Title: Vice President of Organization and Employee Development
Company: The Walt Disney Company
Location: Poland, Ohio, United States
Adam Hickman, PhD, Vice President of Organization and Employee Development at The Walt Disney Company, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements and leadership in Organizational Development.
Dr. Hickman has established a remarkable career spanning more than two decades in organizational and employee development, human resources strategy and workplace innovation. Since 2022, he has served as the vice president of organization and employee development at The Walt Disney Company, where he oversees all trading activities, manages employee development initiatives across the organization, directs internal communications and supervises diversity and inclusion programs. In this capacity, Dr. Hickman is also responsible for handling aspects of employee relations and leading the integration of artificial intelligence into human resources processes.
Concurrently, Dr. Hickman has held the title of vice president of organization and employee development at Partners Federal Credit Union since 2022. In both positions, he has demonstrated a commitment to fostering inclusive work environments and advancing organizational effectiveness through innovative strategies.
Before these executive roles, Dr. Hickman contributed significantly to Gallup Inc., where he was a senior workplace strategist from 2021 to 2022. He played a pivotal role in shaping hybrid remote workplace policies for Fortune 500 companies during this time. These policies have had a lasting impact on corporate work environments and remain in effect years after their implementation.
Initially acquired by Gallup Inc. in 2015, Dr. Hickman was a senior leading consultant, where he advised clients on talent management, leadership development and organizational transformation. From 2019 to 2021, he excelled as a content manager.
Dr. Hickman’s career began with AT&T, where he held several progressive roles over nearly a decade. He was the team manager from 2004 to 2008 before advancing to lead the training delivery manager in 2008. He then became an associate project manager at AT&T from 2012 to 2013. Following his time at AT&T, Dr. Hickman joined Consumers Energy as manager of business knowledge, leadership and strategy in 2013. He was responsible for managing a team of professionals while acting as a senior business partner supporting leadership learning strategy until 2015.
Instrumental in shaping his expertise, Dr. Hickman earned a Bachelor of Arts in corporate communications with a minor in business from Hiram College in 2012. He then studied at Walden University, where he received a Master of Philosophy in management and a Master of Business Administration in organizational leadership in 2015, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in organizational development in 2019.
Dr. Hickman further enhanced his credentials through specialized credentials, including in cybersecurity governance for the board of directors from MIT Sloan School of Management, in people analytics from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, certification as a strengths coach from Gallup Inc. and a certificate in executive management from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, among others.
Dr. Hickman is actively involved in industry organizations. He has served on the advisory board of Corporate Learning Network since 2024 and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management. His contributions extend beyond the workplace into civic engagement as a supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and the American National Red Cross, and he is a donor to the local chapter of Shriners International. A prolific author, Dr. Hickman has published two books, one of which is used as a textbook at a university.
In light of his professional excellence, Dr. Hickman has been recognized by OnConferences with numerous awards, including a Top 50 Team Award in 2023, recognition as a Top 10 Global Learning and Development Professional in 2023, and recognition as a Top 50 Global Learning and Development Professional in 2025. Grateful for his success, he is dedicated to mentoring individuals with untapped potential and supporting local organizations that may not have access to high-end consulting services by connecting them with the right expertise needed for success.
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