VP Strategy · Caterpillar Inc. · Cornell University · Houston, TX
Industrial strategy executive with 20+ years transforming businesses across energy, industrials, and consulting on four continents. Cornell-educated engineer. Financial Times featured. Founder of Houston's PlatyPirates all-girls robotics team — State Champions.
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Biography
Wajih Tariq Effendi is VP Strategy at Caterpillar Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of construction, mining, and industrial equipment. With a career spanning more than two decades across four continents, Wajih brings an unmatched combination of engineering depth and strategic vision to every challenge he takes on.
Educated at Cornell University — where he earned a B.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering and an M.Eng. in Engineering Management — Wajih has consistently translated technical knowledge into measurable business outcomes at Kearney, Accenture Strategy, BG Group, BP, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Schlumberger.
In 2014, Wajih was named and quoted in the Financial Times Mexico Energy Special Report, recognized as a leading voice on the region's landmark energy liberalization. He represented BG Group as VP of Strategy & Business Development, having built a $2B+ energy business in Mexico from the ground up — work that culminated in $10B+ in divestments as part of the CEO Growth Agenda he set and executed.
Beyond business, Wajih is deeply invested in the Houston community — as founder and president of PlatyPirates, an all-girls FIRST Robotics team that has won State Championships and Imagery Awards over 4 seasons. He also serves as CAAAN Chair for Houston and on the board of CAAGH.
Career History
Community & Service
Founder & President of PlatyPirates — an all-girls FIRST Robotics community team in Houston, TX. Now in its 4th year, the team has earned State Championship honors and prestigious Imagery Awards, inspiring the next generation of women engineers.
State Champions · HoustonChair of the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN) for Houston — guiding prospective students through the Cornell admissions process. Also serves on the board of CAAGH (Cornell Alumni Association of Greater Houston).
Houston Chapter ChairCompleted the Susan G. Komen 3-Day, 60-mile walk for breast cancer research and awareness — a personal commitment inspired by family experience with the disease. A demonstration of character beyond the boardroom.
60-Mile Walk · DallasPress & Media
"[Deepwater] is the big prize. Look at the amount that has been explored on the US side of the Gulf of Mexico, versus the Mexican side. For international oil companies with the balance sheet and the technical expertise, this offers great potential."
— Wajih Effendi · Financial Times · Mexico Energy Special Report · November 2014