Shinu Abraham

Senior automotive and dealership professional with 30 years of experience across 12 automotive brands, including passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, premium/luxury brands and multi-location dealerships in India and the Gulf. More than 15 years in senior leadership roles covering complete dealership operations, P&L, sales, service, parts, customer experience, market development, finance, HR, infrastructure and principal management. Proven record of turning around loss-making businesses, building teams, improving market share and creating profitable growth.

Head of Operation – Kerala at KUN CAPITAL (2025-01 – Present)

• Leading Ashok Leyland operations
• Turned around a sinking organization
• Improved Network, sales volume by 30%, improved Vahan by 2%
• Brought a customer first culture and an innovation culture

Chief Operating Officer at Vayalat Group Automotive Division (2024-02 – 2025-07)

• Lead Mahindra and Honda dealership operations with responsibility spanning sales, after-sales, service, spares, finance, used cars, customer experience, infrastructure and business controls
• Turned around Mahindra sales to the highest level since inception and increased Kochi market share from 2% to 4.5%
• Raised Service & Spares turnover to ₹2.25 crore per month; invested ₹1.5 crore in infrastructure/equipment
• Added LMM as a new vertical alongside PV & CV; completed Bodyshop and LMM workshop infrastructure projects
• Doubled used-car business and improved finance/accessories income; cleared ageing vehicle and spare inventory
• Redesigned budgets and moved the organization to cost-centre-based accounting; renegotiated vendors for cost reduction
• Improved sales-team productivity by 100%, strengthened customer experience, and reduced legal cases by 50%
• Turned around a perennial loss-making Honda unit to breakeven through integrated Sales, Service, Spares and Digital Marketing strategies

Business Consultant at Self-employed (2020-07 – 2024-02)

Consulted with automotive dealerships, business schools, SMEs and educational institutions on restructuring, operational streamlining, systems, processes, review mechanisms and transformation.

• Consulted with automotive dealerships on restructuring, operational streamlining, systems, processes, review mechanisms and transformation
• Head of Operations – KVR Automobiles, Malappuram & Palakkad; streamlined a loss-making dealership
• Head of Sales – Rajasree Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Thiruvananthapuram; Head of Operations – SS Mahindra, Thiruvananthapuram
• Supported Lead College of Business in developing and rolling out a Lead Certified Entrepreneur program

Chief Operating Officer at First Advanced Automobiles (2016-11 – 2019-12)

• Owned full dealership operations for passenger-car and commercial-vehicle businesses across Sales, After-Sales, Parts, Credit, Marketing, HR and Finance
• Accountable for organizational P&L, annual budgets, gap analysis, manpower and infrastructure investment decisions
• Redesigned departments to maximize revenue and reduce cost; reviewed income sources and developed expansion plans
• Built customer-centric operating practices, launched cost-effective lead-generation campaigns and introduced a structured used-car program
• Led fleet-customer credit reviews, principal negotiations, legal-case reviews, talent acquisition and performance/reward systems

Regional Director – Renault at Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (2014-01 – 2016-10)

• Managed Renault business in the Dammam region across Sales, Marketing, Service, Parts, Customer Satisfaction, Stocking, HR and Administration

Business Head – Infiniti at Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (2010-12 – 2013-12)

• Managed luxury-automobile business covering Sales, Marketing, principal liaison, customer satisfaction, stocking, manpower and profitability

General Manager – Nissan at Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (2009-10 – 2010-12)

• Led Sales & Marketing across 12 branches; handled stock ordering, retail/fleet sales, finance tie-ups, customer satisfaction, recruitment, training and Nissan standards compliance

Assistant General Manager – Renault at Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (2008-04 – 2009-10)

• Managed Renault Sales & Marketing across six branches and fleet sales

Profit Centre Head at Popular Vehicles & Services (2005-01 – 2008-12)

• Managed 12 branches across 4 districts, annual volume of 7,000 Maruti cars, 200 sales personnel and 150 support staff
• Led P&L, sales administration, customer satisfaction, promotions, allied income, inventory and manpower

Manager Sales Operation / Sales Manager Fleet Sales at Oman Trading Establishment / Saad Bahwan Group (1995-01 – 2005-12)

• Multi-franchise, multi-location operations
• Retail finance processing for 15,000 vehicles annually across 10 locations
• Fleet/institutional accounts, forecasting, budgeting, training and market analysis

Area Sales Executive at ITW Signode India (1996-01 – 1999-12)

• Concept selling of engineered repair/maintenance solutions
• Project cost-benefit analysis and institutional sales

Sales Executive at Kinetic Engineering (1995-01 – 1996-12)

• Primary/secondary target achievement
• Dealer/sub-dealer appointment
• Dealer training, local marketing and retail finance

Post Graduate Diploma in Training & Development – Indian Society of Training & Development (2021-01 – 2023-12)

Post Graduate Diploma in Data Analytics – IIM Kashipur (2021-01 – 2021-12)

M.Phil in Management – Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (2020-01 – 2021-12)

Executive Program in Business Management – General Management – IIM Calcutta (2006-01 – 2007-12)

MBA in Marketing – Institute for Technology & Management (1993-01 – 1995-12)

B.E. in Mechanical Engineering – Ravi Shankar University (1988-01 – 1992-12)