Abhi Ganugapati (Adaptus) named Risk Consultant of the Year
Leading regional industry association Risk Management Institute of Australasia (RMIA) has named Abhi Ganugapati from Adaptus as ‘Risk Consultant of the Year’.
Based out of Melbourne, Abhi Ganugapati joined Adaptus as as director from Aurecon in mid-2022 and leads the firm’s Victorian consulting practice, advising public and private sector clients on risk management and sustainability.
Ganugapati was one of eight individuals honoured by the RMIA across various categories, including Aware Super chief risk officer and sustainability group executive Jane Couchman as 2024 ‘Risk Leader of the Year’.
The RMIA’s annual awards seek to recognise outstanding leadership within the risk management industry over the prior twelve months, with Ganugapati noted for his ability to effectively engage with senior corporate executives and government departments across industries in translating complex risk concepts into actionable strategies.
The professional body cited two of Ganugapati’s recent engagements as “showcasing his expertise in applying risk management principles to complex, high-stakes environments” – the development of a risk-based decision framework to enhance flood resilience for critical state infrastructure, and as the risk assurance services lead for Victoria’s largest tunnelling project.
“This award is a testament to Abhi’s outstanding work and dedication to delivering high-quality outcomes for our clients, leveraging leading practice approaches from risk management and decision science to tackle the complex sustainability and climate challenges impacting business and society,” Adaptus said in celebrating the win.
A chemical engineering graduate from the University of Canterbury (complemented by a masters in engineering management from Melbourne University), Ganugapati has amassed a decade and a half worth of experience in areas such as infrastructure planning, investment strategy, and asset and risk management, with a strong focus on the water utilities segment.
Adaptus
In 2022, he joined two former Aurecon colleagues – Adaptus managing director Mayuran Sivapalan and fellow director Jerome Bowen – to help further grow the burgeoning boutique consultancy, which provides ESG performance, energy transition, and climate resilience services to clients in the mining, resources, transport, and manufacturing sectors among others.
For example, in addition to work on the North East Link, other projects have included developing a greenhouse gas reduction strategy for a global energy company, a strategic risk management review of natural assets for Parks Victoria, and leading a modelling & decision support program within the $260 million Great Barrier Reef ecosystem restoration R&D project.
