Ahmad Faisal Mohamad Ayob

About Dr Faisal

Dr Faisal is an Associate Professor of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), where he has taught since 2008 and leads the Vehicle Simulator Group. His work covers ship and high-speed craft design, simulation, systems integration and AI for marine vehicles.

In 2021 he founded VSG Labs, a UMT-affiliated industrial research and development company focused on ocean intelligence, where he is Principal Consultant and Managing Director. It builds training simulators for boats and underwater vehicles, vessel tracking and sea-condition forecasting. He is also a system specialist at UMT’s Centre for Offshore Renewable Energy, and in 2026 he pitched the centre’s project to investors in a climate finance programme.

He directed UMT’s International Office from 2016 to 2022, after a year as its deputy director. Before his PhD at UNSW, on optimizing the design of high-speed craft, he was a research and development engineer at Panasonic. He is a Chartered Engineer with the UK Engineering Council.

Practices from our conversation with Dr Faisal

Leetsoul wrote these practices after talking with Dr Faisal. Each line below summarizes what Dr Faisal told us, in our words. Dr Faisal did not write the practices and has not reviewed or endorsed them.

1. Pitching the part of your project an investor panel can fund

   Before a pitch he finds out who will be on the panel and what each investor usually funds. If the whole project costs more, he pitches the part that fits their cheques.

   Outreach & relationships · 20 min · Case practice · Soulful
2. A small client wants a big wish list on a small budget

   He said small companies often pay less and expect more. He still takes them on, but steers the work towards what gets them from nothing to working, because he knows what they need.

   Conflict & negotiation · 15 min · Case practice · Soulful
3. Spotting which master’s student is lost in the discussion half

   With master’s students he teaches from slides first, then runs a discussion with real examples to see who is following, and asks those who are struggling to meet him in his office.

   Teaching & learning · 15 min · Case practice · Soulful
4. As an intern, you think your manager’s test plan will fail

   When he decides whether to offer an intern a full-time job, he looks for someone who can question an idea and also come up with a solution.

   Office & workplace · 10 min · Soulful
5. Handing your engineer a client test you ran yourself first

   When his company takes on a new kind of task, he does part of it himself first, then writes a template for his team so they expect the same thing.

   Leadership & collaboration · 10 min · Soulful
6. A student must go home for three weeks to care for his father

   When a student needs to be at home for a while, he moves some of the teaching online so they can keep learning.

   Teaching & learning · 8 min · Soulful
7. A first-year asks why the class needs a topic he won’t use

   When younger students ask why they need a topic, he points to what usually comes up in exams so they give it attention.

   Teaching & learning · 8 min · Soulful
8. Your numbers for Thursday’s client review will be a day late

   He finds that over-communicating is usually good at work, but not in other parts of life.

   Office & workplace · 10 min · Soulful

Background

• Principal Consultant and Managing Director, VSG Labs2021 to present
• Associate Professor, leading the Vehicle Simulator Group, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu2019 to present
• System Specialist, Centre for Offshore Renewable Energy, UMT2025 to present
• Director, International Office, UMT2016 to 2022
• Deputy Director, International Office, UMT2015 to 2016
• Senior Lecturer, UMT2008 to 2019
• Research and development engineer, Panasonic2007 to 2008
• PhD, Mechanical Engineering, UNSW, Australian Defence Force Academy2008 to 2011
• Bachelor’s degree, Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Malaya2002 to 2006