Dr. Wahlström earned a Doctor of Management Degree from Colorado Technical University in 1997. Prior to that, he earned a Master of Arts in Human Resource Management degree from Hawaii Pacific University in 1992 and a Master of Science degree in Instructional Design from Saint Leo University in 2015. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree with honors, as well as a Professional Certificate in Quality Management from HPU. In addition to these educational experiences, he studied for several years in clinical doctorate programs at the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology and Pacifica Graduate Institute. He earned a Certification in Clinical Depth Psychology from FIPP and conducted several years of training analysis with Jungian as well as Freudian analysts.

Dr. Wahlström has provided a variety of management consulting services to small and mid-sized businesses since 1992. He has founded and owned three consulting firms himself, Apollo Consulting in Hawaii, Omni Management Group in Colorado, and Otavala Consulting in Illinois. In addition, he has collaborated with many other consulting firms such as Consulting Associates International and Trani Consulting Group. Dr. Wahlström has assisted client organizations in business planning, strategic management, human resources, team-building, and conflict management. His past clients include the University of Southern Colorado, Evolution Nightclub, Stainless Clothing, Matthew Martin Law Firm, COTC Consulting, Colorado Realty Appraisers, BSU Enterprises, Food Bank of Central New York, Amazing Explorers Academy, and numerous others in Hawaii, Colorado, California, New York, Florida, and Illinois.

He has also worked with numerous educational institutions from early childhood education to higher education. To date, Dr. Wahlström has taught in 22 different universities and colleges since 1997, holding many different positions ranging from Adjunct Professor to Chief Academic Officer. For example, he served as a Professor at American InterContinental University and an Associate Professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology after serving as an Associate Professor for the University of Maryland Global Campus. He also served many years as an Assistant Professor at Colorado State University in Pueblo, Colorado, and as a Visiting Professor at the Helsinki School of Economics. His adjunct teaching posts include Adler School of Professional Psychology, Saint Leo University, Robert Morris University, Rollins College, Florida Community College at Jacksonville, and many other prestigious institutions. He has taught a wide range of different management and psychology courses, and even some information technology courses. He has taught these courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels, online as well as in a traditional classroom.

During his academic career, Dr. Wahlström has served in and chaired many faculty committees including a Faculty Development Committee, a Multi-campus Integration Committee, an Academic Technology Committee, and a University Accreditation Committee. Dr. Wahlström has worked as a Clinician and Counselor in many institutions for a decade. For example, he has worked as a Clinician at Spanish Peaks Mental Health Center, Parkview Medical Center, and Cleo Wallace Center– all in Colorado. He also worked at Queen’s Medical Center, Castle Medical Center, Diamond Head Mental Health Center, and Hale Opio Kauai– all in Hawaii.

His therapeutic orientation is existential and analytical psychotherapy. Through his clinical experiences, he has worked with families, children, and adolescents, as well as adults. He has treated anxiety and depression patients, as well as the severely mentally ill. Dr. Wahlström has served in many leadership positions in mental health agencies and higher education. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Soccer Universities. Recently, he worked as the Provost of the United States Sports Academy and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Argosy University. He also served as the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at American InterContinental University. In addition, he worked as the Program Chair and Lead Faculty of Human Resource Management at the online division of AIU. Prior to that, he served as the Dean of the Professional Studies and Human Services Division at Edward Waters College, one of the oldest historically Black colleges in Florida. During these academic administration duties, he has overseen professional development and faculty performance management functions, coordinated accreditation and institutional effectiveness efforts, and led many program development and other academic operations activities. He also served as the Case Coordinator Supervisor at Diamond Head Mental Health Center, which is a part of the Department of Health Mental Health Division of the State of Hawaii. However, his most notable leadership experience consists of his visionary leadership as the Managing Partner and co-founder of Otavala Consulting, a Chicago-based management consulting firm. Prior to Otavala, he managed and led Omni Management Group in Colorado and Apollo Consulting in Hawaii. All these different accomplishments combined give Dr. Wahlström over 20 years of senior and executive management and leadership experience. Dr. Wahlström is socially responsible in everything he does. He served as the Executive Director of the University of Southern Colorado American Humanics program in the late 90s, followed by two years of service as the Executive Director of the Center for Social Responsibility and Community at SUNY Oneonta. He has also served in many community agency boards including the Allocations Board of United Way, the Finnish-American Chamber of Commerce, the Investing in Communities Education Council, the Jung Institute of Chicago Program Committee, and many other similar service organizations. Early in his career, he worked as an assistant for State Representative Noburo Yonamine at the State of Hawaii’s House of Representatives. Community service and volunteering have been a lifelong passion for Dr. Wahlström and demonstrate his character and care for others. Dr. Wahlström’s hobbies and personal interests include luxury automobiles, movies, arts, and travel. He enjoys the culture of big cities as much as the pure nature of the great outdoors. He is family-oriented and committed to his close friends and colleagues.