After generations in Ferguson, Emerson moved its global headquarters to Clayton last winter, affirming its long-term commitment to the St. Louis region. As the head of the multinational corporation, Karsanbhai believes in leading with purpose, acting with conviction, and inspiring collaboration. “As leaders, we have the privilege of setting the tone and modeling the values we want to see across our organizations and our community,” he says. Karsanbhai, who is serving as the St. Louis Fed’s 2026 board chair, believes that Emerson’s people are its prime asset, noting that every employee has a stake in the company’s mission to “drive innovation that makes the world healthier, safer, smarter, and more sustainable.”
2026 QUESTIONNAIRE
What advice would you give to the next generation of St. Louis entrepreneurs or leaders? The next generation has an unprecedented opportunity to shape not only their own success, but the future of this region. Lead with purpose, act with conviction, and remember that your greatest impact will come not from what you achieve alone, but from what you inspire others to accomplish together. As leaders, we have the privilege of setting the tone and modeling the values we want to see across our organizations and our community. My advice to the next generation is this: Don’t get lost in complexity. Focus on the actions that can drive real change. Our St. Louis region has incredible potential, but it requires business leaders willing to step up and take meaningful action on the issues that help families most–namely education, health care, jobs, and public safety. We must challenge ourselves and the next generation of leaders to move beyond conversation and into collaboration. We must come together to build a stronger St. Louis community that leaves no question of its viability as a great place to grow a company, raise a family, and live a quality life.
What’s a risk you took in business that didn’t pan out—but taught you something valuable? Innovation requires the humility to know that your first answer might not be your best answer. As business and community leaders, we take a huge risk if we limit ourselves to thinking there is only one right solution to a complex challenge. Real-world challenges often don’t have one answer, but opportunities to weigh considerations and choose the best path. This solution-oriented mindset has served Emerson well through decades of global technological change and market evolution. The companies that thrive aren’t necessarily the ones that always pick the “perfect” solution, but the ones that can adapt quickly and execute effectively across multiple viable pathways.
What do you do when you’re feeling stuck or uninspired? Some of my most breakthrough moments have come not from grinding through a problem in isolation, but from broadening my aperture to seek the wisdom and perspective of others. When I wanted to more deeply engage Emerson in the St. Louis community, I sought out other leaders and community members who have made their mark on the region, and they graciously shared their insights and unique experiences with me. Today, I consider these people not only mentors but also friends—and important parts of my support system that continue to challenge and inspire me. My other go-to: taking a run always clears my mind and gives me a new perspective.
Who in your company (or industry) deserves more recognition for their impact? At Emerson, our greatest asset isn’t our technology or our market position—it’s our people. And I mean all of our people. From the engineers pushing the boundaries of automation technology to those who keep our operations running seamlessly, each person has a role that moves us closer to our vision and drives our mission forward. Our breakthrough innovations that make headlines are built on thousands of daily contributions that often go unnoticed.
What’s a local organization, nonprofit, or initiative that more people should know about—and why? St. Louis has no shortage of incredible organizations that deserve a spotlight—and that’s why I’m so committed to the United Way of St. Louis. They’ve figured out something really smart: Instead of all of us trying to navigate this landscape alone, they’ve done the work of identifying where the greatest needs are and which organizations are truly making a difference. They partner with businesses and nonprofits to raise and distribute funds across these organizations in our region to provide a sustainable safety net. They support more than 160 area nonprofits addressing vital issues like education, food security and strengthening families. I am fortunate to serve as chair of the 2025 United Way campaign, and it has opened my eyes to the amazing work they drive for so many nonprofits to create solutions that strengthen the entire fabric of our community.
2025 QUESTIONNAIRE
PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
What has you most excited about the future of your company or industry? I’m most excited about the inflection point we’re at in the industry and Emerson’s ability to lead our customers confidently through it. The demand to do more with less – without compromising safety, cybersecurity or sustainability – is accelerating the pace of innovation. Our customers are navigating complex challenges, and they need their existing technologies to work harder and deliver better results. This is where Boundless Automation, our vision for a software-defined automation architecture that puts data to work like never before, comes in. By enabling seamless integration of operational and information technology data, Boundless Automation empowers the world’s most essential industries to leverage innovations in AI, machine learning and digital twin technologies at scale to further optimize operations across design and development, production, reliability, safety, sustainability and their workforce.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? Accelerating the adoption of digital transformation practices, which would benefit not just individual businesses, but also the broader economy. While we see significant progress, too many companies are still slow to embrace the full potential of automation, decarbonization and energy-efficient technologies. This hesitation not only hampers their operational efficiency, but also limits the industry’s collective ability to address critical global challenges like energy affordability and security. At Emerson, we’ve made bold moves to build a cohesive automation portfolio that empowers companies to innovate and adapt faster. By leading the way in digital transformation, we aim to show the industry what’s possible when technology and a clear vision come together.
What’s the toughest business challenge you’ve had to overcome (excluding the pandemic) and why? Transformations are never simple. In many respects, we were fortunate. Our company was not broken, we transformed form a position of strength. Nevertheless, implementing a strategy, navigating a set of complex transactions and doing it in a short period of time in a way that benefits our shareholders, customers, employees and communities required tremendous effort. While evolving and reinventing ourselves is nothing new, this transformation required us to shift focus toward becoming a leading global automation company. Our people are at the heart of this transformation. By engaging our teams and cultivating an inclusive culture of belonging, we’ve built a higher-growth, cohesive automation portfolio. This foundation positions Emerson to thrive and deliver differentiated value creation.
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MENTORS & PEERS
If you could have dinner with any two area business leaders, who would you choose and why? One of my favorite things about St. Louis is the friendliness and accessibility of the business community. I have particularly enjoyed my conversations with people like Andy Taylor and Penny Pennington as we’ve discussed important topics like giving back to the community and how to make the region stronger and more unified. That is a longstanding focus for Emerson.
What is one thing you would change about the St. Louis metro area business environment and why? St. Louis has so many great examples of the strength of public-private partnerships. Enterprise and Edward Jones are companies, like Emerson, who have a deep commitment to unifying and improving our region. If I could change anything, it would be to inspire all businesses—of every size and industry—to step up in a similar way.
BACKGRUOND
Where were you born? Portugal. My father is Indian; my mother’s Portuguese, and I didn’t learn how to speak English until I was 10 years old. I had the opportunity to live all over the world.
What educational degrees do you hold, and where were they earned? I have an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis.
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
What is your favorite St. Louis-area restaurant, and what do you typically order there? Our favorite restaurant is Paul Manno’s Café. We love going at least once a month with friends and our kids. Great food served by the friendliest people you will ever meet. I most often enjoy their superb vitello costoletta milanese.
What is one book you think everyone should read (or podcast everyone should listen to) and why? Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. As for a podcast, I like to listen to a few while running: Acquired and The Real Science of Sport are among my favorites.
What’s your hobby/passion? Running, particularly in Forest Park. It’s something I fell in love with again in my 30s as I needed to get back in shape, and it is a good way for me to be balanced both physically and mentally. I recently retired from running marathons. Our children both run cross country and in many ways I get to enjoy it all over again through them.
