Paul K. Benny
MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER AT ASML
PAUL KUMMANNOOR BENNY’S ENGINEERING STORY started with raw curiosity. “I always liked understanding how things work,” he said. Growing up in rural Kerala, India, he was the kind of kid who would dismantle knick-knacks just to see what made them tick. “As a kid, I used to take apart things—not always successfully put them back together—but I learned a lot.”
After high school, Benny moved to the U.S. to study mechanical engineering at Gannon University in Erie, Pa. Just three days into his first semester, he was already involved in ASME events. “Around my junior year I was serving as the president for the ASME Chapter there and also started leading the student regional team,” he said. Reflecting on the development, he added, “I don’t strive to take leadership roles. It just happens.”
“I learned early on that leadership isn’t a position of power; it’s a call to service. So I don't say that I’m a leader, but instead I’m serving as a leader, and I think that one additional word makes a lot of difference.”
—Paul Benny
Benny, from Kerala, India, loves cooking traditional Nasrani cuisine and is writing a historical fiction book about the spice trade told through a Viking’s journey, with each chapter named after a spice.
Benny’s leadership style is grounded in clarity, listening, and inclusion. He described how he likes to begin meetings by simply asking questions and letting others speak. “I try to just listen, not really say much in the beginning, letting creativity solve the problems,” he said. This approach has helped him navigate complex, cross-functional projects with stakeholders from across the globe.
Now working as a mechanical design engineer at ASML, Benny works on the design of high numerical aperture (high NA) lithography machines—massive, complex tools worth hundreds of millions of dollars that are used in advanced semiconductor chip manufacturing. “Any electronic device we are using right now, it has an ASML machine printed chip in it. It’s one of the biggest inventions in the semiconductor field, enabling AI technology and basically everything.”
In addition to his engineering work, Benny is part of ASML’s net zero initiative, an effort focused on sustainability. The goal is to ensure that all equipment parts can be reused, repaired, or recycled. “Nothing goes to a landfill,” he said. The project aligns closely with his future ambitions to move into technical project management and lead initiatives that blend innovation with environmental responsibility. “Sustainable development isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a necessity.”
Benny continues to contribute to the profession through ASME, where he completed the ECLIPSE leadership development program and now serves as chair of the TEC Industry Engagement Task Force. “I want to help make engineering education and skill development more accessible,” he said. “We need more young minds from all across the world to come together and make things better for humanity through creative problem solving.”
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