Hi, I'm Salima.
Salima is an award-winning powerhouse speaker who ignites audiences, focused on advancing the careers of emerging and seasoned executives. Her action-oriented approach delivers measurable results: accelerated business outcomes, faster promotions, and higher retention. For impactful change, Salima’s the speaker you need—in-person or virtual.
About Salima
She is the Founder, CEO, and Head Coach of Unleash Forward. She is a sought-after speaker, coach, and thought-leader who transforms emerging and seasoned executives into confident, high-impact leaders.
As a keynote speaker, she’s inspired 20,000+ leaders across the globe to lead with clarity, confidence, and courage—and walk away with tools they can use immediately.
She was awarded Top 100 Speakers of 2023 by Women In Tech, Top 100 World of Difference Award in 2023 by TIAW, Top 15 Coaches in Toronto in 2024 by Influence Digest, Global 200 Women Power Leaders 2024 by White Page International, and was one of 44 recipients globally to receive the “Woman of Difference” award by The International Alliance for Women.
Twenty plus years of industry experience as an executive, consultant, and ICF Professional Certified Coach have helped Salima drive accelerated performance and impact with leaders and teams from Google, Microsoft, HP, Meta (Facebook), Intuit, Samsung, Blackberry, CIBC, Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive, Deloitte, Edelman, Rogers, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dig Insights, and many other companies across the globe.
Salima brings a spark of innovation and a wealth of experience to the world of executive coaching. Her journey includes impactful roles at giants like Microsoft and Deloitte, not to mention her dynamic leadership as Vice President Digital at Edelman and steering the ship at Sonic Boom Digital Marketing Agency. Salima has also shared her insights and expertise as a professor at George Brown College, enriching the minds of the next generation.
Salima has supported entrepreneurs and women in leadership through the following initiatives: investor and activator of SheEO, Girls on Boards Coach and certified facilitator for #IamRemarkable, a Google initiative.
Salima’s approach
Salima harnesses practical tools and strategies to help you thrive. She does this by bringing together:
Her experience in executive roles +
Leadership development frameworks +
Coaching tools and strategies +
Her research and experience as a person of color
Salima understands the challenges that executives face because she’s been there. You get more than a coach, you also get a leadership whisperer.
Salima’s coaching style is both refreshing and empowering, blending strategic thinking with a robust executive presence and masterful communication skills. Salima has a knack for inspiring leaders to not just envision their goals but to voice them with confidence, influencing teams across the board to unite for a common purpose. She’s a wizard at managing stakeholder relationships, boosting accountability, and magnifying leadership qualities at every level of an organization.
What sets Salima apart is her personalized approach to coaching, specially designed for the fast-paced, ever-evolving tech sector. She's on a mission to unlock the potential within each leader, encouraging innovative thinking and decisive action that leads to real, tangible results. With Salima's guidance, leaders don’t just climb the ladder—they transform the very landscape of their fields, driving accelerated growth and leaving a lasting impact.
Testimonials