The following is a News & Insights profile from the RV Industry Association (RVIA).
As Lippert’s first director of sustainability, Kartik Mekala combines his entrepreneurial and engineering background with a passion for the outdoors.
“The RV industry presented a unique opportunity to align my career with my love of the great outdoors and my dedication towards environmental stewardship,” says Kartik.
Kartik describes his career path so far as “diverse,” explaining that he has gained a variety of educational and professional experiences that encouraged him to advocate for and implement sustainable best practices.
After graduating from the National Institute of Technology, Warangal in India with a degree in electronics engineering, Kartik later launched a startup company that emphasized sustainability’s role in team building and leadership development. “I found this really exciting, and it gave me the confidence to pursue my passion and let go of the engineering side of my life,” he says.
After moving to the United States, Kartik pursued a double masters at Chatham University, where he achieved his Master of Business Administration and his Masters in Sustainability Studies. He also gained additional experience from his consulting and corporate roles. “Using my background in electronics, my entrepreneurial journey and my education, I have applied my skills by elevating a company’s meaningful environmental and social impacts. I also help guide governance matters because any successful company changes start at the top. My career so far has focused on education, leadership, sustainability, ecotourism and companies’ environmental impact.”
Since joining Lippert a year and a half ago, Kartik has been tasked with steering the company towards more sustainable operations that benefit the environment and drive financial savings. “My role focuses on unlocking financial savings through implementing more environmentally friendly practices with utilities, waste or other areas,” he says.
“My responsibilities also include developing our sustainability strategies by creating company goals such as reducing our carbon footprint, sourcing sustainable materials and enhancing our products’ energy efficiency. These strategies are about innovating for the future, reducing costs and passing on those savings to our customers. It’s incredibly fulfilling to lead these efforts that contribute positively to society and encourage our internal teams to find innovative ways to help conserve the natural world for future generations.”
In addition to sharing these best practices across their business units, Lippert also shares them across the wider RV industry, in part through attending RV Industry Association events like the upcoming Leadership Conference. “We bring examples to share with our supply chain partners,” Kartik explains. “At the end of the day we’re all in it together. Sustainability issues affect each of us.”
Read the full profile on Mekala here.
