Dinesh C. Paliwal is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harman International Industries – a provider of audio and infotainment systems for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. Dinesh is a US citizen and has lived and worked in Australia, China, India, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States.
Dinesh C. Paliwal was born on 17 December 1957 at Agra, India. Dinesh has earned a Master’s degree in Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Roorkee). He has also earned a Master’s degree in Applied Science and Engineering and a Master’s degree in Business Administration, both from Miami University of Ohio.
Before joining Harman he worked at the ABB Group as the President Global Markets and Technology. During his 22 years with ABB, he has held management positions in five countries and was instrumental in the company’s dramatic turnaround during the period 2002–2007. He last held the dual role of President of ABB Group with responsibility for the company’s global P&L, and Chairman/CEO – ABB North America.
He has served as the Chairman of the National Foreign Trade Council, ABB India Ltd., Lummus Global (an oil and gas technology company) and as a Director for the US China Business Council, US India Business Council and International Swimming Hall of Fame. He has served for three years as Economic Advisor to the Governor of Guangdong Province, China.
In addition to the Harman Board, Dinesh serves on the Board of Directors for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. He also serves on the board of the Business Advisory Council of the Farmer School of Business, Miami University. Dinesh served on the board of directors of Tyco, ADT and Embarq, now Century Link Telecom. He is a member of the CEO Business Roundtable in Washington, DC, and the U.S. India Business CEO Forum, as well as the US India Business Council (USIBC) Board of Directors.
In 2010, E&Y named Dinesh as the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ for the New York region and Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) honored him with ‘Indian American Achiever’ Award.
In 2011, American India Foundation (AIF) honored him for ‘Corporate Leadership’.
In 2012, Dinesh was inducted in the International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma and the Asian American Business Development Center presented him with the ‘Pinnacle Award.’
In 2014, Dinesh was named to Fortune’s Business Person of the Year list.
