Change Agent

Growing up in Jordan and attending New York Tech’s campus in Amman to earn his bachelor’s in business administration, Michael Alsharaiha (B.S. ’13, M.B.A. ’18) always wanted to work for EY (formerly Ernst & Young), a global leader in accounting and consulting.

“After graduating from New York Tech, I applied to work at EY several times, but at that point, they were focused on hiring accountants,” he explains. “I’m good with numbers, but it was never my passion. I really wanted to do something that involved problem-solving and analysis. So, I decided to move on.”

Trying his hand in various fields, from insurance to translation and beyond, he ultimately decided he could open more doors with an M.B.A. During the time he spent completing his advanced degree at New York Tech on the New York City campus, the market and needs of business began to change, and when he moved back to Jordan after graduation, the timing finally aligned in his favor. “That was when EY was looking for people with skills in areas I studied, and I could really apply my talents,” he says.

As a senior consultant at EY, those talents are focused on helping companies navigate change in a fast-paced and ever-evolving economy. “I’m part of people consulting,” he explains. “When large changes occur in our organizations, we support the business and the employees so everyone feels secure with those changes.”

Whether helping companies deal with new acquisitions, introducing new technologies, or managing changes in industry, Alsharaiha works hands-on with clients to ensure they maximize their potential. In practice, that can mean many different things from company to company and day to day. “Sometimes our work involves helping a company redesign its organization structure so that different processes cover needs,” he says. “I’m always thinking, from the CEO to the newest employee, how can someone chart their way to get higher in the organization?”

Alsharaiha admits his work is very people-focused, but “not for the reason you might think,” he says. “We don’t do any firing, and yes, I want people to be happy. But what I enjoy about it is you can never approach two people the same way. Each person requires a different tactic.”

This is especially true when working across borders, Alsharaiha says. “We mostly work in the Middle East, and different countries have different cultures,” he explains. Working in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait, he has discovered that each country has its own needs and dynamics. “You have to be ready to adapt to many different communication styles. Sometimes, even departments within an organization have different cultures,” he says. “So how do you deal with that? And how do you support people to get them what they need? That requires creativity. The constant evolution; that’s what I find interesting.”

Alsharaiha also appreciates that EY fosters ongoing curiosity through mandatory continuing education requirements. “We have to engage in 40 hours of learning per year, and it can be anything from how to draw to philosophy to business-related topics,” he says. “Lately, I have chosen to focus my learning on artificial intelligence (AI) since that is the issue many clients are concerned about.”

In September of 2024, Alsharaiha dropped in on the Strategic Marketing and Branding course taught by Professor Colleen P. Kirk, D.P.S., to participate in the discussion Technology and Change Management in an Age of AI.

“Michael, a change management expert, shared fascinating insights on technology and change with my M.B.A. Strategic Marketing and Branding class,” recalls Kirk. “His real-world experience brought our curriculum to life, offering students a unique perspective on navigating digital transformation and adapting to rapidly evolving tech landscapes in an age of AI.”

He remembered this benefitting him as a student as well. “While the learned skills helped, it was really the discussions and experiences with different professors and students that helped me better integrate and support the organizations I joined professionally.”

By Alix Sobler