From Formula Student to Global Engineering Director: Refaat's Journey at Cummins
Growing up taking apart appliances, Refaat now leads global brakes engineering at Cummins, crediting Formula Student for teaching teamwork and communication.
- ~3 meters
What Happened
Refaat, Director of Engineering for Global Brakes at Cummins Inc., shares his career journey from a curious child taking apart kitchen appliances to leading global engineering teams. His path highlights the importance of curiosity, resilience, and continuous growth in engineering.
“As a child I loved building things with Lego and always loved taking things apart and typically failing to put them back together. Over time I used to thoroughly enjoy when a kitchen appliance broke as it presented a new opportunity to take something apart and see how it worked.”
Through Formula Student, Refaat learned that technical competence alone is not enough; communication and team dynamics are equally critical. He applied these lessons from his first day at Cummins, building relationships and focusing on meaningful work in brakes engineering.
“We have reduced stopping distances by around 3 meters compared to when I first started my career. I can't even imagine the number of accidents this has avoided.”
Why this matters
This story shows how hands-on learning and early career programs like Formula Student can shape a successful engineering career, emphasizing the value of communication and teamwork.
Terms in This Story
- Formula Student
- A global student engineering competition where teams design, build, and race formula-style cars, developing practical skills in teamwork and project management.
- Air disc brake
- A type of brake that uses compressed air to actuate disc brakes, commonly used in heavy trucks and buses for improved stopping power and reliability.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.