
TAQA Transmission Talent Compass

TAQA Transmission Talent Compass
Welcome to Talent Compass
You have been invited to participate in a structured development experience designed to help you explore your personal, professional, and leadership strengths, better understand your competencies and career experience, and identify meaningful priorities for your continued growth.
The program consists of three main parts:
Assessment & Development Center (A&DC)
A one-day group-based experience focused on exploring personal, professional, and leadership skills and competencies through practical activities, exercises, reflection, and workshops for feedback purposes.
- Group-Based
- Practical Activities
- One Day
Competency Exploration Meeting (CEM)
A live-virtual, one-to-one competency-based interview dialogue with a Mentis coach. The session explores your career history, professional experience, behavioral competencies, and leadership contribution.
- Live-Virtual
- One-to-One
- Competency Interview
Mentoring & Development Planning (MDP)
A live-virtual, one-to-one feedback and developmental guidance conversation. The session helps you reflect on your insights, consider your development priorities, and shape practical next steps.
- Mentoring
- Development
- Next Steps
Assessment & Development Center (A&DC)
During the one-day A&DC, you will take part in a range of activities designed to help you reflect on your strengths, demonstrate your capabilities, and explore your development priorities. The A&DC includes:
Welcome & Introduction
An overview of the Talent Compass experience, the purpose of the day, and how to approach the activities.
Group Discussion Activity
A group-based activity that gives you the opportunity to contribute ideas, listen to others, and work through shared topics or scenarios.
Podium Reasoning Assessments
Reasoning assessments that explore how you approach information, patterns, logic, and problem-solving.
Personality & Values Surveys
Surveys that help you understand your personal patterns at work, what motivates you, and what matters most for your career development.
Career & Professional Review
A review of your professional background, experience, achievements, and areas of expertise.
Competency Navigator
A survey that helps you explore your competencies and reflect on how your capabilities show up in your work.
Talent Compass Workshop - OCEANS Personality Insights
A workshop designed to help you reflect on your personality insights and how these may influence your work style and development.
Business Simulation
Case study-based exercises that reflect realistic business situations and provide an opportunity to demonstrate business thinking and interactive skills.
Talent Compass Workshop - Values Compass Insights
A workshop designed to help you reflect on your work values, motivations, and development priorities.
Review and Close
A closing review of the day and guidance on the next steps in the Talent Compass journey.
One-on-One Mentoring Session
After the one-day assessment activity, you will be invited to a separate one-on-one mentoring session with a Mentis consultant.
Reflect, understand, and plan your next steps
This session will help you reflect on your assessment results, understand your key strengths and development areas, and identify practical next steps to support your career growth.
How to Approach the Program
The best approach is to come with an open mind, be yourself, and engage honestly with each activity.
Throughout the program, we encourage you to:
- Reflect on your experiences, strengths, and areas that need development.
- Be open to learning about yourself.
- Participate actively in discussions and activities.
- Think about how the insights can support your future development.
The program is designed not only to assess your current capabilities, but also to help you create meaningful insight for your continued growth.
Guidance to Participants
To gain the greatest benefit from the Talent Compass Assessment & Development Center, participants are encouraged to prepare in the following ways:
Be well rested and ready to take part fully in the day.
Please ensure you do not have distractions or other meetings scheduled for the day of attendance, so that you are able to focus fully on the Assessment & Development Center activities.
Bring your laptop device, charger, and headset, as some activities may require written work, online completion, or video-recorded responses.
Check that your laptop, camera, microphone, internet access, and browser are working properly before the day.
If you use reading glasses, please ensure you have them with you.
Visit the Podium365 candidate practice site in advance to become familiar with the style of online reasoning assessments: Podium365 Candidate Practice
Bring your resume, CV, and/or LinkedIn profile, as one activity includes a survey review of your professional career path to date, and these references can assist you.
Arrive in good time so that you can settle in before the activities begin.
Approach the day with a developmental mindset. The purpose of the Assessment & Development Center is to provide meaningful insight into your strengths, working style, potential, and development priorities.
There is no need to over-prepare or rehearse answers. Instead, be ready to engage openly, reflect honestly, and respond naturally.
You may wish to reflect in advance on recent work achievements, challenges, projects, or learning experiences, as these may help you draw on relevant examples during the activities. Bring a resume/CV or LinkedIn profile if this helps you.
As a condition of participation, participants commit not to use AI prompting or AI-generated assistance during the Assessment & Development Center. This is to ensure that responses reflect each participant’s natural talents, judgement, experience, and authentic approach.
Make the most of the opportunity to receive comprehensive developmental feedback and mentoring following the event.
Course Preview
Explore the course structure and the activities included across the Talent Compass experience.
Consent & Instructions
- Consent & Instructions
Competency Navigator
- Introduction
- Competency Navigator Survey
Reasoning Assessment
- Introduction
- GCAT Reasoning Test
Personality and Values Survey
- Introduction
- PQ10
- OCEANS
- Values Compass
Career Summary and Functional Competencies
- Introduction
- Career Summary
- Functional Competencies Survey
Business Simulation
- Introduction
- Commercial Acumen 3
- Interactive Skills
- Interactive Skills - Tasks

-
Resources
-
Insights
-
Partners
-
Success Stories
Richard’s client work spans the public and private sectors across the GCC and ASEAN. He has designed and led multi‑method leadership programs, combining competency‑based interviews, multi‑source feedback, business simulations, and Hogan personality & reasoning assessment. Mentis programs emphasize measurable business outcomes, capability uplift, and the creation of collaborative learning cohorts supported by mentoring and feedback. Mentis has supported hundreds of multinational companies, NGOs, and regional entities in the GCC with talent evaluation and development programs.
Richard is a trained and certified coach, Situational Leadership® certified practitioner and highly experienced coach and mentor for specialists and leadership navigating career transitions and promotions.
A Chartered Occupational Psychologist (HCPC‑registered; BPS Chartered), Richard has trained and certified thousands of practitioners in personality assessment and evidence‑based talent practices. He is Hogan‑certified (HPI, HDS, MVPI; advanced interpretation) and experienced facilitator multisource feedback. He has partnered as adjunct faculty or facilitator with leading business schools including London Business School, Oxford Saïd, IMD, and Thunderbird.
Richard’s academic work focuses on psychological flexibility (ACT/fACT) and social‑emotional learning at work. As a doctoral researcher at Goldsmiths, University of London (Institute of Management Studies), he is conducting mixed‑methods research exploring how psychological flexibility relates to quality of working life, values‑based action, and leadership development, integrating RCTs, systematic reviews (PRISMA‑aligned). These insights inform Mentis Navigator product design and coaching‑at‑scale methodologies.
Beyond assessment, Richard champions competency development as an organizational capability. He designs journeys that help leaders optimize strengths and neutralize derailers, blending focused practice, mentoring feedback, and network‑centric development through SONAR. His coaching draws on Acceptance & Commitment Training (fACT), compassion‑focused approaches, and solution‑focused models aligned to EMCC/ICF standards, translating science into practical behavior change.
Richard divides his time between product strategy, client advisory, and research, with a growing emphasis on thought leadership and practitioner accreditation through Mentis Academy. He is committed to building an inclusive, data‑literate coaching community across ASEAN and the GCC and to advancing prosocial, values‑based leadershi true to the Mentis promise: Nurture Talent™.
Professional Profile
What I Do - Design and lead multi‑method leadership evaluation & development programs - Build data‑rich learning journeys that integrate assessment, mentoring, and practice - Advise boards and CHROs on successor pipelines, capability models, and cohort scaling
Domains - Talent Evaluation & Insight • Competency Frameworks • Multi‑source Feedback (90/180/360) • Business Simulations • Personality & Reasoning Assessment • Social‑Emotional Learning • Network‑centric Development • Coaching at Scale
Signature Programs & Systems
- Mentis Navigator™ Ecosystem:
- OCEANS Personality Navigator (trait profiledevelopment narratives, strengths/risks)
- Competency Navigator 90/180/360 (multisource feedback with Observed‑Interpretive reporting)
- SONAR Network Centrality (mapping collaborative influence and learning networks)
- BRAVO Social‑Emotional Compass (SEL insights for professionals)
- Career Anchors (career drivers and development alignment)
- Learning Journeys: Cohort‑based development with mentoring & focused ACT‑informed practice
- Assessment & Development Centers: Competency‑based interviews, simulations, reasoning tests, and personality profiling for integrated, powerful insights and individual development planning.
Accreditations & Professional Standards
- Chartered Occupational Psychologist (HCPC‑registered – Board Certified; BPS Chartered). BPS RQTU Qualified Assessor.
- Hogan Assessments: HPI, HDS, MVPI; Advanced Interpretation Facilitator (2003 to 2020.
- Multi‑source feedback systems (90/180/360-degree feedback) and competency‑based interviewing and development planning
Speaking & Teaching
- Psychological flexibility & prosocial leadership
- Competency‑based assessment and
- Observed‑Interpretive reporting
- Scaling mentoring and cohort‑based learning with data
- Navigating derailers and decision‑making under uncertainty

Haris Ali Akbar
Before moving into assessment, Haris spent over five years in learning and development, specializing in soft skills such as leadership, innovation, and communication. His extensive experience designing capability programs and facilitating corporate development and innovation initiatives gives him a developmental lens in assessment work, enabling sharp identification of both strengths and growth opportunities.
Haris is also a professional coach who has achieved ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) level, supporting individuals in leadership, career development, and corporate innovation contexts. He is also a candidate for a Master’s in Applied Human Resource Psychology at the University of Indonesia, where his research explores the intersection of personality and learning behavior in the workplace to bridge psychological science and organizational practice.

Myles Empacis
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
Are you sure you want to sign out?
log in
Richard is a Principal Consultant at Mentis (since February 2023), where he leads talent evaluation, survey methodologies, and leadership development initiatives. He implements Mentis talent profiling and development solutions to enhance leadership and specialist interpersonal, and self-awareness and utilizes Competency Navigator to align recruitment, performance management, and succession planning with business strategy. His work ensures that talent development efforts drive long-term organizational success through data-driven insights and structured development programs.
In addition to his role at Mentis, Richard holds several consulting, training, and development roles, contributing his expertise across global organizations:
- Project Director / Lead Consultant / Trainer / Mentor, Senex Consulting (2005 – Present)
- Senior Consultant, Faze 3 Consulting (2022 – Present)
- Partner, Konsälidön (2019 – Present)
- Trainer, Mercuri International Group (2005 – Present)
Across these roles, Richard advises businesses on leadership development, cultural transformation, customer experience strategies, and operational improvements, delivering customized training programs and mentoring executives in strategic growth and change management.
Previously, Richard held key executive positions, including:
Managing Director, Phonetics (UK) Ltd (2003-2005)
Group IT & Operations Director, Hoseasons Holidays Group (1979-2003)
His substantial experience in business strategy, customer service excellence, and digital transformation has made him a trusted advisor in optimizing talent, operations, and leadership effectiveness on a global scale.
Business Experience
Richard’s extensive consulting and leadership experience covers a range of industries and international markets. He has successfully designed and delivered customer service strategies, executive coaching programs, cultural transformation projects, and IT system integrations for a wide range of clients.
His key consulting projects include:
- Muscat, Oman: Led sales and soft-skills training programs for a major regional bank in compliance with regulatory standards.
- Dubai, UAE: Designed and implemented management development training programs, providing follow-up mentoring for emerging leaders.
- Newport, UK: Developed a Customer Contact Strategy for a FinTech company, integrating CRM, IVR, and outbound dialers to improve operational efficiency.
- Urfa, Turkey: Conducted IT due diligence for a venture capital firm investing in an outsourced financial services contact center.
- Salalah, Oman: Managed the setup of a multi-channel customer service function, sourcing software solutions and leading training initiatives.
- Bristol, UK: Optimized contact center operations for a financial services company, improving customer satisfaction and reducing costs.
Qualifications, Certifications
- BSc in Computer Science & Business Management
- MA in Coaching & Mentoring
- PRINCE2, Agile & Six Sigma
- Certified in GDPR and Sharia compliance
- Expert in workforce management, CRM solutions, and contact center technology
- Advanced knowledge of process improvements and business strategy implementation
Richard has 30+ years of experience in leadership development and executive mentoring, specializing in aligning people development programs with business objectives.
Personal Philosophy"I believe that success in business transformation is achieved through people. Effective leadership is about fostering the right culture, developing talent, and aligning business strategy with employee engagement. Whether it’s driving customer service excellence, coaching executives, or implementing large-scale business change, I am committed to helping organizations achieve sustainable growth through strategic leadership, process optimization, and people development."
Other Interests Richard is an active mentor and advisor who enjoys contributing to leadership and business transformation discussions. When he is not consulting or training, he spends time traveling, engaging in business networking, and staying updated on the latest trends in technology and digital transformation.

Wafa Disi
Wafa has been coaching since 2015, working with individual professionals from different hierarchical levels (Juniors up to Executives) and various industries; to improve their effectiveness at work by helping them understand and develop how they take up a role, its authority, responsibilities, accountabilities, challenges, and relationships. Wafa has a genuine interest in working closely with the Youth, supporting them in their personal and professional development as they navigate their career paths with confidence and clarity. As a Coach, she is passionate about improving self-awareness among professionals and encouraging self-acknowledgment and self-responsibility. Wafa also aims, through her coaching, to help improve team dynamics and relationships within an organisation.
Her portfolio includes working on leadership development,talent management, and Emiratizationprojects for prominent government, semi-government, and private organisations in UAE and Saudi such as (ADNOC, ENOC, ADSG, DoE, FAB, MOCAF, MOFA, DIB, DCT, DWTC, Dubai TEC, SAUDIA Airlines, REGA, Mobily, GASTAT, Tawuniya, and others) in collaboration with various consultancies in the region such as (The Talent Enterprise TTE, Talogy, Mentis, Knowledge Group, Front Talent, Taaeen and others).
Wafa was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, lived and worked there since. The city holds a special place in her heart, and she has always felt strong ties to the UAE community and always aims to give back through her work developing and empowering Emaraties. She is an active volunteer at the UAE volunteering platform and has taken part in several initiatives, such as the Special Olympics and the national initiative (Together we are good), to help overcome the Covid-19 impact.
Wafa has over 22 years of industry experience inHR managementand leadership development. Wafa's previous experience includes roles leadingHR functions, corporate and leadership development, and international HR projects. Throughout her years ofcorporate experience, she successfully led and took vital roles in the design and implementation of several key projects in areas such asOrganizational Structureand Development, Leadership Development,Employee Engagement,Career Development,Succession Planning, Talent Management, Performance Management, and Emiratization.

Ahmed Alqaseer
Earlier in his career, Ahmed served in the Sharjah Police, rising through the ranks to Colonel. Across operational and leadership postings, he led multidisciplinary units, developed officers, and introduced process improvements that enhanced service quality and community outcomes. This frontline-to-boardroom perspective now informs his advisory work—particularly in leadership pipelines, workforce capability, and governance.
Education
Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), University of Derby, United Kingdom — in progress
Ahmed is currently completing a DBA at the University of Derby, focusing on evidence-based management and the application of practitioner research to organizational performance. His doctoral work strengthens his capability to translate rigorous inquiry into actionable people strategy—spanning leadership development, performance management, and culture change—while evaluating interventions for measurable impact and sustainability.
Certifications & Professional Training
- Hogan Assessments (Advanced Practitioner): Advanced training in the interpretation and administration of Hogan Personality Profiles (HPI, HDS, MVPI), including workshops led by Dr. Robert Hogan in the United States.
- Mentis Navigator Suite: Certified in Mentis assessment and development tools and systems (e.g., Competency Navigator 90/180/360, OCEANS Personality Navigator, SONAR network analytics), applying these to end-to-end evaluation and leadership development programs.
Areas of Expertise
- Leadership assessment & development (competency frameworks, 90/180/360 feedback)
- Talent strategy & workforce planning
- Organizational design, governance & operating model change
- Learning journeys, coaching, and mentoring for emerging and senior leaders
- Stakeholder engagement, community partnership, and public-sector transformation
Professional Highlights
- Director-level advisory across UAE organizations in government, infrastructure, and services
- Command-level leadership experience (Colonel) in Sharjah Police
- Bilingual communicator (Arabic/English) with strong cross-cultural fluency

Bruce Hancock
Originally from New Zealand, Bruce brings over 30 years of international experience spanning Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and Europe. His career includes senior leadership roles such as Director of Health and Wellness at Chiva-Som International Health Resort and Director positions at Banyan Resort and Asian Oasis. He partners with leaders and teams to design transformative experiences that enhance strategic outcomes, build high-performing cultures, and strengthen executive presence.
Bruce’s consulting approach blends applied psychology, experiential facilitation, and performance coaching, often leveraging storytelling and improvisation techniques to deepen engagement and behavioral change. His clients include Saudia Airlines, Mobily, Daman Health, the Qi Group, Nawal, Banyan Resort, and leading regional universities. Additionally, he founded Naruna, a platform delivering bespoke leadership retreats for leaders seeking clarity, purpose, and lasting impact.
Areas of Expertise
- Leadership & Executive Coaching: Individual and team interventions fostering authentic leadership, accountability, and psychological flexibility.
- Feedback & Development Journeys: Integrates OCEANS, Hogan, and Mentis tools to translate insights into measurable growth.
- Culture & Engagement: Aligns leadership behaviors with organizational values through workshops, retreats, and blended learning programs.
- Psychological Safety & Wellbeing: Promotes resilience, trust, and emotional intelligence in leadership teams.
- Cross-Cultural Facilitation: Applies global experience to help diverse teams collaborate effectively.
Approach & Philosophy
Professional Certifications
- Marshall Goldsmith Certified Executive Coach
- Hogan Assessments Certified Practitioner
- Deeper Signals Assessment Certified Practitioner
- Mentis Certified Practitioner – OCEANS Personality Navigator & Competency Navigator Multisource Feedback
- Certified Facilitator and Trainer – Passion Mapping & Values-Based Leadership
Certifications & Credentials
- Marshall Goldsmith Certified Coach
- Performance Psychology Practitioner (Applied Coaching & Development)
- Hogan Assessments Certified Practitioner
- Mentis Certified Practitioner – OCEANS Personality Navigator & Competency Navigator
- Facilitator – Passion Mapping and Values-Based Leadership


