Puneet is a seasoned professional with over 19 years of extensive experience in the Energy (Power Generation & Transmission) and Manufacturing sectors, specializing in Operational Technology (OT) Systems and OT Security. Having credentials for delivering innovative, cost-effective, and value-driven engineering and technological OT solutions that incorporate robust OT security measures to safeguard industrial infrastructure. As the former Head of SAS & Communications, including OT Security, at India’s leading private-sector power and transmission utility, Puneet led and mentored the OT SME Team, playing a key role in managing both greenfield and brownfield OT (Substation Automation) projects. He oversaw the entire project lifecycle—from budgeting, conceptualization, and design to negotiations, ordering, execution, factory acceptance testing (FAT), commissioning, and maintenance. His strategic integration of OT security into SCADA systems facilitated the engineering & deployment of over 50 transmission substations and 12 power plant substations, including renewable energy projects across the industry. Puneet has been a pioneer in India’s power sector, designing, testing, and implementing Substation Automation systems with enhanced resilience, security, diagnostic, logging, and monitoring capabilities since 2011-12. He has been instrumental for the deployment of Next-Generation Firewalls with ICS App Control for third-party communication protocols (IEC104, C37.118, MODBUS, OPC) starting in 2015, at a time when OT security was still in its infancy and years before regulatory frameworks were introduced in 2020-21. Currently, Puneet serves as an OT Cybersecurity Architect in the HQ OT Security Team of a US-based energy technology company, where he contributes to the global OT Security Transformation project,supporting strategic and tactical OT security measures across manufacturing plants worldwide. Puneet’s core expertise in industrial environments and program lifecycle management—including budgeting, negotiations, and ordering—combined with hands-on experience in engineering, design, factory testing, implementation, and maintenance of OT systems, makes him a valuable asset for organizations driving technology initiatives. His ability to enhance cybersecurity, protect critical infrastructure, and ensure operational resilience is exceptional. Puneet’s strategic vision, thought leadership, and practical skills are instrumental in delivering impactful results in OT systems and cybersecurity, including the prudent selection & integration of technology.