Engineering the Future: Meet the People Behind the Innovation

Shaping the Future of Power Generation 

At Mitsubishi Power, engineers aren’t just solving problems, they’re shaping the future of power generation. They’re working to meet today’s demands while building a cleaner, more reliable world for tomorrow. 

In honor of National Engineers Week, we’re celebrating the talent, passion, and ingenuity of the people behind the technology. Meet the voices turning bright ideas into the solutions that will power decades of energy to come. 

Meet Mike Reed 

Tinkerer. Father. Car Enthusiast. Engineer. 

For Mike, engineering isn’t just a career, it’s a way of life shaped by curiosity, heart, and a passion for problem-solving. Growing up in a close-knit Midwestern family, Mike was always taking things apart to see how they worked. Whether it was fixing household gadgets or tweaking his bike for better speed, his innate curiosity and hands-on approach laid the groundwork for a lifetime of innovation. 

His path into engineering wasn’t a straight line. What started as a facilities internship “the only role that was open,” he laughs, quickly turned into something much bigger. Leading an overhaul of an acid strip line, Mike got his first taste of large-scale engineering challenges. “At the time, I didn’t fully grasp the impact of what I was doing,” he recalls. “But once I saw how critical the project was to operations, I realized the weight of responsibility and the impact even small decisions can have.” 

Mike’s approach to his career is deeply human. “For me, engineering is about people as much as it’s about technology,” he explains. “Every project has a purpose, and that purpose usually comes back to making someone’s life better. It’s important to remember who you’re doing it for.” This approach extends to his leadership style. “Most people say, ‘I think we should do this.’ But I’ve always found myself saying, ‘I feel we should do this.’ Someone pointed it out to me once, and it was a revelation. It showed me how much I value empathy and connection in my work.” 

Beyond the office, Mike finds joy in his family and his lifelong love of working on cars. As a father, he hopes to pass on his problem-solving mindset to his daughter. “I want her to see that problem-solving isn’t just something engineers do it’s a life skill,” he says. “It’s about breaking things down and tackling them one step at a time.” 

Over his 16 years with Mitsubishi Power, Mike has gained invaluable experience across multiple departments, broadening his expertise, and honing his engineering skills. Now, as Senior Manager of Configuration Control Engineering, he continues to approach every challenge with curiosity, creativity, and a deep commitment to excellence. 

Meet Randi Vey 

Creator. Traveler. Lifelong Learner. Engineer. 

Randi has always been a creator, not just of things but of ideas, experiences, and connections. Growing up in Oviedo, Florida, she had an innate drive to build and explore, constantly turning imagination into reality. Math and physics came easily, but it was the excitement of bringing something tangible to life that truly sparked her passion. 

That passion led her to the University of Central Florida (UCF), where a seemingly ordinary day at an internship fair changed everything. A chance visit to the Mitsubishi Power booth in 2016 introduced her to an industry she hadn’t considered before the power sector. The more she learned, the more she saw a future in it. By the time she graduated in 2017, she had secured a full-time role, setting the stage for a career that would take her across the world. 

A defining chapter in Randi’s journey came during a year-long assignment in Japan. “The flight was long, the jet lag was tough, but the process of adapting was fascinating,” she says. Immersing herself in a meticulous, detail-driven work culture taught her the value of precision and thoroughness. That mindset has stayed with her in everything she takes on, reinforcing her belief that when you do something, you should do it right the first time. 

For Randi, hands-on work has always been the key to learning and problem-solving. She thrives in environments where she can roll up her sleeves and dive in. “I like to figure things out by doing,” she says. “Physically working through a challenge just clicks for me.” Whether she’s building intricate Lego structures or crafting with clay, that mindset also extends to her work at Mitsubishi Power. Managing large-scale piping projects as the Piping Project Engineer, she finds fulfillment in seeing ideas take shape. “You forget, sitting at a desk, how big these things actually are. The scale of it all. Seeing it in person, walking the site it’s incredible,” she says. 

With nearly a decade under her belt, Randi has helped bring major projects to life. But for her, it’s not just about what she’s accomplished, it’s about what’s ahead. “There’s always another challenge, another lesson to learn,” she says. “And that’s what keeps it exciting.” 

Meet Hari Gopalakrishnan 

Academic. Modeler. Eternal Optimist. Engineer. 

If you spend five minutes with Hari, you’ll quickly realize two things, he’s here for a good time, and he genuinely believes the future is worth fighting for. A natural problem-solver with infectious energy, Hari makes even the most complex challenges feel like puzzles waiting to be solved together. 

Hari’s story begins in Mumbai, India, a city where millions of stories unfold at once. In this fast-moving metropolis, he developed a deep appreciation for complexity, recognizing early on that every system, no matter how intricate, has a pattern waiting to be understood. 

His fascination with mechanical engineering led him to the U.S. in 2005, where he pursued graduate studies across three universities, earning an MS in Aerospace Engineering from Old Dominion University, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from University of Massachusetts Amherst, and an MS in Computational Finance from the University of Washington Seattle. 

With each step, he expanded his ability to bridge theory and real-world application. But if you ask Hari about his proudest achievements, he won’t list his credentials. Instead, he’ll talk about the people he’s met, the ideas he’s shared, and the moments when collaboration led to something greater than the sum of its parts. 

For Hari, engineering isn’t just about calculations and equations, it’s about people. It’s about bringing together the best minds, asking the right questions, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Because at the end of the day, the future isn’t something we predict. It’s something we build. 

At Mitsubishi Power, Hari applies advanced modeling techniques to help customers navigate the transition to Net Zero. His work goes beyond running simulations, he challenges conventional approaches, looking to nature for inspiration. Instead of following traditional linear models, he takes cues from complex systems, like how bees build a hive. “The unpredictability of ecosystems teaches us that adaptation and iteration are the keys to lasting solutions,” he explains, emphasizing the need for flexibility in engineering. “Nature doesn’t follow a straight path,” he says. “So why should our models?” 

But beyond the forecasts, Hari is, at heart, an optimist. The eternal optimist. He believes in the power of persistence, of continually striving for solutions even when the path forward isn’t clear. “You’ve got to keep trying,” he says. “Despite what people say, there’s still time. That’s why we do this work because the moment we think it’s impossible, we stop trying. And that’s not an option.” 

Engineering a Future Built on Excellence, Innovation, and Values 

As we celebrate National Engineers Week, we honor the people behind the technology, the problem-solvers, the visionaries, and the trailblazers shaping the future of energy. The stories of Mike, Randi, and Hari highlight the passion, ingenuity, and dedication that drive our success. We’re not just building power solutions we’re building a legacy of innovation and excellence to empower our customers and push the boundaries of what’s possible to fuel generations to come. 

Interested in joining our team of engineers? Explore careers and internship opportunities with Mitsubishi Power today.