GM lays off the Bangalore man who helped uncover the VW emissions scandal

Iyencar · 8th May 2019, 21:17

Quote:

Hemanth Kappanna’s research helped plunge Volkswagen into a scandal that continues to plague it. In February, he got two months’ pay and a one-way ticket to India.
His most recent job involved communicating with the Environmental Protection Agency about the American carmaker’s emissions technology.
Mr. Kappanna is proud of his role in unmasking Volkswagen’s wrongdoing, but he also wonders whether he was seen within G.M. as overly zealous about compliance and too friendly to regulators.

The story of how they found that VW was cheating will make for a superb Hollywood movie. Brilliant and ingenious piece of work really. I don't know if the guy was let go because of financial reasons or because of his work, but I think it is a terrible PR decision. Hope he finds some other Co to hire him. GoI are you reading this?

CrAzY dRiVeR · 8th May 2019, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by deehunk

Is this thread for GM or VW emission scandal? Mods, change the thread name.

To clear the confusion -

Hemanth Kappanna was part of the graduate student team at West Virginia University that exposed the VW fraud in 2013.

He finished his graduation and joined GM in 2014.

He has now been fired from GM, and being an Indian national - has returned to the country.

FrozeninTime · 9th May 2019, 00:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iyencar

I don't know if the guy was let go because of financial reasons or because of his work, but I think it is a terrible PR decision. Hope he finds some other Co to hire him. GoI are you reading this?

If you are whistleblower you will never get an opportunity to work in same industry again. It's a norm I feel. Corporates consider them as trouble maker so they sack them in unceremonious manner and make sure they never work in same field.

Even civil servants aren't spared as government itself is sometimes guilty of this practice.

deehunk · 9th May 2019, 06:50

I have seen personally, one of the highest level executive who quit GM and joined my ex-company had serious attitude issue. He still lived in the world of "Sir", got annoyed if someone called him by name. Hemanth finished his doctorate in 2014 and joined GM. So, did someone who knew Hemanth joined GM from VW?

Iyencar · 9th May 2019, 08:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrozeninTime

If you are whistleblower you will never get an opportunity to work in same industry again. It's a norm I feel. Corporates consider them as trouble maker so they sack them in unceremonious manner and make sure they never work in same field.

If that was the case why hire him to begin with? The expose was work done when he was a grad student as part of his doctoral research.

Quote:

Originally Posted by deehunk

I have seen personally, one of the highest level executive who quit GM and joined my ex-company had serious attitude issue. He still lived in the world of "Sir", got annoyed if someone called him by name.

You've met an outlier. I haven't met anyone in the US who insisted on being addressed as "Sir". If anything they preferred being addressed by their first names irrespective of age.

Unfair to generalise all Americans and GM management as arrogant based on this case.

ninjatalli · 9th May 2019, 08:34

He was part of a team that provided the findings in a research paper that EPA took up to dig further. Basically he was just one of the cogs in the wheel, nothing more. His firing has been one of many GM employees, in an industry that is seeing a lot of firing and factory closures recently. And this after 5 years of working in the firm.

I think we are reading too much into a (masala-types) news article, especially when the protagonist, Hemanth himself isn't 100% sure if he has been singled out for his past.

GTO · 9th May 2019, 09:55

A little bit sad because he was part of the team that uncovered the scandal, and of course since he's an Indian

. But this layoff has nothing to do with the emissions scandal or him being a whistle-blower. GM has laid off thousands of others and is in a trimming exercise. He just got caught in the crossfire.

I had only just posted about him in the trivia thread (Fun & Interesting Trivia on the Indian Car Scene).

Considering the immense contribution he made to the USA, I wish the immigration authorities had gifted him a green card. But hey, good to have him back! Am sure some Indian company will benefit from his expertise

. Big fan of "reverse brain drain" here. I myself moved back to India, despite having very good opportunities in Boston, post my MBA.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrozeninTime

If you are whistleblower you will never get an opportunity to work in same industry again.

I don't think that applies here (it may elsewhere). For one, he has been with GM for almost 5 years. Plus, he exposed the VW scam as an outsider. He was a student then, not part of VW.

Thilak29 · 9th May 2019, 18:47

I feel we are reading too much into the situation, its just a usual downsizing, seeing his Linkedin profile, I doubt job will be an issue for him. BTW, a one-way ticket to the native country is standard practice, if one is not a citizen.

McLaren Rulez · 9th May 2019, 19:34

Clearly, he's an intelligent guy and he'll easily get another job. I'd be surprised if auto manufacturers aren't recruiting him, either in India or abroad.

libranof1987 · 9th May 2019, 19:57

I think we're reading too much into this. If he indeed was fired because of his role in it, he'd have a very easy case in court. Else, there are bunch of reasons that most likely have nothing with the scandal.

GM, being one of the companies that took the Govt. bailout, had/has restrictions on hiring foreign labor. So, it could just be that as well - GM not pursuing his Green Card.

starter · 9th May 2019, 21:39

Hemanth lived a km away from my residence and was my brother's class mate in RV.
He used to ride around in his dad's Bajaj scooter until he moved to US for his master's.
A very simple, down to earth guy.
I sincerely hope his job situation gets better.

landcruiser123 · 9th May 2019, 23:43

This is just the kind of news article written to get more clicks on the website. He is just one of a few thousand employees fired. He gets disproportionate attention as he's the one who helped unearth the VW dieselgate.

I don't think (hope that) being a whistle blower negatively influenced his case.

Jomz · 10th May 2019, 00:13

This is just a clickbait article. I personally know of 4 engineers (Keralites in USA) who were let go on GM"s bloody Monday. All of them have similar linkedin profiles and are well experienced

Almost 7000 engineers were let go over a week.

The people whom I knew, 1 was lucky to find a job with Chrysler. Another guy retired - he was on ex professor in Mechanical engineering in India. 3rd found temporary job with Ford and the 4th guy is still searching.

http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/11/...rcent-overall/

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/01/gm-r...next-week.html

Edit, just remembered about another guy, who was let go.. but got hired back in a lower position.

Freon911 · 10th May 2019, 19:20

While reading this post, it echoes mixed sentiments - some are sad he lost a job, some say maybe he should have kept quiet rather than be a whistle blower there by risking his chances of going up the Corporate ladder. Well the way I see it - The man is a warrior who took on a giant - and won. Think about what would have happened if he would'nt have pursued it or even discouraged the team from doing so. The impact to environment - VW cars would still be pumping out toxic levels of pollutants to the atmosphere and its effects cannot be undone. Remember they accepted to the cheating when they were cornered. In a way this draws some parallels to the movie Big short - if he was right all the experts would be wrong , all the testing done worldwide would be wrong - and he was damn right. What is a job or a company when you know you changed the world! humanity owes it to people like him. Loosing a job is definitely tough, but from what he has achieved this is a small setback in the journey. There is a famous quote attributed to NRN - In God we trust, rest should bring data to the table!

9th May 2019, 06:50	#4
deehunk Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,937 Thanked: 2,913 Times	re: GM lays off the Bangalore man who helped uncover the VW emissions scandal I have seen personally, one of the highest level executive who quit GM and joined my ex-company had serious attitude issue. He still lived in the world of "Sir", got annoyed if someone called him by name. Hemanth finished his doctorate in 2014 and joined GM. So, did someone who knew Hemanth joined GM from VW? Last edited by deehunk : 9th May 2019 at 06:59.
	() Thanks

9th May 2019, 08:34	#6
ninjatalli Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,800 Thanked: 15,561 Times View My Garage	re: GM lays off the Bangalore man who helped uncover the VW emissions scandal He was part of a team that provided the findings in a research paper that EPA took up to dig further. Basically he was just one of the cogs in the wheel, nothing more. His firing has been one of many GM employees, in an industry that is seeing a lot of firing and factory closures recently. And this after 5 years of working in the firm. I think we are reading too much into a (masala-types) news article, especially when the protagonist, Hemanth himself isn't 100% sure if he has been singled out for his past.
	(20) Thanks

9th May 2019, 18:47	#8
Thilak29 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: KA21 Posts: 926 Thanked: 3,495 Times View My Garage	re: GM lays off the Bangalore man who helped uncover the VW emissions scandal I feel we are reading too much into the situation, its just a usual downsizing, seeing his Linkedin profile, I doubt job will be an issue for him. BTW, a one-way ticket to the native country is standard practice, if one is not a citizen.
	(1) Thanks

9th May 2019, 19:34	#9
McLaren Rulez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mysore Posts: 3,387 Thanked: 5,098 Times	re: GM lays off the Bangalore man who helped uncover the VW emissions scandal Clearly, he's an intelligent guy and he'll easily get another job. I'd be surprised if auto manufacturers aren't recruiting him, either in India or abroad.
	() Thanks

9th May 2019, 19:57	#10
libranof1987 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: All over! Posts: 7,609 Thanked: 18,325 Times	re: GM lays off the Bangalore man who helped uncover the VW emissions scandal I think we're reading too much into this. If he indeed was fired because of his role in it, he'd have a very easy case in court. Else, there are bunch of reasons that most likely have nothing with the scandal. GM, being one of the companies that took the Govt. bailout, had/has restrictions on hiring foreign labor. So, it could just be that as well - GM not pursuing his Green Card.
	(4) Thanks

9th May 2019, 21:39	#11
starter Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,127 Thanked: 903 Times	Hemanth lived a km away from my residence and was my brother's class mate in RV. He used to ride around in his dad's Bajaj scooter until he moved to US for his master's. A very simple, down to earth guy. I sincerely hope his job situation gets better.
	(3) Thanks

9th May 2019, 23:43	#12
landcruiser123 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 2,985 Thanked: 6,857 Times	re: GM lays off the Bangalore man who helped uncover the VW emissions scandal This is just the kind of news article written to get more clicks on the website. He is just one of a few thousand employees fired. He gets disproportionate attention as he's the one who helped unearth the VW dieselgate. I don't think (hope that) being a whistle blower negatively influenced his case.
	(3) Thanks

10th May 2019, 00:13	#13
Jomz BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Detroit, MI,USA Posts: 834 Thanked: 335 Times	re: GM lays off the Bangalore man who helped uncover the VW emissions scandal This is just a clickbait article. I personally know of 4 engineers (Keralites in USA) who were let go on GM"s bloody Monday. All of them have similar linkedin profiles and are well experienced Almost 7000 engineers were let go over a week. The people whom I knew, 1 was lucky to find a job with Chrysler. Another guy retired - he was on ex professor in Mechanical engineering in India. 3rd found temporary job with Ford and the 4th guy is still searching. http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/11/...rcent-overall/ https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/01/gm-r...next-week.html Edit, just remembered about another guy, who was let go.. but got hired back in a lower position. Last edited by Jomz : 10th May 2019 at 00:15.
	(3) Thanks

10th May 2019, 19:20	#14
Freon911 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 26 Thanked: 10 Times	Re: GM lays off the Bangalore man who helped uncover the VW emissions scandal While reading this post, it echoes mixed sentiments - some are sad he lost a job, some say maybe he should have kept quiet rather than be a whistle blower there by risking his chances of going up the Corporate ladder. Well the way I see it - The man is a warrior who took on a giant - and won. Think about what would have happened if he would'nt have pursued it or even discouraged the team from doing so. The impact to environment - VW cars would still be pumping out toxic levels of pollutants to the atmosphere and its effects cannot be undone. Remember they accepted to the cheating when they were cornered. In a way this draws some parallels to the movie Big short - if he was right all the experts would be wrong , all the testing done worldwide would be wrong - and he was damn right. What is a job or a company when you know you changed the world! humanity owes it to people like him. Loosing a job is definitely tough, but from what he has achieved this is a small setback in the journey. There is a famous quote attributed to NRN - In God we trust, rest should bring data to the table!
	(1) Thanks