Alireza Afsarian

Alireza Afsarian

Alireza Afsarian has Masters Degree in Human Resources Management from Allameh Tabatabei University in Tehran. He also holds Organizational Team Coaching Certificate from University British Columbia and is a certified coach.

He has also obtained a Chartered Professional of Human Resources designation (BC and Yukon) as well as SHRM-Senior Certified Professional designation from the world largest HR membership organization - Society of Human Resources Management.

Alireza currently teaches Talent Management, HR Strategy, Recruiting & Retaining Talent, HR in the Global Context and Management & Employee Relations courses at University Canada West.

Experience and Expertise

Alireza is a sessional faculty member specializing in Leadership and People Management (LPM) at University Canada West. In addition, he serves as an HR Business Partner at Novartis, a leading global pharmaceutical company. With 23 years of experience, Alireza is a results-driven HR practitioner, trainer, facilitator, consultant and university lecturer. He has successfully led change management initiatives and developed transformative, talent-focused and customer-centric strategies across various sectors, including retail, FMCG, education, pharmaceuticals, IT, and oil and gas. His strong business acumen is complemented by his capabilities in HR analytics.

Alireza is passionate about creating enterprise value through strategic partnerships with executive leaders who are committed to inspiring and leading their teams. He has gained recognition for his resilience and innovative leadership in dynamic markets at national, regional, and global levels. His interests lie in Leadership Learning & Development, Talent Management, change management and Culture Transformation. He aims to share his expertise in Business Partnering, Career Development Planning, Training & Development Program design, Executive Coaching and Talent Management with the valued learners at UCW, drawing on his experience across the Middle East, Europe and North America.

As a connector, Alireza thrives on igniting passion in individuals and empowering them on their leadership journeys to build high-performing teams. He is eager to share his practical experience and knowledge with UCW students.

Research Interest

  • Leadership
  • Coaching
  • Performance management
  • HR analytics
  • Cultural transformations
  • Organizational Behaviour