Abul Islam founded AI Engineers Inc. in 1991 as a two-person firm operating out of his Cromwell basement. Today, the Middletown-based consulting engineering firm employs more than 350 staff in the U.S. and more than 70 internationally, generating about $90 million in annual revenue.
During his 40-year career as a professional engineer and executive, he has led large infrastructure projects involving railroads, bridges, highways, airports, transit facilities and utilities.
Over the past year, Islam cited success recruiting new talent while retaining experienced engineers and managers. He said the firm has also expanded its technology department by developing AI-oriented skill sets among younger staff.
Looking ahead, he identified geographic growth and expansion into new engineering disciplines as both challenges and opportunities, emphasizing collaboration across multiple offices and knowledge-sharing between senior and emerging leaders.
What qualities are most essential for effective leadership today?
You’re better off being over-communicative than under. Treating your staff, and especially those in the middle tier and entry-level, with a serious degree of sincere respect as genuine partners in your organization’s growth. If you know how to treat people as your equal, with shared goals, and have the self-humility to leave the skewed power dynamics of ‘boss’ hierarchy at the door, you will 100% succeed as an effective leader.
Check out the other 2026 Power Players
What do you value most about living or doing business in Connecticut?
From a business perspective as a CEO, given the small geographic footprint of the state, it’s an easy state to traverse fairly quickly; our Middletown headquarters is strategically located and accessible within a reasonable driving distance between two of the country’s major metropolitan areas — New York City and Boston. Central Connecticut’s general cost-of-living when compared to those metro areas is also significantly better.
Personally, and from the sentimental perspective of an immigrant and a recently anointed first-time grandfather helping to raise my grandson, it was and still remains a great state to start a family!
What is one change that would make Connecticut more competitive economically?
In short, the ample supply of a skilled engineering workforce; training and development is key in this endeavor. Our larger higher education institutions — such as the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities, UConn and University of New Haven — have been producing solid numbers of these graduates, but we absolutely need more. We should also look to continuing to strengthen shorter two-year associate degrees and recruit right from high school for those wanting to enter the technical workforce sooner. We need to create a better pipeline of ready-to-go skilled young people.
Book recommendations: “Augment It: How Architecture, Engineering and Construction Leaders Leverage Data and Artificial Intelligence to Build a Sustainable Future” by Mehdi Nourbakhsh; “Principles” by Ray Dalio; “Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring It Back” by Marc Dunkelman
Go-to news media outlets: New York Times, Barron’s, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Hartford Business Journal
Hobby or leisure activity: Reading and golf
Favorite podcast: “Fareed Zakaria GPS”