Revolutionizing the Online Learning Journey

William J. Rothwell, Ph.D., DBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CPTD Fellow, RODC, FLMI is President of Rothwell & Associates, Inc., Rothwell & Associates, LLC, and Rothwell & Associates Korea. As a consultant, he has worked with over fifty multinational companies and countless governments and non-profits. In addition to the three consulting companies he founded, he also founded three small businesses.

As a Distinguished Professor at Penn State University, University Park, where he has taught for 30 years, he is co-professor-in-charge of an online and onsite academic program that offers a master's degree in Organization Development and a Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development with an emphasis on Talent Development/Organization Development. Before joining Penn State in 1993, he had over fifteen years of executive-level work experience in human resources, talent development, and Organization Development leadership in government (the Illinois Office of the Auditor General) and in business (Franklin Life Insurance Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of a multinational company, #forty-eight on the Fortune 500 list).

With a combined fifty years of work experience in HR, OD, and Talent Development, he has published 159 books in the Human Resources field. He was given a special award in 1998 from the American Society for Training and Development for his leadership on ASTD Models for Human Performance Improvement; in 2004 he was awarded the Best Book Award from the Academy of HRD for The Strategic Development of Talent; in 2004 he was given Penn State University's Graduate Faculty Teaching Award (only one per year is given on Penn State's twenty-four campuses); in 2011 he was given the Association for Talent Development's (ATD) Distinguished Contribution to Workplace Learning and Performance Award and also the UNICEF and Kiwanis International's Walter Zeller Medal (Award) for International Service; in 2016 he was given the Distinguished Researcher Award by the College of Education at Penn State; in 2022 he was given the Organization Development Network's Lifetime Achievement Award and also Penn State University's highest award for international work; and in 2023 he was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame (hosted globally by the University of Oklahoma). He has conducted training on training, Organization Development, Talent Development, coaching, and much more on every continent except Antarctica, and has taught in universities globally, including eighty-three trips to China and thirty-two trips to Singapore.

His recent books since 2020 include Building an Organizational Coaching Culture (2024); Mastering the Art of Process Consultation and Virtual Group Coaching Simulation (2023); Successful Supervisory Leadership (2023); Transformational Coaching for Effective Leadership (2023); Succession Planning for Small and Family Businesses (2022); High-Performance Coaching for Managers (2022); Rethinking Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (2022); Organization Development (OD) Interventions: Executing Effective Organizational Change (2021); Virtual Coaching to Improve Group Relationships (2021); The Essential HR Guide for Small Business and Start Ups (2020); Increasing Learning and Development's Impact Through Accreditation (2020); Adult Learning Basics, 2nd ed. (2020); and, Workforce Development: Guidelines for Community College Professionals, 2nd ed. (2020).

Aileen Zaballero, Ph.D., CPTD is a senior partner of Rothwell & Associates (R&A) with a dual-title Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Comparative International Education from Pennsylvania State University. She has been a Certified Professional in Talent Development since 2009. Aileen has over 25 years of experience in the learning and development field, and more than ten years researching what adults learn, how they know it, and the value placed on types of knowledge. As an instructional designer and learning consultant, she created various educational and training materials, including online videos and webinars. As a practitioner and researcher, Aileen believes it is critical to bridge academic discourse in workforce education (theory) with industry best practices (application) to address complex issues. She led a project to examine instructional design competencies; was a researcher and subject matter expert (SME) in competency modeling for the Advance Commercial Building Workforce (ACBW) project, funded by the US Department of Energy, aimed to develop a competency model and career map; and was part of the team that developed ATD's Talent Development Framework.

Aileen has authored and co-authored chapters in Performance Consulting-Applying Performance Improvement in Human Resource Development (2013); co-authored a book on supervisory leadership, Successful Supervisory Leadership: Exerting Positive Influence While Leading People (2023), co-edited and co-authored Optimizing Talent in the Federal Workforce (2014); co-authored a chapter in Organization Development Fundamentals: Managing Strategic Change (2014); co-edited The Competency Toolkit, 2nd Ed. (2014); and co-authored Increasing Learning & Development's Impact Through Accreditation: How to drive-up training quality, employee satisfaction and ROI (2020).

Farhan Sadique, Ph.D. (c), CCSP (NCDA), SHRM-CP, stands as an exceptional figure in the realm of organization development, demonstrating unparalleled dedication and profound global insight. His journey, marked by significant leadership roles, highlights his ability to cultivate enriching professional environments and spearhead groundbreaking changes. As the Chief of Research at R&A, Farhan's fervent pursuit of integrating theoretical knowledge with practical application has had a profound impact on both corporate sectors and individual careers. His credentials are formidable, certified in Human Resources from SHRM and in Career Services from NCDA. He has earned his Ph.D.(c) in Human Resource Development and Organization Development. His contributions to the field have been widely recognized, earning him prestigious awards such as the 2023 Emerging Practitioner from the Organization Development Network and the 2023 Outstanding Graduate Student accolade from Penn State.

In the educational sphere, Farhan's decade-long involvement in teaching spans various formats, including synchronous, asynchronous, and in-person classes, where he consistently receives maximum student ratings. Besides traditional teaching, his current focus is on training professionals for continuous learning in SHRM, CPA, HRCI, and additional accredited courses. His dedication to making a substantial difference in organization development is not just commendable but serves as an inspiration to many. Farhan's unwavering commitment and innovative mindset are not only adding value to his field but also shaping the future of professional learning and development. As he continues to forge new paths and expand his influence, Farhan Sadique is undeniably shaping a legacy of positive transformation in the realm of online learning and beyond.

Behnam Bakhshandeh, Ph.D., MPS is an accomplished business manager known widely as a dynamic writer, speaker, personal and professional development coach, and trainer. Implementing his passion and visionary leadership skills, he produces extraordinary results in record time. Behnam brings his broad experience and successful track record to each project, whether it involves personal development, implementing customer-focused programs, integrating technologies, redesigning operational core processes, or delivering strategic initiatives.

Before designing Primeco Education technology, Behnam led educational programs and later managed operations for a global education organization based in two major US cities. During these seven years, Behnam worked personally with tens of thousands of participants. He was accountable for expanding customer participation, training program leaders, increasing sales and improving the finance department's efficiency and management of the operations for the staff and their team of over 400 volunteers, who together served an annual client base of over 10,000.

Dr. Bakhshandeh designed Primeco Education technology in 2001. Since then, he and his team members have helped countless businesses and individuals achieve their goals and transform their thinking. His proven methodology and approach are based on his extensive experience in business and human relations. He consistently delivers and works with others to produce results beyond what was predicted or expected. This exceptional rate of business and personal growth is the result of his high integrity, unprecedented teamwork, open communication, and a contagious, unflinching commitment to excellence in all business operations, personal relationships, and professional interactions. Behnam is a shining example of how combining vision and goals with hard work consistently pays off beyond even the highest expectations. His work with businesses has led to successful team building, companies that grow through a shared vision, efficient process redevelopment, increased revenues, and work environments that support employee satisfaction and retention.

Committed to lifelong education, he returned to school and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Phoenix. He continued his graduate studies at Penn State University to earn a Master of Professional Study in Organizational Development and Change, which was immediately continued by his Doctorate in Workforce Education and Development with a concentration on Human Resources Development and Organization Development at Penn State. Behnam enjoyed expanding into psychology as an addition to his already strong background in philosophy and ontology. He particularly enjoyed and was inspired by Positive Psychology and the work of many psychologists who used the Humanistic Psychology approach to empower and treat their patients. Behnam finds these two psychological approaches very similar to his own work, methodology, and approaches.

Since 2009, Dr. Bakhshandeh has published 6 books, has 7 books in press/under contract, edited 1 book, wrote 31 book chapters in different books, published 21 professional articles and 4 academic articles, designed and copyrighted 17 coaching modules and 9 audio/video workshops, and designed and delivered over 35 public seminars, workshops, and team & organization trainings.

His latest book on the genre of supervisory, Successful Supervisory Leadership, Exerting Positive Influence While Leading People (2023), and before that, he published a book on the genre of Coaching, Transformational Coaching for Effective Leadership (2023). Before these two books, Dr. Bakhshandeh published two books on the genre of OD High-Performance Coaching for Managers (2022) and Organization Development Interventions (2021). The other two titles are Anatomy of Upset; Restoring Harmony (2015) and Conspiracy for Greatness; Mastery of Love Within (2009).