For mid-career professionals, an MBA is the definitive bridge from technical execution to global strategic leadership. For Abhinav Sharma, nearly a decade of high-stakes experience with industry leaders like Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki served as the catalyst for this transition. Currently pursuing an MBA in International Business at Curtin Dubai, Abhinav is transforming his technical background in Mechanical Engineering into the strategic business fluency required to lead the “jobs of the future.”
We connected with Abhinav to explore how he is leveraging his Curtin journey to drive measurable results in the global automotive sector.
Looking back at your journey so far, what made this the right time to pursue an MBA?
I had spent years driving transformation initiatives, from AI rollouts to customer retention strategies. While I could implement change, I wasn’t yet leading it at the executive level. The MBA in International Business at Curtin was a deliberate step to master the financial fluency and strategic foresight needed to move into consulting and scale my impact across global industries.
Your work has spanned systems, people, and large-scale networks. How has Curtin shaped the way you approach these challenges?
My background in engineering taught me how systems function, but Curtin has empowered me to understand the business logic behind them. At the OEM level, success is tied to outcomes – customer retention, service performance, and measurable growth. The industry-aligned curriculum here provides the tools to investigate these metrics through a lens of operational excellence and global trade.
Is there a moment in your career that has stayed with you or influenced your leadership style?
Leading the rollout of an AI-powered cost estimation tool was a defining moment. It uncovered that the real challenge of innovation is building human trust. By continuously refining systems based on feedback, we achieved a 25% uplift in customer conversion. This experience reinforced my belief that to make tomorrow better, technology must be integrated with human-centric strategy – a core theme in our MBA discussions.
Beyond your work, what is something that has shaped your professional values?
At my core, I believe how you show up for others matters. Whether it is giving back to the community or supporting my peers, I am driven by the idea that ethical leadership is the foundation of any successful network. This mindset carries into my professional life as well; I am constantly investigating how to strengthen existing systems and make things work better for the community and the industry.
At Curtin University Dubai, Abhinav is building the leadership competencies required to navigate a rapidly evolving global economy.
Ready to fast-track your career? Reach out to admissions@curtindubai.ac.ae to learn more about our programs and how it can empower your journey from expert to leader.
