The MassTLC Tech Top 50 celebrates tech companies and leaders across the region who have made a significant impact in the community during the past 12 month. This year, we are excited to recognize winners across 8 categories: Best Pivot to Meet the New World, Business Accomplishment, Company Culture, Inclusivity Impact, Leadership, New Company of the Year, Tech for Good: Social Responsibility, and Tech to Watch.
Forty-nine honorees were chosen across these categories, with the final recognition, the Mosaic Award, given to Chevalier “Chevy” Cleaves, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer of MIT Lincoln Laboratory, for his work creating access and opportunity for future leaders. View the full list of winners, here.
Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing more about each of the recipients to spotlight their accomplishments and their impact on customers, partners, employees, and the broader community.
Today, meet Udit Batra, President and CEO of Waters Corporation, one of this year’s honorees for Leadership.
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How did your CEO lead or support their team in a unique way?
Joining an organization in the middle of the pandemic would cause most to pause, but not Udit Batra. Instead, he jumped in, no hesitancies, with both feet. As a people-first leader, joining amid a global health crisis had its own set of challenges, which Udit not only overcame, but conquered, all while transforming the business to reignite innovation and return to growth. Udit leads with a distinct balance of scientific analysis and compassion that is proving to be effective both as a method for problem-solving and connection with Waters employees. A major part of his approach to leadership – which stems from his former role as a chemical engineer – is the in which he takes a scientific approach, focusing on the facts, and gathering all the data before acting on any hypotheses. Leading with compassion is the counter, yet complementary approach taken by Udit, in which he seeks to truly understand people for who they are as valuable individuals, what motivates and matters most to them.
After spending months meeting with key stakeholders and employees from up and down the ranks of Waters, Udit turned his findings into objectives and a set of actions that would ultimately serve as a powerful blueprint that has transformed the business within a shorter time period than even Udit expected. t. Not only has this plan resulted in a highly successful transformation of the business, but it is inspiring and encouraging Waters’ employees along the way.
What measurable outcomes exist because of the support and leadership this CEO provided?
Working within the health and life sciences industries, Udit recognizes that Waters is in a unique position to support and partner with the leading businesses and organizations in the life, food and materials sciences that are bringing innovative solutions to market. Waters’ business has a narrow yet important relevance across public and private sectors dedicated to fighting COVID-19. In spite of this, Udit helped lead the company to find more ways to use its products and people to help researchers in commercial, government and academic circles to not only end the current pandemic, but also prepare for the next.
What’s more, Udit’s focus on scientific collaboration has enabled Waters to work with leading pharma and biopharma companies to accelerate vaccine and therapy developments with its precision chromatography, mass spectrometry and chemistries. For example, BioNtech recognized Waters for support of its COVID-19 vaccine development and release efforts, with Waters instruments being used to characterize the very mRNA molecules that have become vaccines.
As for measurable results, Wall Street has taken notice of the impact of Udit’s leadership at Waters that has led to its positive business transformation. In less than a full year since joining as CEO, Udit has led Waters in a dramatic business turnaround, doubling the company’s stock (NYSE: WAT) to reach a market cap of more than $22 billon. Driven by 2021 revenue growth of +31% YTD, Udit’s leadership helped propel Waters’ stock performance from last place in 2020 (6% share price return) to first place in 2021 among its competitive peers (65% YTD return as of Sept. 1, 2021).
What does it mean to have your CEO recognized with the other Tech Top 50 honorees?
It’s an incredible honor to see Udit recognized alongside the Tech Top 50 honorees, an extremely distinguished group of leaders who are making positive change in their communities and focused on making the world a better place. Udit’s recognition alongside these pillars of the business community is proof he is unconditionally devoted to the betterment of our organization along with our surrounding communities through his passion for programs that ensure STEM education and opportunities for children in underrepresented communities both in the Boston area and around the world. He’s only been in the role since September 2020; yet he’s made an immeasurable impact.
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Learn more about Tech Top 50 and meet all the winners, here.
