Ali Gharbi

Arizona State University, W. P. Carey School of Business

“I thrive on problem-solving, enjoy mountain hiking, and have a profound passion for aviation.”

Hometown: Casablanca, Morocco

Fun fact about yourself: I’ve traveled to over 25 countries and climbed more than 20 summits.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Industrial engineering degree from Mohammadia School of Engineering (Rabat, Morocco)

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Royal Air Maroc (Moroccan National Carrier) as Head of the Quality Assurance Department within the engineering and maintenance division

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? GKN Aerospace, Phoenix

Where will you be working after graduation? Undecided

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Awards:

Fulbright Study Grant Scholarship

Leadership:

MBA Fitness Club – Co-President

Community Work

Carey Consulting – Consultant

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? During my first year in the MBA program, I joined Carey Consulting and participated in a pro-bono consulting engagement. Our team collaborated with a local nonprofit organization that supports women and teen girls facing challenging life situations. Our task was to streamline the organization’s donation-handling process, which had become burdensome for its staff and volunteers, detracting from their primary mission. This experience was exciting and challenging, allowing me to work with a diverse team and receive support from exceptional advisors. I also had the opportunity to interact with inspiring nonprofit leaders. It was a privilege to contribute to this outstanding organization by proposing cost-effective solutions with a clear step-by-step implementation plan, which helped the organization achieve its goals.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? As an airline, we faced a three-month lockdown period during the pandemic that necessitated grounding all our airplanes. During this challenging time, I led a multidisciplinary team developing and deploying an aircraft disinfection and sanitation protocol. This protocol was a new regulatory requirement enforced during COVID-19 to enable airlines to resume operations safely. The experience was both demanding and enriching. I had to manage the team remotely, navigate a very lean budget, and meet tight deadlines while gaining approval from internal and external stakeholders. I am proud to have completed this project, which allowed the airline to resume operations and provide a safe environment for its customers and employees.

Why did you choose this business school? The “Business is personal” motto resonated deeply with what I seek in every organization I join. W. P. Carey School of Business embodies this principle by prioritizing a personalized experience for each student. With its small class sizes compared to other programs, the school nurtures an environment where brilliant and humble minds come together to connect and learn from one another, fostering teamwork and success. During the application process, I had the pleasure of speaking with current students and the recruiting team. Each interaction was characterized by a genuine commitment to helping me answer my questions and ensure a successful journey. As a passionate traveler, I thrive on connecting with people from all walks of life, and W. P. Carey offered precisely that kind of environment.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? The MBA program has allowed me to learn from exceptionally qualified and knowledgeable faculty. Each professor has made a significant contribution to my growth within the program. Among them, Professor Reynolds Byers stands out as my favorite. In addition to imparting invaluable hard skills, his teaching approach consistently challenges students to think critically and approach their findings and conclusions with nuance. This emphasis on critical thinking is crucial for developing a well-rounded business leader.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? SCM 515: Decision Modeling, taught by Professor Reynolds Byers, was my favorite course. The course challenges you to think analytically and creatively to make well-informed decisions. I could construct models based on complex business problems to derive optimal solutions. I particularly enjoyed the challenge problems, which required more time and effort. The fulfillment I experienced when I successfully built my model and arrived at solutions for these challenging questions was truly rewarding.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite MBA event was “Around the World.” During this event, every student from the cohort had the opportunity to showcase their country’s history, traditions, cuisine, and more. Many students wore their hometown traditional attire and hosted stalls where they warmly welcomed others and shared fascinating stories about their culture. This event exemplified the “Business is Personal” motto, bringing the program closer together and fostering lasting relationships within the community.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? As mentioned earlier, the school cultivated an environment conducive to deep connections. However, most of the connections I formed within the program were confined to the MBA ecosystem. In hindsight, I could have made more effort to connect and collaborate with students from other graduate and undergraduate programs. Fortunately, I have noticed a recent increase in projects involving diverse teams, especially at the graduate level. Today, I am committed to leveraging the robust Sun Devils network to collaborate and positively impact the world.

What is the biggest myth about your school? Arizona State University is not solely a supply chain school; it offers various business concentrations in Finance, Marketing, Consulting, and more. I took electives across multiple concentrations taught by exceptional faculty that address diverse disciplines and industries. The program allows students to tailor the curriculum to align with their career objectives and develop a well-rounded business mindset. This is exemplified by our alum network’s diversity of industries and roles.

What surprised you the most about business school? Business school has taught me how to make decisions with incomplete information. From an engineering background, we typically deal with apparent, well-formulated technical problems and make decisions based on facts and data. During my MBA, I learned to embrace ambiguity and feel confident navigating situations where all the information may not be immediately available. This flexibility in decision-making has been invaluable in my professional growth.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I admire my classmate Jeanette Uddoh for her invaluable contributions as a change-maker in our community. Her positive energy and leadership style are contagious, inspiring others to act. Jeanette has a remarkable capacity to rally people around causes she is passionate about, embodying the qualities of an exceptional net investor. She is a woman of action, dedicated to making a positive impact.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? First, I aspire to become a father and mentor, guiding a new generation to champion mutual understanding between communities while protecting and cherishing the environment and human life.

Second, I aim to become an influential leader in the aviation industry. I strive to make air travel accessible and sustainable, harnessing aviation’s power to break cultural barriers and drive economic growth.

What made Ali such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Whether in the classroom, gym, or McCord’s halls, Ali Gharbi looks to give back to his classmates in any way he can. Ali has stated, “The goal for me since the beginning of this program is to be authentic and genuine with my peers, to build an environment based on trust, honesty, and belonging.” Since the program’s start, Ali has utilized his gift of quantitative skills to conduct small group study sessions, helping those around him bolster confidence in their skill sets. Ali also brings his passion for physical fitness to those around him, instilling a stronger sense of work-life balance in a demanding program.  Through his work as co-president of the MBA Fitness Club, Ali shares his expertise and the expertise of fitness and wellness experts to educate his classmates on the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.”

Erica Day, Associate Director, Full-time MBA

Kate Eaton, Clinical Associate Professor – Department of Marketing; Assistant Dean, MBA Programs

Erin Jordan, Clinical Assistant Professor – School of Accountancy; MBA Program Faculty Director

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2024