The Association for Talent Development (ATD) announces that Desmond Atkins, Vice President, People & Organization for Sony Pictures Entertainment, has joined its board of directors. He joins the board for a three-year term, 2018-2020.
Desmond leads Sony Pictures Entertainment’s global talent management and learning strategy with a focus on creating relevant practices and experiences that resonate with diverse populations and unique business operations impacting 7,000 employees in more than 40 countries.
Prior to Sony, Desmond served in HR roles at Blue Shield of California and was focused on partnering with business leaders to transform the business to align with new market and industry realities. Desmond’s professional experiences have taken him to several companies such as Health Net and The Los Angeles Times, among others.
Desmond earned degrees from the University of Southern California and Azusa Pacific University in Business Administration and Organizational Development, respectively.
About Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. SPE’s Motion Picture Group includes film labels Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, and Sony Pictures Classics.
About ATD
The Association for Talent Development (ATD) is the world’s largest professional membership organization supporting those who develop the knowledge and skills of employees, improve performance, and help to achieve results for the organizations they serve. Originally established in 1943, the association was previously known as the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).
ATD’s members come from more than 120 countries and work in public and private organizations in every industry sector. ATD supports talent development professionals who gather locally in volunteer-led U.S. chapters and international member networks, and with international strategic partners. For more information, visit www.td.org.
