Sumanth Balesh

Sumanth Balesh, PMP®, has extensive experience in certification and compliance roles in the automotive industry. Sumanth is currently the Director of Product Certification and Compliance at Blue Bird Corporation, where they are responsible for vehicle safety and emissions certification. Prior to that, they worked at Volvo Group as a Certification and Compliance Leader, overseeing activities related to greenhouse gas certification and compliance for North America, as well as certification of battery electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, and powertrains. Sumanth also held the role of Senior Certification and Compliance Engineer at Volvo Group, where they were responsible for the certification of zero emissions vehicles and powertrains. Before joining Volvo Group, Sumanth worked as a Vehicles Emissions and Fuel Economy Test Engineer at FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, where they supported emission analyzers and test cells. Sumanth also gained experience at Volvo Group as a Co-Op Engineering Laboratory Development intern, where they documented work procedures and maintained equipment related to emissions testing. Prior to that, they worked as an Assistant Operations Manager at The George Washington University, handling event coordination and technical support. Sumanth also has project intern experience at Kennametal and SKF Group, where they worked on increasing productivity and noise reduction projects, respectively. Sumanth began their career with an internship at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, where they trained on various sheet metal works, welding, CNC machines, and surface treatments.

Sumanth Balesh, PMP®, holds a Master's degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from The George Washington University, which was obtained from 2014 to 2015. Sumanth also obtained a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Mechanical Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University, completed from 2009 to 2013. Additionally, they have completed a Professional Certificate Program in Electric Cars from Delft University of Technology, finished in 2018. Sumanth has obtained various certifications, including the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute in 2022. Furthermore, they have completed several courses related to climate change, economics, finance, and environmental factors from institutions like Coursera, EDHEC Business School, and Wharton Online, with the most recent certifications obtained in 2023. Moreover, they have completed courses on Agile methodologies, communication, bias, diversity, and inclusion from LinkedIn in 2022, showcasing a well-rounded educational background.