Global knowledge partners
Ron Thomas
Global Knowledge Partner & Advisor—Applied Leadership Center | Talent Forum
Mr. Ron Thomas is a Global Knowledge Partner & Advisor—Applied Leadership Center at the Talent Forum.
Ron Thomas is a global CHRO and workforce strategy leader recognized as one of the Top 50 HR Leaders shaping the future of work. He brings experience across 30+ countries and advises multinational organizations, government entities, and high-growth companies on large-scale transformation, leadership development, and workforce redesign.
He now works as an Acting President at the American Society for Trainers and Coaches (ASTC), a US-based professional body with global reach focused on raising the standards, credibility, and competence of trainers and coaches worldwide.
He also works as Managing Director at Strategy Focused Group, operating in Singapore, the UAE, and the U.S., focusing on human capital development.
He worked as an International Country Manager for the Human Capital Institute in the APAC, ME, and Africa regions; as Chief Executive Officer at the Great Place to Work Institute Gulf; as CHRO at the RGTS Group; as Talent & HR Solutions Director at Buck Consultants; as Human Resources Vice President at Martha Stewart Living; and as Training Manager at IBM.
He was an Adjunct Professor at the Howard University Global Executive Leadership Program in Washington, D.C., U.S.
His Board, Advisory & Research Panels include the Deloitte Research Panel, the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, the McKinsey & Company Quarterly Executive Online Panel, and the HCI Expert Advisory Panel.
His advisory role will focus on the Applied Leadership Center of the Talent Forum, which is a competency & behavioral indicator (BI)-based applied leadership training/capability solution that consists of 10 applied leadership trainings. It focuses on the competency & behavioral indicator (BI) across all levels of organization under each company’s unique situation, condition, and subjective context.
He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and Forbes Magazine. And he embraces a high level of values and ethics in his profession.
Olav Titus Muurlink, PhD
Global Knowledge Partner—Sustainable Innovation | Talent Forum
Mr. Olav Titus Muurlink is a Global Knowledge Partner & Advisor— Research, Innovation & IdeaCast Center at the Talent Forum.
Mr. Olav Titus Muurlink is dedicated to building the capability of the next generation of leaders and researchers, with a strong focus on entrepreneurship as a pathway to a sustainable and equitable future. He is a seasoned global professional in outreach who actively translates research into implementation.
He now works as a Global Knowledge Partner—Sustainable Innovation at the Talent Forum and as a Professor & Head of Sustainable Innovation at Central Queensland University (CQU), Australia. He is also the Program Leader of the Future Leaders Program at End Food Waste CRC; the Chairman of the Board of Management at Co-operation in Development; and the Expert Witness for the Fair Work Commission at the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.
He also worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Learning Futures, Griffith University, and as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Work, Organization, and Wellbeing at Griffith University.
Through mentoring and public engagement, he combines groundbreaking research with a commitment to innovation and research translation that improves living standards and strengthens resilience.
He embraces a high level of values and ethics in his profession.
Reema Akhtar
Global Knowledge Partner & Advisor—Women’s Desk | Talent Forum
Ms. Reema Akhtar is a Global Knowledge Partner & Advisor—Women’s Desk at the Talent Forum.
She is the director of human resources of a reputable FinTech business in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She is a seasoned professional in human resources and worked for H&M India Pvt. Ltd. for a considerable part of her career. She also contributed to HR Mavericks.
She is on the Forbes Human Resources Council and the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council.
Ms. Reema received her MBA in human resources and operations from the Ramaiah Institute of Management in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. She was awarded a gold medal for her brilliance in her academic tenure.
She is passionate about programs that promote talent in the corporate and social sectors. She wants to create an impact in the knowledge-based economy by encouraging groundbreaking research that unleashes talent across industries, generations, and regions.
Her advisory role will focus on the Women’s Desk of the Talent Forum, which facilitates working women in addressing and overcoming the workplace challenges they face in corporate settings. This platform is tailored to women and prioritizes individual impact.
She embraces a high level of values and ethics in her profession.
Md Salim Uddin, FCA, FCMA, PhD
Global Knowledge Partner | Talent Forum
Mr. Md Salim Uddin, FCA, FCMA, PhD, is a Global Knowledge Partner at the Talent Forum.
He was the President of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB)—the national body for Professional Cost and Management Accountants in Bangladesh.
In addition to his academic work, he served as a Chairman of the Executive Committee of Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC, the largest bank in Bangladesh’s private banking industry, and as a director of state-owned & leading private commercial banks.
He is passionate about programs that promote talent in the corporate and social sectors. He wants to create an impact in the knowledge-based economy by encouraging groundbreaking research that unleashes talent across industries, generations, and regions.
He embraces a high level of values and ethics in his profession.
