Dr. Mohammad A. Zaidi is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of Alcoa. As a member of Alcoa’s Executive Council, he was responsible for corporate technology programs and projects, as well as strategic product and process developments. Besides, developments in the core primary aluminum production, Mohammadi also led product developments in Alcoa’s end markets such as Aerospace, Automotive, Packaging, Buildings, Energy, Consumer Electronics, and Defense. He was also responsible for market strategy and corporate quality functions. Overall, two thirds of Mohammadi’s career has focused on technology management and the other third on manufacturing and business management on a global scale. After 27 years at Alcoa, he retired in 2011. As a council member of The World Business Council for Sustainable Development, he previously co-chaired ‘Vision 2050’ project in collaboration with 29 Global companies. A native of India, Mohammad graduated in 1975 with a metallurgical engineering degree from IIT, in Kanpur, India. He obtained a master’s degree in materials technology and a Ph.D. in mechanical metallurgy in 1977 and 1980, respectively, from Imperial College in London. He currently serves on the Strategic Advisory Board of “Braemar Energy Ventures,” a VC firm based in NY, and on the Board of a ‘smart grids’ startup, Utilidata. He also teaches a graduate course on Sustainability and Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University.
