Dr. Azni Zarina Taha (PhD, Aston University) serves as the Executive Director of UMGiving at Universiti Malaya, where she combines her academic foundation in organization and strategy with her extensive consultancy experience. Prior to this post, she was the Executive Director for Universiti Malaya Center for Continuing Education (UMCCed) and Deputy Director for UMConsult. Holding a PhD in strategy and organizational change, an MBA from Universiti Malaya, and a BSc from the University of Missouri, Dr. Azni is well-regarded for her contributions to management education and strategic development.

In her academic role, Dr. Azni teaches corporate strategy and most management-related subjects, integrating academic theory with insights from her consultancy projects. Some of the management-related subjects include, change management in disruptive times, sustainable service innovations, performance management, international business, and training management. She has successfully completed supervising four (4) PhD students. She has published in several refereed and index journals, including Operations Management Research and Tourism Management. 

She has delivered tailored training programs for organizations such as Panasonic Malaysia, the Malaysia Armed Forces, and Infineon Technologies, empowering these teams with advanced strategic skills. She has also conducted international training programs for Aoyama Business School (Japan), Kyoto Institute of Technology (Japan), Aston University (UK), and the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (Oman). 

As a consultant, Dr. Azni has advised high-profile organizations across sectors. Her consultancy work with the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) highlights her commitment to supporting Malaysia’s economic and industrial advancements. Other notable projects include developing a strategic customer service roadmap for Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pekerja (KWAP), profiling mosques as tourism attractions for the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC), and creating the Aerospace Industry 4.0 Readiness Index (AIR4S).