Tamar Elkeles

Vice President

As Vice President of QUALCOMM’s Learning Center, Tamar Elkeles, Ph.D., is responsible for defining the overall learning and development strategic direction for the company. Her scope of leadership includes global learning, executive/leadership development, technical development, employee communications, organization development and learning technology for more than 15,000 QUALCOMM employees worldwide.

Elkeles created the Learning Center within QUALCOMM in 1992 to meet the learning and development needs in a rapidly growing and changing high technology environment. Today, the focus of her organization is to continually bridge the gap between learning and information to improve both individual and organizational performance. The QUALCOMM Learning Center operates as an internal consulting function within the organization, which provides business divisions with innovative solutions in both learning, organizational development and communications that impact business results.

Since 2000, QUALCOMM has consistently ranked in Training Magazine’s list of Top Training Organizations. In 2002, QUALCOMM was ranked as "best in class" in telecommunications. In both 2000 and 1994, QUALCOMM also earned the Organization of the Year Award from the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) for exceptional employee development programs. QUALCOMM has been an ASTD Award winner since 2005.

Elkeles’ extensive focus on alternative delivery methods enabled QUALCOMM to begin development of online learning in early 1995. As a result of these progressive efforts, QUALCOMM was awarded the ASTD Best Practice Award for the Use of Technology for Learning in 1996 and in 1998 was honored with an ASTD Best Practice Award for Web Based Learning. She has been featured in both Chief Learning Officer Magazine and Training Magazine for her leadership and contributions to the learning profession.

In 2007 she co-authored the first book on the CLO’s role; “The Chief Learning Officer, Driving Value within a Changing Organization Through Learning and Development”.

Within her community, Elkeles served as co-chair of the Advisory Board for Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla which is dedicated to exceptional patient care, facilitating health education and conducting progressive medical research.

Nationally, Elkeles is a member of the Conference Board Council for Training, Development and Education as well a member of the CLO Magazine Editorial Board. She also served on the Board of Directors for the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), the world's premier professional association and leading resource on workplace learning and performance. She holds both a M.S. and a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology.