Dr. Behnaz Gholami
Biography
Dr. Behnaz Gholami holds a Ph.D. in Business and Management Information Systems from the prestigious University of Mannheim in Germany. She also has a Master of Business Administration in IT Management from Multimedia University in Malaysia and a bachelor's degree in Software Engineering from Azad University in Iran.
Behnaz is a Prosci Certified Change Management Professional and a senior member of the ACMP (Association of Change Management Professionals). She holds an Executive Education certificate in Design Thinking and Innovation from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Additionally, she is a member of the Experience Research Society and an active and passionate advocate of human-centred change management. She is also a certified NLP and Timeline Therapy Practitioner.
Behnaz is an Assistant Professor at the University of Canada West, where she teaches Design Thinking and Strategic Management courses. She is the course lead of Design Thinking and is currently working with the committee designing a curriculum for a perspective UX/UI design program.
Research Interests
She is dedicated to researching human-centred, behavioural, and experiential change management theories and approaches, with a particular emphasis on incorporating systems thinking. Her goal is to foster innovative and holistic social and organizational environments, exploring how these theories can contribute to effective and people-oriented strategies for driving positive change in both social and organizational contexts in the AI era.
Expertise and Experience
Behnaz is an award-winning change management consultant and researcher with 15+ years of experience and excels as a catalyst bridging science and industry. Her career showcases a commitment to impactful transformations, positioning her as a standout leader at the intersection of innovation and industry synergy.
Successfully navigating complex change initiatives for Fortune 500 companies, multinational corporations, and startups — including academia, financial services, energy, and technology industries — Behnaz has honed her skills in aligning practical strategies with academic insights. This dual expertise has enabled her to integrate theoretical frameworks into actionable plans, resulting in impactful and sustainable transformations.
Having lived and worked in five different parts of the world — the Middle East, East Asia, Europe, and North America's East and West Coasts — she has gained profound insights from diverse cultures. This global exposure has broadened her perspective and refined her ability to motivate and lead worldwide, fostering a collaborative environment grounded in practical experience and academic understanding.
Through her own consulting company, Dizen Research & Consulting Group, Behnaz has consistently delivered change management strategies, tactics, and workshops, building a robust foundation for change and innovation capabilities. Her track record includes steering teams through technology and system implementations, agile transformations, and cultural integration. This wealth of experience, combined with her commitment to scholarly pursuits, positions her as a capable leader adept at navigating the complexities of global academic initiatives.
Feel free to contact her and join her network through LinkedIn.