Senior Vice President

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Capturing the People Advantage – Training Magazine article was used with permission of Nielsen Business Media, Inc.

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Based at Booz Allen Hamilton’s Herndon, Virginia office, Walter McFarland is a Senior Vice President with extensive experience in human resources and learning. He leads the firm’s learning strategy business by leveraging his expertise in:

• Human capital and learning strategy
• Organizational transformation and change
• High-performance work systems
• Team-based learning
• Leadership development
• Workforce planning

Mr. McFarland has served clients that include the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Agriculture, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Reserve, the U.S. intelligence community, and other agencies across the federal government, in projects that involve:

• Learning strategy
• Technology-based learning
• Team and organizational learning
• Leadership and development and succession planning
• Learning aspects of organizational transformation and change

He has also supported the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and commercial clients in the financial, consumer/media, and healthcare industries.

Mr. McFarland has led consulting engagements that won the IRS Commissioner’s Award and Hammer Award. He sits on the board of directors of the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD), and co-sponsored original research in the areas of leadership development and immersive learning with that organization. He was also instrumental in creating both a national section and a regional chapter of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA).

A recognized thought leader, Mr. McFarland co-authored several articles, such as "A Talent for Talent," “The Performance Gene: Unleashing the Human Element of Organizational DNA,” and “A Blueprint for Strategic Leadership” for strategy+business, “Developing and Managing a Multigenerational Workforce” for the Journal of the American Management Association, and "High-Octane Leadership Development" for Chief Learning Officer magazine. He also co-authored the introductory chapter for  “Capturing the People Advantage: Thought Leaders on Human Capital,” as part of the strategy+business Thought Leader Reader series.

Mr. McFarland holds professional certifications from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the International Personnel Management Association (IPMA). He earned an M.A. in government from Georgetown University, an M.P.A. in public administration and a B.A. in psychology from Southern Illinois University, and an Ed.S. in human resources development from the George Washington University.

profile updated October 2008