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Keynote presentations, panel discussions, market updates and trends, identify growth opportunities and so much more.

The knowledge-sharing platform of Automechanika Dubai, the Automechanika Academy serves to provide in-depth industry insights, strategic market updates and engage in thought-provoking panel discussions regarding the current and future state of the MEA automotive aftermarket.
At the 20th edition, our themes will focus on discussing the most pressing business realities affected by a dynamic market while analysed the changing trends impacting global automotive aftermarket industry.
Location: PitStop 1 - Hall 1
Automechanika Academy Agenda
Day 1 | 2 October 2023
Time | Session | Speaker |
11:10 |
Opening by the Conference Chair | Ahmed Samir Elbermbali, Sustainability Market Leader Middle East | Bureau Veritas Managing Director – MENA | CharIN |
11:15 |
GSO Sustainable Partnership | Eng. Mohammed Alzahrani, Senior Conformity Engineer, GSO |
11:45 |
Growth Opportunities in GCC Aftermarket | Subhashree Ramarathnam, Principal Consultant, Frost & Sullivan |
12:15 |
Passenger Car Rental and Leasing Market in KSA | Vishal Pandey, Director, Glasgow Research & Consulting Group |
12:45 | Shaping a Sustainable Future of Mobility | Gurhan Cevikel, Head of Marketing for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) Bridgestone EMIA |
13:15 | Driving Forward: Navigating the Transforming Automotive Aftermarket Landscape This panel discussion will deliver strategic insights and actionable ideas for leaders in the automotive aftermarket. By diving into the themes of technological disruption, customer-centricity, sustainability, and supply chain optimization, our panelists will share their expertise and vision for navigating the evolving landscape.
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Moderator: Shailen Shukla, Chief Logistics Officer Panelists: Sarang Sambare, Senior Director – New Business Development & Industry Solutions, Syncron Marc Kuntzsch, NGK Spark Plug Europe Gaurav Malhotra, Head of Consumer PBU Middle East & Africa, Bridgestone EMIA Shaun Smith, Group General Manager |
14:00 |
Accelerating Change: Empowering Women in the Automotive Industry During this session panelists will share their success stories and initiatives that have empowered women and recognized their contributions.
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Moderator: Amal Hajjam, Engagement Manager, Kearney Panelists: Smriti Priya, Senior Project Manager, Roland Berger Nehla Azeez, Director of Operations, Zeez International Olga Rybakova, Head of Sales and Marketing, Vegachargers Catherine Isaac, Head of Human Resources MEA, Bridgestone EMIA Bhavika Sachdeva, Director, Trinity Lubes & Greases FZC Nesrine Darragi, CEO & Founder, Hive Electric |
14:45 | Electric Shared Mobility Activation: Opportunities and Challenges | Michele Cicchiello, Principal Kearney |
15:15 | Driving into the Future with EV | Kivanc Karayol, Sustainabilty Leader Volvo |
15:15 |
The Road to a Greener Future: How recyclable products are changing the automotive game |
Dhanesh Sen, Group Operations Manager, Abdulla Al Masaood & Sons |
15:45 | Tackling the rising challenge of counterfeits in the aftermarket automobile industry | Ali Korri, General Manager A&K Autoteile GmbH |
Day 2 | 3 October 2023
Time | Session | Speaker |
11:25 | Opening by the Conference Chair | Ahmed Samir Elbermbali, Sustainability Market Leader Middle East | Bureau Veritas Managing Director – MENA | CharIN |
Theme: Digitalization of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry | ||
11:30 | GSO Digitalization “MUTABIQ System” | Eng. Mohammed Alzahrani, Senior Conformity Engineer, GSO |
12:00 | Is digitalization the most certain opportunity for the Automotive Aftermarket | Shubhra Srivastava, Co-Founder & CEO, GaragePlug |
12:30 | Navigating the Shift: How businesses are adapting to digital platform | Ransom Averitt, Director of Marketing, Copart |
13:00 | Digitalization in Aftersales Operations | Gunkut Ayvazoglu, EMEA Sales Director, Technosoft Automotive (SEA) Pte. Ltd. |
13:30 | Maximizing Profitability: Unleashing the Power of Aftermarket Inventory and Pricing Optimization | Moderator: Sarang Sambare, Senior Director – New Business Development & Industry Solutions, Syncron Panelists: Marc-Steven Havinga, Supply Chain & Operations Executive, Motus |
14:00 | Driving Change: The impact of technology in the use car market | Tanay Gupta, Senior Director of Operations and Logistics CARS24 |
Theme: Best Practice in Automotive Aftermarket | ||
14:30 | Value creation in the automotive aftermarket and outlook on EV battery supply strategy
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Daniel Christof, Associate Partner and Leader European Automotive Aftermarket & Automotive Supplier Practice, McKinsey Jonas Hofmann, Associate Partner and Co-Leader European Automotive Aftermarket & Automotive Supplier Practice, McKinsey |
15:00 | Aftermarket - The new EV Logistics Ecosystem and the Customer promise
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Fabio Sacchi, VP of EV Business Development, DHL |
15:00 | Revolutionizing the Road: Exploring the Next Generation of Batteries in the Automotive Industry | Nesrine Darragi, CEO & Founder, Hive Electric |
Key Themes
- Country Focus - Saudi Arabia
- ME - move to become next manufacturing hub for automotives and aftermarket?
- Movers, Shakers & Disruptors - Analysis of trends and market opportunities
- Digital Platforms - a new business model
- Women in Automotive
- IoT - safety in fleets and individual vehicles
- Circular economy
- Techonology Shift - Is it worth it?
- Revolutionizing technology within the car care sector
- AfriConnections
Academy Speakers

Gurhan Cevikel
Head of Marketing for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) Bridgestone EMIA

Vishal Pandey
Director Glasgow Research & Consulting

Ahmed Samir Elbermbali
Sustainability Market Leader Middle East | Bureau Veritas Managing Director – MENA | CharIN

Shubhra Srivastava
CEO, GaragePlug

Subharshee Ramarathnam
Principal Consultant - Mobility Practice, Frost & Sullivan

Smriti Priya
Senior Project Manager, Roland Berger

Eng. Mohammed Alzahrani
Senior Conformity Engineer, GSO

Daniel Christof
Associate Partner and Leader European Automotive Aftermarket & Automotive Supplier Practice, McKinsey

Jonas Hofmann
Associate Partner and Co-Leader European Automotive Aftermarket & Automotive Supplier Practice, McKinsey

Nehla Azeez
Director of Operations, Zeez International

Olga Rybakova
Head of Sales and Marketing, Vegachargers

Jonathan Taylor
Director – Spare Parts, AW Rostamani

Shailen Shukla
Chief Logistics Officer, Admiral Global DMCC

Sarang Sambare
Senior Director – New Business Development & Industry Solutions, Syncron

Marc Kuntzsch
Vice President Aftermarket EMEA, Niterra EMEA GmbH

Sheerhan Jeaudeen
Managing Director Middle East, ZF

Gaurav Malhotra
Head of Consumer PBU Middle East & Africa, Bridgestone EMIA

Shaun Smith
Group General Manager, Abdulla Al Masaood & Sons (AMS)

Amal Hajjam
Engagement Manager, Kearney

Catherine Isaac
Head of Human Resources MEA, Bridgestone EMIA

Nesrine Darragi
CEO & Founder, Hive Electric

Bhavika Sachdeva
Director, Trinity Lubes & Greases FZC

Michele Cicchiello
Principal, Kearney

Dhanesh Sen
Group Operations Manager, Abdulla Al Masaood & Sons

Ali Korri
General Manager, A&K Autoteile GmbH

Ransom Averitt
Director of Marketing, Copart

Gunkut Ayvazoglu
EMEA Sales Director, Technosoft Automotive (SEA) Pte. Ltd.

Marc-Steven Havinga
Supply Chain & Operations Executive, Motus

Tanay Gupta
Senior Director of Operations and Logistics, CARS24

Kivanc Karayol
Sustainabilty Leader, Volvo

Fabio Sacchi
VP of EV Business Development, DHL
Academy Gallery 2022
















