My journey has been a mix of curiosity, persistence, and learning through uncertainty. I come from India and began my professional career in procurement and analytics, where I worked closely with data, analytical tools, and global stakeholders. Over time, I realized that while technical skills are important, it is the understanding of business strategy, people, and cross-cultural decision-making that truly drives impact.

That realization led me to Germany and to the MBA&E program. Alongside my studies, I made a conscious decision to work as a working student in indirect procurement at an international IT company. This experience exposed me to real workplace culture, day-to-day operations, cross-functional collaboration, and the practical realities behind concepts we often discuss in lectures.

The journey, however, was not easy. My job search in Germany came with its own challenges, especially due to my limited German language skills at the time. I faced many rejections, moments of self-doubt, and long periods of uncertainty. But I chose not to give up. Instead, I turned that phase into something constructive. I started a weekly LinkedIn series called “Monday Momentum” which are short, reflective posts intended as a light, thoughtful snack for students and professionals. Writing regularly kept me motivated, helped me process my own experiences, and allowed me to stay connected with a wider community during my job search. Eventually, consistency paid off. I secured a role aligned with my interests, and today I live and work in Künzelsau, a small and beautiful town in Germany. I am now involved in procurement- and business processes working as a full time Business Process Manager at Berner Group, focusing on structure, efficiency, and collaboration in an international environment.

Looking at the current economic situation, recruitment has become more selective and skill-focused. Companies are looking not only for degrees, but also for practical experience, adaptability, digital skills, and resilience. For students, this means stepping beyond lectures through internships, working student roles, or personal initiatives, and staying patient with the process.

If there is one message I would like to leave with current MBA&E students, it is this: careers are rarely linear. Learning does not stop with graduation, setbacks are part of the journey, and persistence matters more than speed.

From Engineering to Data-driven leadership

I’m Saad, currently based in Pakistan, working on global and remote initiatives while exploring new ways to create impact across borders. I’m excited to share my journey with the MBA & Engineering (MBA&E) community at HTW Berlin - a program that played a pivotal role in shaping my professional direction and global mindset.

With a background in Electrical (Telecom) Engineering from Pakistan, I began my career in highly technical roles within the telecom industry. While the technical foundation was strong, I soon realized that I wanted to move closer to business decision-making, strategy, and leadership. That realization led me to Berlin and to the MBA&E program at HTW Berlin.

The Master’s in Business Administration & Engineering (Interdisciplinary Management) is a powerful blend of business and engineering, designed to help professionals become the bridge between the two core foundations every company relies on. The MBA&E experience helped me close the gap between engineering, business, and analytics. It equipped me with the tools to translate complex data into strategic insights across multiple departments, a skill that became central to my career growth. In data roles, technical skills like SQL, Python, and BI tools are essential. What many professionals lack and where you truly gain an edge, is business understanding. The MBA&E program enabled me to build exactly that.

I’ve worked with teams across sales, customer success, finance, HR, QA, UX/UI, product, operations, marketing, growth, coaching, SCM, media, commercial, real estate, brand, people ops, creators… I might’ve missed a few. As a data analyst, I was able to collaborate effectively with all of them because MBA&E helped me understand how these teams operate.

Some of my favorite subjects and moments that shaped me.
➝ Prof. Sven Pruser’s marketing lectures, which made me fall in love with marketing and later helped me work closely with the Head of Growth at Careship as Head of BI.
➝ Prof. Soeren Dressler’s Corporate Finance lectures, which taught us investing fundamentals and shifted my path toward financial independence
➝ Presenting at Bombardier as part of Project Management, building the confidence to present at the Leadership Lounge and later in C-level collaborations,
➝ Organizing the first HTW Model United Nations (MUN) beyond the MBA&E program
➝ Industry visits to southern Germany, especially Daimler Mercedes-Benz

I am from India and have more than 10 years of experience in engineering and design within industrial automation. During my time in India, I worked on projects for multiple countries, including South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Middle East.

Currently, I am working at Schneider Electric Automation GmbH in Freiburg, Germany, as a Marketing Manager. I am part of the Motion and Robotics division within the Industrial Automation business group. In this role, I am involved in motion and robotics product development, conducting market studies, competitor analyses, and developing business plans. I regularly collaborate with teams across multiple countries and work closely with international colleagues based in Germany, the US, France, Italy, China, and beyond.

I am truly grateful for the MBA&E study program, as it enables me to apply the knowledge and skills I gained during my master’s studies at HTW Berlin in my day-to-day work. Courses such as Strategic Marketing, Corporate Finance, Project and Industrial Engineering, Strategic and Organizational Human Resource Management (SOHRM), and Intercultural Communication (ICC) were particularly valuable. With the support of the MBA&E degree, I successfully transitioned from a purely technical engineering and design role into Marketing Management.

I am an MBA&E alumnus and currently work as a Senior Manager, leading a global department responsible for managing core engineering platforms in the ADAS space. Based in Frankfurt, I collaborate with international teams to deliver, operate, and continuously improve critical platforms that support advanced automotive engineering across the organization.

I began my career in the automotive Tier-1 industry, joining through a corporate graduate program that fast-tracked my entry into the field. During this time, I progressed from managing individual projects to leading multiple complex, cross-functional programs. In parallel, I took on an internal Business Relationship Manager role, strengthening alignment between technical teams and business stakeholders.

After several years in the Tier-1 environment, I moved to my current organization, where I initially assumed global leadership responsibilities and have since grown into my present role. Today, I lead globally distributed teams and oversee platforms that are central to the organization’s engineering landscape.

I see a career as a long, beautiful hike: starting out and finding your pace, navigating uphill stretches, choosing between trail splits, pausing at viewpoints, and continuing through later stages—again and again.

The MBA&E program played a pivotal role in shaping my professional journey. It enabled me to pivot from a software development background into IT project and program management, introduced me to the automotive industry and its management specifics, and instilled a strong mindset for understanding organizations beyond functional silos. These learnings have been instrumental in my ability to lead in complex, global engineering environments and have shaped my career over the past decade.