Nair arrives with over two decades of senior leadership experience at Emerson Electric, where he oversaw industrial and HVAC operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. His tenure at Copeland, specifically as President for the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa regions, was marked by significant portfolio transformations and record profitability. At Smardt, he is tasked with leveraging this background to scale the business, which currently maintains an installed base of 12,000 chillers and operates manufacturing hubs across five nations.

Beyond traditional oil-free cooling, the company is pushing into heat pumps and air-side systems through its Smardt AIR division. Nair’s mandate includes strengthening the firm's footprint in critical infrastructure, specifically targeting the semiconductor, pharmaceutical, and green energy sectors. He will work alongside the Board to finalize the company’s digital transformation and reinforce corporate governance, building on an existing foundation of 1,000 employees worldwide.