Born and raised in India, Azeez Mohammed began his journey with an aspiration many young students share — curiosity and the hunger to build. Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, he carried not prestige, but an inner spark. IIT would later honor him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2023, a recognition of a journey defined by grit rather than expectations.
During his junior year, curiosity led him into robotics — not by chance, but by the instinct that change begins where curiosity meets opportunity. He soon set his sights on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — secured both his Master’s and Ph.D., and began training his mind through a discipline few dare to master — nonlinear dynamics.
His research wasn’t confined to theory. He built rigs, tested machines, fixed cars with his own hands — and that grounded practicality would become the defining edge of his corporate future.
Azeez Mohammed: The Power of Nonlinear Thinking — A Career Built on the Unexpected
“Nothing in the real world is linear.” Those words became a mantra that reshaped how Azeez Mohammed approached business.
During his PhD, he explored how intentional defects in machinery preserve integrity and improve performance. Paradoxically, flaws make the system stronger. The same became true in life — setbacks were not stops, but signals for redirection.
He published 10 journal articles, contributed to 25 conference papers, and filed 25 international patents — but the moment that launched him into corporate leadership had nothing to do with academic papers.
At his General Electric (GE) interview, the recruiters asked not about his complex research, but about how he once fixed a car engine. They told him practical skill and problem-solving were rarer, and therefore more valuable, than theoretical brilliance.
This is where Azeez Mohammed began learning the golden rule of leadership:
“Ideas matter, but execution defines winners.”
Just months into GE, he was given a million-dollar project to lead. Scared, unprepared, tempted to quit — he instead heard words that would reshape his destiny:
“As a manager, you can bring new things to the world at a bigger scale.”
He stayed. He grew. He evolved.
From gas turbines to steam turbines, solar to hydro, he lived in seven countries, shaped industries, and eventually helped generate 10% of GE’s net income — a feat few leaders achieve.
The Leap From Energy to Sustainability — Enter Reworld
After more than 23 years across continents and industries, the world around him was changing — and he felt a pull toward deeper purpose.
He joined Bloom Energy as Executive Vice President, driving international efforts to shift power systems away from fossil fuels. But it was at Reworld (formerly Covanta) where his mission reached its most profound meaning.
Appointed CEO in November 2021, he transformed the organization during a time when sustainability was a buzzword — but not yet a real corporate priority. Under Azeez Mohammed:
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Covanta rebranded to Reworld
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The company shifted from waste processing to “Zero Waste-to-Landfill” innovation
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Reworld became one of the few U.S. carbon-negative companies
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Partnerships expanded with businesses and communities for circular-economy waste solutions
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Profitability grew, proving sustainability is not charity — it is smart business
He has been recognised globally, including being named a 2025 ROI Influencers: Environment honoree — a tribute to how innovation and responsibility can coexist.