Energy Recovery has announced the appointment of a new Chief Technology Officer and Vice President, Wastewater. Ram Ramanan will become CTO on March 3 following a handover from Farshad Ghasripoor, whose retirement comes after 12 years with the company. Energy Recovery also promoted David Kim-Hak to Vice President, Wastewater, a new role created to capitalise on growth opportunities in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment.
“We are charting a path forward that is disciplined and driven by technical, operational, and cultural excellence,” said Energy Recovery President and CEO David Moon. “Ram and David’s leadership will help realise our strategic vision for profitable, sustained growth across multiple markets. I also want to thank Farshad for his years of service and technical leadership.”
Dr. Ramanan’s more than 30 years of diverse leadership include creating disruptive products and fostering innovative cultures at startups, IPO-stage ventures, and established sector leaders. During nearly two decades with Rondo Energy and Bloom Energy, Dr Ramanan launched sophisticated products, scaled global teams, and carefully stewarded financial resources via design innovation, process optimisation, and strategic partnerships.
“I am excited to partner with Energy Recovery’s stellar leadership team and deliver exceptional solutions to customers. The company’s PX technology has a wide range of commercial applications, and I look forward to pushing the frontier of what the PX can deliver,” he said.
Dr. Ramanan received a doctorate in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University, completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University, and holds over 50 patents. Dr. Ghasripoor will serve as an executive advisor through October 2025.
Mr. Kim-Hak has progressed through increasing responsibilities in energy recovery, most recently as senior director of product management and technical support at Water. He has demonstrated unparalleled anticipation of client product needs and played a pivotal role in Energy Recovery, winning the Most Innovative Company in Desalination Technology award at the 2024 International Desalination and Reuse Association World Congress.
Before Energy Recovery, Mr. Kim-Hak led successful projects and exceeded revenue targets in roles with Picarro and LG Water Solutions, among others. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Southern California.
