We recently had the privilege of having an insightful conversation with Aravindan Shanmugasundaram, a multifaceted leader and Business Consultant – Cybersecurity at TÜV Rheinland. With a strong background in handling cross-functional global roles across various industries, Aravindan offers flexibility to his clients, from serving as an ISO consultant to a GRC advisor, and more, helping him stay ahead of the curve. With more than 45 multidisciplinary certifications, he can seamlessly handle compliance, risk, and transformation, all with equal ease. In his current role at TÜV Rheinland, Aravindan Shanmugasundaram not only consults clients across the GCC on cybersecurity, GRC, and management systems but also empowers and assists organizations to navigate compliance across multiple frameworks.
Spark Behind the Journey
We started the session by asking, “You’ve completed over 45 certifications across domains. What started this journey, and how did you manage it alongside global consulting roles?”
Aravindan shared, “I’ve always believed in staying ahead of the curve, not just keeping pace. My journey started with an inherent curiosity to understand systems holistically — from quality and cybersecurity to privacy, safety, and resilience. Over time, as I began handling cross-functional, global roles across industries, it became clear that clients increasingly valued generalists with specialist insights.
Certifications gave me the confidence to walk into any boardroom — whether it was for ISO 27001, CMMI, ISO 22301, or GDPR — and speak the language of compliance, risk, and transformation fluently. Managing them alongside work was never about finding time; it was about making it count.”
Aravindan Shanmugasundaram’s Impactful Services
To learn more about Aravindan Shanmugasundaram’s role and impact, we asked, “Can you share more about your current role and the kind of value your consulting brings to organizations?”
He shared, “As a Senior Business Consultant with TÜV Rheinland, I focus on cybersecurity, GRC, and management systems for clients across the GCC region. I’ve led the setup of IoT Cybersecurity Testing Labs, driven NCCS certifications, and helped organizations navigate compliance across multiple frameworks — from ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 to CMMI model and beyond.
What I offer clients is strategic flexibility — I can step in as their ISO consultant, GRC advisor, BCP strategist, or privacy lead — and that kind of versatility is what modern businesses want.”
Major Milestones in the Journey
Aravindan Shanmugasundaram shared how certifications boosted his confidence in the field. To learn more, we asked him to share the certifications he has achieved throughout his career.
Aravindan mentioned, “Regarding software quality, I have achieved numerous certifications, including Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA) from Quality Assurance Institute (USA), which is active since 2006, Certified Software Tester (CSTE) from Quality Assurance Institute (USA) in 2008, and Certified Quantitative Software Process Engineer (CQSPE), which is world’s 2nd CQSPE, and it is active since 2009, while completing High Maturity (HM) Concepts Course from CMMI Institute (ISACA).
In terms of cyber security, my certifications include Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified in CyberSecurity (CC) from ISC2, and Certified Cyber Warrior (CCW) from IIT-Madras, alongside a 6-month collaborative training with lab exercises in IIT-Madras, and Data Protection Officer (DPO) as per ISO IEC 17024:2012, and Information Security Management System Professional (ISP) from INTERTEK in 2019. In addition, my risk management certifications include Certified Enterprise Risk Manager (CERM) based on ISO 31000, GRC Auditor (GRCA), and GRC Professional (GRCA) from OCEG.”
“Parallely, I’m a certified CMMI Practitioner from CMMI Institute (ISACA), certified SAFe 3.0 Program Consultant (SPC), certified SCRUM Master from Scrum Alliance with a 100% score, which has been active since February 2016, a certified Agile Leadership – Organization (CAL-O) from Scrum Alliance, 2021, and a certified Team Kanban Practitioner (TKP) from Kaban University, 2021.
I’m a trained Lead Assessor for Industry 4.0 Implementation which is certified by CII in association with TUV SUD, and a trained Lead Auditor for the following management systems, which include, Quality Management System (QMS) – ISO/IEC 9001: 2015, Information Security Management System (ISMS) – ISO/IEC 27001: 2013, Information Technology Service Management System (ITSM) – ISO/IEC 20000-1: 2011, and Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) – ISO 22301: 2012.
From IIM-Calcutta, I have earned Six Sigma Green Belt (SSGB) certification in 2007, and in 2009, I achieved Six Sigma Black Belt Candidate (SSBB) certification from the Asian Institute of Quality Management. My other notable certifications include Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) from Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA, USA), Integrated Data Privacy Professional (IDPP) from OCEG, Integrated Policy Management Professional (IPMP) from OCEG, IOSH certification from Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, NEBOSH IDP: International Diploma (Level 6), a Climate Champion at UN Climate, and Net Zero 101 in Sustainability.
Recently, I have completed the Certified AI Officer (CAIO) training program, and Certified AI Management System Lead Implementer training, by Brit Certifications and Assessments. And have also added an Advanced Certificate Course on Cyber Law and AI from The LegalVoice in my list,” he added.
Navigating through Challenges
In such a multi-dimensional role like that of Aravindan Shanmugasundaram, challenges are inevitable. To learn how he tackled them, we asked him to share his approach.
“The biggest challenge is also the biggest opportunity: clients are no longer hiring for single-domain expertise. They expect their consultant to wear multiple hats — and rightly so — because they’re optimizing cost, effort, and leadership bandwidth.
To meet that, I’ve embraced continuous learning as a lifestyle. I’ve built frameworks that allow me to scale across domains efficiently, whether it’s handling audits, delivering training, or implementing enterprise-wide risk frameworks,” Aravindan mentioned.
Reshaping GRC and Compliance with AI
With AI emerging as a key factor in redefining industries, we were intrigued to learn how Aravindan Shanmugasundaram implements this innovation. So, we asked, “What’s your perspective on AI and emerging tech in compliance and GRC? Are you using or planning to use any of these innovations?”
He reflected, “AI is not just transforming the landscape — it’s redrawing it. From automated risk assessments to anomaly detection in audit trails, the use cases are expanding fast. Clients in the GCC are pretty sceptical about bringing in AI in GRC practices. They want manual control, review, and comments on their Risk Registers. They don’t want to hear the words ‘cloud’ and ‘AI’ especially when it comes to their Risk Registers.
Many countries are still developing AI Guidelines. Overall, I believe AI will force us to rethink ethics, accountability, and governance — and professionals with strong cross-domain grounding will lead that shift.”
Envisioning the Future
As a multi-faceted expert, Aravindan Shanmugasundaram has been playing a crucial role in carrying the industry forward. To gather his perspective on the sector’s growth, we posed the question, “Where do you see the future of GRC and integrated management systems heading?”
He commented, “We’re moving toward convergence and contextual intelligence. Clients no longer want isolated ISO certifications; they want unified risk governance that ties in security, resilience, privacy, ESG, and operational metrics — all tracked and optimized.
The next-gen GRC consultant won’t be someone who implements standards; it’ll be someone who drives Principled Performance. That’s the direction I’ve modelled my practice toward.”
Words of Wisdom for Beginners
We further asked, “What advice would you give aspiring professionals who want to earn certifications or grow in this field?”
“Don’t chase certifications — chase capability. Use certifications to benchmark your progress, not define it. Focus on solving real business problems, and make sure your learning maps back to value creation.
And never be afraid to wear multiple hats. If you’re in cybersecurity, explore business continuity. If you’re in quality, learn about privacy or sustainability. The future belongs to boundary-spanners,” Aravindan shared.
A Healthy Work-life Balance
Lastly, we asked, “With such a demanding role, how do you manage work-life balance?”
“I see learning as therapy. While others unwind on Netflix, I might unwind with an OCEG course. That said, I do have a life beyond frameworks — whether it’s gardening, volunteering, or playing volleyball.
Balance isn’t about time management. It’s about energy management — doing what keeps you fulfilled and focused,” Aravindan shared.
To learn more about Aravindan Shanmugasundaram’s journey and industry insights, follow him on LinkedIn.
Find TÜV Rheinland on LinkedIn and visit their website https://www.tuv.com/oman/en/
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