We are honored to nominate Akash for the Professional Achievement Award. Akash’s career, spanning over 15 years, is a testament to his exceptional achievements, unwavering discipline, and remarkable ability to overcome obstacles. His journey is not only inspiring but also serves as a beacon for younger professionals and students.

Akash’s achievements are unique and noteworthy. He has consistently demonstrated his expertise in various software development environments, transforming teams and technology. His extensive knowledge in software development, engineering quality, cloud-based secured software development, cybersecurity, QA testing, test automation, and Agile practices has been instrumental in driving innovation and excellence. Akash’s ability to lead teams in developing cloud-based software applications, while ensuring product quality and progress, sets him apart as a leader in his field.

Discipline is a hallmark of his career. His commitment to applying better practices, coding standards, test automation, and robust software CI/CD build pipelines has ensured high-quality and secure software product releases at the end of each iteration. Akash’s balanced approach, combining his expertise and maturity, has brought people together to collaborate and challenge the status quo, leading to higher levels of better practices and outcomes.

Akash’s journey has not been without obstacles. Growing up in Gujarat, India, he earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering in 2007 from Gujarat University. After working in Mumbai for a few years, he moved to the U.S. in January 2010 to pursue graduate studies in Information Technology and Management at Illinois Institute of Technology, earning his master’s degree in 2011. He has lived in the Chicago area since then—mostly in downtown Chicago and a few years in the suburbs.

Akash has worked for four 100+ year-old established companies—Tata, Sears, GE, and now Wabtec. These experiences have helped him learn and practice Adaptive Leadership while navigating a variety of roles: software engineer, tech lead, scrum master, engineering manager, transformation leader, and mentor.

At Wabtec, Akash has led numerous initiatives since joining in 2016, including organizing team-building, educational, and social events to foster a balanced and fun working environment. He began leading ERG initiatives in 2019, first as a site leader for One Affinity and later as a site leader for APF (Asian Pacific Forum) since 2022. He also currently serves as Lead/Liaison for Wabtec’s partnership with SASE. Through this role, Akash has helped build pipelines for recruitment, retention, and development through conventions, career fairs, leadership programs, university partnerships, and guest speaker engagements.

He also co-leads the Digital Intelligence (DI) monthly lunch meetups for Chicago-based digital employees, selecting new topics and inviting senior leaders to foster site-level and global collaboration. Recently, Akash led the kickoff of a new APF chapter in the Atlanta area, organizing a successful event at the Norcross office, with support from local leadership. This expansion aims to provide more resources and engagement opportunities for employees in the region.

While working for me as Engineering Transformation Leader, Akash accepted the challenge of a horizontal role, working across teams with limited direct reports. He drove progression and improvement in quality engineering practices, including testing and verification across multiple engineering functions. He led a small team to advance practices, fostered collaboration, and built communities of practice that empowered peers to exchange and elevate best practices.

Akash’s potential as a role model for younger professionals and students is undeniable. His ability to harmonize and transform teams into high-performing units, while keeping people development at the center, is truly inspiring. His leadership style, rooted in collaboration, innovation, empathy, and continuous improvement, makes him a standout leader. He’s not only technically strong but also emotionally intelligent, approachable, and inclusive.

Outside of his professional role, Akash is known for his passion for exploring new restaurants and cuisines. This personal enthusiasm aligns naturally with his talent for organizing team lunches and events. He’s even become a go-to person for event planning and food arrangements—earning praise from colleagues for creating memorable and inclusive experiences.

Akash Dave’s distinguished achievements, disciplined mindset, perseverance through change, and authentic leadership make him an exceptional candidate for the Professional Achievement Award. His contributions to engineering excellence and to Wabtec’s culture of inclusion and innovation are deeply impactful and worthy of recognition.