Function Heads, enhancing credibility with key stakeholders including the parent company, consolidating six (Philips) legal entities into one, raising Philips’ shareholding from 51% to over 96%, and strengthening employee engagement are some of the challenges he successfully met during his years at the helm.

As a member of the Global Philips apex Leadership Group of 100, Kris played a major role in renewing the Group's focus on Emerging Markets and in laying the foundation for building sustainable new business models relevant for emerging markets. As CEO for the Indian Subcontinent, he was accountable to the Group Board of Management.

People, Business Excellence, Transformation, Change, and Innovation best capture Kris's learning, contributions and leadership capabilities, and these have become his professional interests.

Following his retirement from Philips Electronics, he now advises and works with several companies in these areas in addition to his engagement with the Aditya Birla Group. He enjoys meeting and working with people from diverse cross-sections and walks of life, and often shares experiences and learning at forums of other companies, professional bodies and academic institutions. He was the President of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), a premier Chamber of Commerce, during 2002-2003.