70th Global Conference on Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Sustainability (GCEIS)

IFC/World Bank Group Certified Master Trainer

Educated and trained in the US, Norway, Japan, and Bangladesh, Quazi M. Ahmed is a renowned leadership, team building, and soft skills facilitator with 27 years of experience in training, teaching, speaking, and coaching. Since January 2022, he has been the IFC/World Bank Group Certified Master Trainer. Over the years, he has conducted face-to-face training programs/gave talks in conferences in the USA, Denmark, Malaysia, India, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. He has also done VILT (Virtual Instructor-Led Training) workshops and spoke at e-Conferences and webinars for audiences in a dozen other countries, including the UK, Myanmar, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia.

For his global presence in human capital development, Mr. Ahmed received the “Global Training and Development Leadership Award” in February 2017 by the World HRD Congress in its 25th-anniversary celebrations. He has facilitated training sessions attended by more than one hundred thousand people in the nonprofit, private, and public sectors in multiple countries.

In recent years, He has completed the following certifications: IFC/World Bank Group Certified Master Trainer, Certified facilitator, from InsideOut Coaching/Development (USA), Certified L&D Professional from Aon Hewitt Learning Center (UK & India), and Certified PPA Practitioner from Thomas Assessment Pvt. Ltd. (UK and India).

Mr. Ahmed is recognized as the pioneer of the modern approach to L&D in Bangladesh–the country of his birth. In 2016, he founded the Bangladesh Organization for Learning and Development (BOLD), which is the national apex body serving the needs of trainers, Learning & Development professionals, and others passionate about personal and professional development. One of his primary purposes is to become the best version of himself.

Associate Teaching Professor, Thompson Rivers University

John received his Commerce degree and Law degree from the University of British Columbia and commenced private legal practice in Kamloops immediately upon graduation. His work centered around real estate development, corporate transactions, wills and estates. John pursued community service while establishing and growing his practice. He was first elected to the Kamloops School Board in 1988 and served for eight years including three years as School Board Chair.

In 1999, John was elected to Kamloops City Council where he served for eleven years in various capacities including Audit Committee Chair, President of the Kamloops Airport Authority Society, Hospital Board Chair, Municipal Finance Authority Member and Regional District Director. In addition, John served in various volunteer roles with the Thompson Rivers University (“TRU”) Foundation including six years as its board chair.

In 2011, John left the private practice of law to become Chief Executive Officer of the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc (Kamloops Indian Band). In this multi-faceted role John led a team of over 200 employees responsible for a wide variety of enterprises ranging from a working cattle ranch and retail gas station as well as providing band social programs and operating an elementary school.

John joined the School of Business and Economics at TRU first as a sessional instructor 2010 and as full time faculty commencing January, 2014. His courses include Commercial, Employment and Real Estate Law but John has also instructed Business Ethics for TRU at the Tianjin University of Technology in China. In addition, John instructs Real Estate Transactions at TRU’s Law School.

John recently received the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence from the School of Business and Economics. Besides his work at TRU, John serves as a board member and panel chair for the Health Professions Review Board of British Columbia. This organization acts as an appellate body for decisions rendered by professional medical colleges in the province. He has also served as a board member of the Provincial Health Services Authority and board chair of the Interior Health Authority.

These organizations are tasked with the operation of large scale health facilities including the BC Children’s Hospital, the BC Ambulance Service, the BC Cancer Agency, the BC Centre for Disease Control and many others. Each organization operates on an annual budget well in excess of $2 billion. John has been recognized as a distinguished Alumnus of Thompson Rivers University in 1995, selected for a BC Community Achievement Award in 2011 and was designated as Queen’s Counsel in December 2015.

Dr. Afzalur Rahman

Doctor of Business Administration – DBA in International Business (USA)
Certified International Trade Professional – CITP (Canada)
Former Professor of Business Management – Douglas College (Canada)

Dr. Afzalur Rahman is the CEO of Global Conference Alliance, where he leads a team of professionals dedicated to delivering premier academic training, conference hosting, and event planning services to scholars and researchers worldwide. With more than 15 years of experience in higher education and international business, he is deeply committed to fostering knowledge exchange, cross-border collaboration, and innovation across disciplines.

In addition to his role at Global Conference Alliance, Dr. Rahman is the CEO and President of the Canada-Africa International Business Chamber of Commerce, an organization focused on strengthening economic ties, trade partnerships, and investment opportunities between Canada and African nations.

He is also the founder and CEO of Universal Training Corporation, a multidimensional training institute based in Montreal, Canada. Dr. Rahman holds a Doctor of Business Administration in International Business, an MBA in Finance, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Administration and Management. He is a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) and a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR), underscoring his extensive credentials and expertise.

Dr. Rahman has a rich background in academia, having taught at multiple universities in Canada, the United States, China, and Bangladesh. His teaching experience includes positions at Douglas College, the University of British Columbia, and several other institutions. He has also published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, with research interests that include international marketing, human resource management, business strategy, and global entrepreneurship.