Talent, Leadership and Learning
Gulf Learning: Strategic Workforce & Talent Strategy
Enrol yourself or your team on this two-day learning programme to design your organisation’s process for future focussed talent and strategic workforce planning.
The course will be led by John Whelan MBE, CRF Director and former UK HRD at FTSE100 BAE Systems – where he led company-wide Strategic Workforce Planning initiatives.
Many organisations in the Gulf are having to rethink how they approach talent management, against the backdrop of ambitious national transformation agendas and faced with shifts in workforce dynamics, emerging technologies and the global move towards ‘skills-based’ talent approaches. This course equips you with the tools and skills to translate your organisations business strategy into a successful talent approach.
Critically it will include:
- Understanding and translating business into talent strategy
- Future-back talent management including critical role identification and talent risk assessment
- Establishing a Talent Philosophy
- CRF’s Strategic Workforce Planning model – with delegates using this to design their own in-house process and identify planning priorities
- Building organisational capability
- Stakeholder management and influence
Full agenda to follow
Who should attend?
HR Generalists of all seniorities up to HRD level, Talent Professionals, SWP specialists.
Dates
Tuesday 12 – Wednesday 13 May 2026
Location
Abu Dhabi, UAE (Venue TBC)
Fees
CRF Members: 17,000 AED
Non-Members: 20,000 AED
Contact Michael Whelan to discuss group rates or to discuss custom learning solutions for HR function and wider team.
Faculty
John Whelan MBE
Director, CRF
John Whelan is a Director at Corporate Research Forum. Formerly UK HR Director of BAE Systems, the FTSE 100 defence, security, and aerospace company, John’s experience and strengths lie in business and HR Transformation, Organisation Development and Employee Relations. Prior to joining BAE, he held a variety of HR roles in engineering, technology and manufacturing businesses across the telecommunications and semi-conductor industries including Matra-Marconi Space where he was HR Director for the UK and, latterly, Group HRD.
